Sexual Dysfunction in Chronic Kidney Disease

Sexual dysfunction (SD) can drastically limit the quality of life of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). It is important to understand the frequency and prevalence of SD in this population in order to prioritise epidemiological and clinical research. These conditions are often underdiagnosed and undertreated. The terminology and classification systems of SD can be complicated, making more difficult the process of clinical diagnosis and making accurate treatment. The approach of SD must include lifestyle changes and close analysis of physiological, social, and psychological variations and concomitant comorbidities. SD can occur in both sexes, with different manifestations: male patients with CKD often suffer from erectile dysfunction and difficulty achieving orgasm. At the same time, women with CKD may suffer from dyspareunia, amenorrhoea, and a delay in sexual development with premature menopause. Decreased libido often occurs in both sexes, for which there are different and multifactorial causes that require close support and consideration. The development of clear clinical categories and diagnostic step-by-step methods and algorithms to make a diagnosis based on a combination of symptoms, signs, or test results for SD is of paramount importance and can be of great benefit to clinical and public health and disease-related research.