Factors associated with perceived loss of libido in people who inject opioids: Results from a community-based survey in France

•This study investigates the impact of the type of opioids injected on libido.•Type of questioning (online or face-to-face) shows libido is still a taboo subject.•The type of opioid used plays a significant role in how serious the libido loss is.•Buprenorphine appears to be the opioid with the weake...

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Published inDrug and alcohol dependence Vol. 190; pp. 121 - 127
Main Authors Briand Madrid, Laélia, Morel, Stéphane, Ndiaye, Khadim, Mezaache, Salim, Rojas Castro, Daniela, Mora, Marion, Olivet, Fabrice, Laporte, Virginie, Protopopescu, Camelia, Carrieri, Patrizia, Roux, Perrine
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Ireland Elsevier B.V 01.09.2018
Elsevier Science Ltd
Elsevier
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Summary:•This study investigates the impact of the type of opioids injected on libido.•Type of questioning (online or face-to-face) shows libido is still a taboo subject.•The type of opioid used plays a significant role in how serious the libido loss is.•Buprenorphine appears to be the opioid with the weakest effect. Regular consumption of opioids exposes individuals to several side effects. One of these is a loss of libido, which has a negative impact on quality of life. We used a cross-sectional community-based survey of people who inject opioids to study factors associated with loss of libido, and more particularly the impact of the type of opioid injected. This secondary study was conducted throughout France in 2015 and involved 514 people who inject opioids. Self-reported sociodemographic characteristics, drug consumption, injection-related data and loss of libido were collected using a brief questionnaire administered either through face-to-face interviews or online. Two different models were used to identify factors associated with loss of libido: simple logistic regression and a two-step Heckman model. Forty-three percent of the participants reported a loss of libido. The first model showed that filling in the questionnaire online (OR[95%CI] = 2.55[1.64;3.96]; p < 0.001), reporting that morphine sulfate (OR[95%CI] = 2.67[1.56;4.58]; p < 0.001) or methadone (OR[95%CI] = 2.50[1.13;5.56]; p = 0.030) was the opioid they injected most (versus buprenorphine), and reporting benzodiazepine use (OR[95%CI] = 1.62[1.07;2.44]; p = 0.033) were factors strongly associated with loss of libido. In the two-step, Heckman model which corrected for selection bias, along with these factors, reporting heroin as the opioid injected most was also strongly associated. Our findings showed that full-opioid agonists could have a negative impact on libido when injected regularly. Libido can improve quality of life and should be routinely discussed through counseling in prevention services with people who inject drugs.
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ISSN:0376-8716
1879-0046
DOI:10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2018.05.030