The INTIMA: development and validation of a new psychometric tool for the evaluation of perceived ‘Viagra Jealousy’ in erectile dysfunction therapy

Background: In erectile dysfunction (ED) management the partner could support therapies or may sabotage them, as in the phenomenon of the “Viagra Jealousy” (VJ). Thus, we aimed to study the extent of cognitive and emotional discomfort in communicating and sharing ED treatment by creating a new tool, called INTIMA (Impact of Negotiating Treatment Intake on Marital Intimacy/Alliance Assessment). Methods: 134 men diagnosed with ED completed a series of validated psychometric questionnaires, including INTIMA, the Fear of Intimacy Scale (FIS), and the Relationship Questionnaire (RQ). Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) were conducted to assess the dimensionality and factorial validity of the INTIMA and its psychometric strength. Results: CFA confirmed a single-factor structure with robust goodness-of-fit indices (ꭓ2[9] = 11.7, p = 0.234; SRMR = 0.030; CFI = 0.991; TLI = 0.985; RMSEA = 0.047). The INTIMA demonstrated excellent internal consistency. Convergent validity was supported by significant correlation with FIS and adequate Average Variance Extracted. ROC analysis revealed high discriminatory power for detecting insecure attachment patterns, with an optimal cut-off score of 17. Conclusion: INTIMA is a reliable psychometric tool for assessing perceived VJ and predicting the risks of involving or not the partner in ED treatment and to identify optimal strategies for better adherence and outcomes.