INFLUENCE OF RADIOACTIVE BACKGROUND ON SEXUAL FUNCTION IN MEN FROM DIFFERENT REGIONS OF UKRAINE

Abstract

Objective. The article attempts to analyze the nature of sexual dysfunctions in patients living in areas exposed to ionizing radiation as a result of the Chornobyl accident. Materials and methods. A study of sexual function was carried out in 186 people (group I) living in the territories of Kyiv (Polisske, Chornobyl, Ivankiv, Borodianka, Vyshhorod, Makariv districts) and Zhytomyr (Malyn and Korosten districts) regions. The control group consisted of persons who were born and lived on the territory of IvanoFrankivsk and Chernivtsi regions (group II, n = 123). Diagnostics was carried out on an outpatient basis in accordance with the standards of the WHO and the Ministry of Health of Ukraine. Results. Analyzing the obtained research results, a significantly larger number of patients with sexual dysfunction was identified in group I (82.3 %) than in group II (44.7 %) (р < 0.01). Psychopathological disorders disturbed, respectively, 60.2 % and 41.4 % (p < 0.01). Complaints of decreased libido were presented by 25.8 % of the surveyed men exposed to ionizing radiation, and 6.5 % of them were concerned about a sharp depression of libido. In group II patients, this indicator was 14.6 % and 3.3 %, respectively. The integral index of «libido» of the ICEF questionnaire revealed a statistically significant difference between the groups (9.23 ± 0.89 and 12.22 ± 1.26, respectively; р < 0.05). In patients exposed to ionizing radiation as a result of the Chornobyl accident, the concentration of testosterone decreases, and the content of FSH, LH, as well as globulin, which makes sex hormones, increases. Erectile dysfunction in patients of group I was detected in 58.1 % of men, and in patients of group II – 35.0 % (р < 0.01). The difference in the integral indicators of the ICEF questionnaire between the groups was 1.3 times behind the «libido» domain. For other domains – by 1.5–1.6 times. In men living in the territories of Kyiv and Zhytomyr regions, erectile dysfunction occurs earlier and is characterized by a more severe course than in people born and lived in the territory of Ivano-Frankivsk and Chernivtsi regions. Both in terms of low rates of normal erection (in patients of groups I and II, respectively 3.8 % and 13.3 %), and for high percentages of existing moderate/severe ED (respectively 71.0 % and 45.5 %), persons from group I are characterized by significantly worse data than persons from group II (р < 0.01). Orgasm pathology was found in 40.3 % of patients in group I and in 25.2 % of patients in group II (р < 0.01). The quality of life index according to the QoL index in the context of existing sexual disorders in group I of patients was 4.7 ± 0.4, in patients of group II – 3.9 ± 0.2 (р < 0.05). Conclusions. The data obtained indicate a tendency for a more significant violation of sexual functions in men who were born and lived in territories exposed to radioactive contamination as a result of the Chornobyl accident. Key words: Chornobyl accident, radioactively contaminated areas, men, sexual dysfunctions.