RESUMO
Background and Aims: Assessing male sexual function is an important public health issue in every country. In Kazakhstan, there are currently no reliable statistics on male sexual function. The study aimed at the assessment of sexual function in men in Kazakhstan. Methods: Men between the ages of 18 and 69 from Astana, Almaty, and Shymkent, three of Kazakhstan's biggest cities, were included in the cross-sectional study in 2021-2022. A standardized and modified Brief Sexual Function Inventory (BSFI) tool was used for participants' interviews. The World Health Organization STEPS questionnaire was employed to gather sociodemographic information, including smoking and alcohol use. Results: Respondents from three cities: n = 283 from Almaty, n = 254 from Astana, and n = 232 from Shymkent were interviewed. All participants' average age was 39.2 ± 13.4. Kazakhs made up 79.5% of the respondents by nationality; 19.1% who answered questions on physical activity verified that they were involved in high-intensity labor. According to the BSFI questionnaire, the respondents from Shymkent had an average total score of 2.82 ± 0.92, (p ≤ 0.05), which was higher than the total scores of respondents from Almaty (2.69 ± 0.87) and Astana (2.69 ± 0.95). A relationship was found between sexual dysfunction and age indicators over 55 years. Participants with overweight had a relationship with sexual dysfunction with an odds ratio (OR): 1.84 (p = 0.01). According to the smoking factor, in study participants with sexual dysfunction, a relationship was also determined, OR: 1.42; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.79-1.97 (p = 0.001). The presence of high-intensity activity (OR: 1.58; 95% CI: 0.04-1.91), and physical inactivity (OR: 1.49; 95% CI: 0.89-1.97) were associated with the presence of sexual dysfunction, p ≤ 0.05. Conclusions: Our research indicates that men over 50 who smoke, are overweight, and are physically inactive are at risk for sexual dysfunction. Early health promotion may be the most effective method to reduce the negative effects of sexual dysfunction on the health and wellbeing of men over 50.
RESUMO
BACKGROUND: The negative effects of ionizing radiation on organs and the reproductive system are well known and documented. Exposure to gamma radiation can lead to oligospermia, azoospermia and DNA damage. Up to date, there is no effective pharmaceutical compound for protecting the male reproductive system and sperm. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed at investigating the ability of Æ-aminocaproic acid (EACA) to prevent the damage of human spermatozoa and DNA induced by ionizing radiation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sperm samples were obtained from healthy volunteers (35 men; 31.50 ± 7.34 years old). There were four experimental groups: (1) control group (CG), (2) group exposed to maximal radiation dose 67.88 mGy (RMAX), (3) low-dose radiation (minimal) 22.62 mGy (RMIN), and (4) group treated with radiation (67.88 mGy) and EACA (dose 50 ng/mL). Sperm motility, viability, and DNA damage were assessed. RESULTS: We observed a significant decrease in total sperm motility of the RMAX group compared to CG (p < .05). Sperm viability in the RMAX group was also reduced in comparison to the control (p < .05). A significant increase in DNA fragmentation was detected in the RMAX group. The results demonstrated that the treatment of sperm with EACA led to a decrease in the fragmentation of the sperm DNA (compared to the RMAX group) (p < .05). CONCLUSION: The results indicate that EACA effectively protects human spermatozoa from DNA damage induced by ionizing radiation. Treatment of spermatozoa with EACA led to the preservation of cell motility, viability, and DNA integrity upon radiation exposure.
