International journal of impotence research
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Priapism, in which penile erection persists in the absence of sexual excitation, is an enigmatic yet devastating erectile disorder. Current endeavors to manage the disorder suffer from a poor fundamental knowledge of the etiology and pathogenesis of priapism. These endeavors have remained essentially reactive, which commonly fail to avert its pathological consequences of erectile tissue damage and erectile disability, not to mention its psychological toll. ⋯ In addition, consistent with the hypothesis that dysregulative physiology of penile erection accounts for some presentations of priapism, several plausible molecular mechanisms influencing the functional state of the erectile tissue are discussed. Current progress in the field suggests prevention possibilities using androgenic suppressive therapy, adrenergic agonist therapies, and effectors of the nitric oxide-dependent erection regulatory pathway in the penis. New ideas for prevention may emerge from targeting molecular mechanisms involved in regulating erectile tissue function.
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Int. J. Impot. Res. · Oct 2003
Medical students' perceptions of sexual health issues prior to a curriculum enhancement.
The objectives were to compare first, second and third year medical students on self-perceived sexual health knowledge, comfort in addressing sexual health problems, and attitudes towards the importance of addressing sexual health issues with patients as part of a sexual health medical curriculum enhancement project. A paper-and-pencil questionnaire survey was designed and administered to first and second year medical students at the start of the fall semester, resulting in high participation rates for both years (98% and 86%, respectively). Third year students were surveyed through an on-line version of the questionnaire yielding a lower response rate (52%). ⋯ Female medical students reported that addressing sexual health issues with patients was significantly more important than did male medical students; however, male students reported higher levels of self-reported knowledge and comforting related to sexual health issues than did female students in a number of areas. In conclusion, knowledge gained from this survey was used to finalize the design of an enhanced, integrated curriculum on sexual health for medical students. Further investigation of gender differences related to training medical students in this area is suggested.