Sex and epilepsy, the first clinic dedicated to men opens at Sant’Orsola in Bologna
His name, epilepsy, derives from ancient Greek and literally means “to be taken by surprise”. This is because in the past it was thought that the characteristic attacks of the disease were linked to religious, mystical experiences or possession by supernatural entities, which suddenly visited the person, taking them by surprise and causing the convulsions typical of the disorder. . Today we know much more about epilepsy: having discarded the supernatural etiology, we have understood that it is a neurological disease linked to genetic factors, brain trauma, tumors and neurodegenerative disorders.
Epilepsy affects approximately 40-70 people out of 100 thousand in industrialized countries and more than double in the rest of the world, and among its manifestations and consequences, in addition to the best-known ones, there are also neglected ones. One of these has to do with the effects on sexual and reproductive health: one of the most common problems faced by men suffering from epilepsy, in fact, is the loss of libido and the appearance of erectile dysfunction. Even in this case, the possible causes are different: first of all the epileptic attacks in themselves, which can cause a decrease in the production of sexual hormones; but the side effects of the drugs used to treat the disease and the states of anxiety, depression and stress resulting from the awareness of being epileptic also play a role.
The first clinic in Italy
Fortunately, medicine has also begun to deal with this aspect. At the Irccs Aou Policlinico Sant’Orsola in Bologna (recommended among the hospitals of excellence forurology), in collaboration with the University of Bologna and the Italian Association against Epilepsy, in fact, an innovative and unprecedented service has just been inaugurated on the national territory, that is, the first andrological clinic dedicated to patients suffering from epilepsy. The service is called Aape (acronym for Andrological Clinic Epilepsy Path) and is managed by specialists from the urology operational unit, directed by Eugenio Brunocilla, and from the simple departmental andrology structure directed by Fulvio Colombo. The idea is to shine a light on the connection between epilepsy and sexual health, offering patients a multidisciplinary path capable of involving neurologists, andrologists, urologists, endocrinologists, gynecologists, psychiatrists and psychologists, thus guaranteeing complete support for the treatment of this problem .
An integrated path
“We are proud to be able to offer this opportunity to all male people who want to deal with these delicate issues, often left in the background within the vast world of epilepsy”, commented Massimiliano Presutti, Aape representative. “The clinic includes a complete visit with medical history collection, objective examination, prescription of any in-depth tests and checks over time to observe the clinical progress of these people. We are confident that the activity can meet the needs of males with epilepsy and we hope that it can soon spread beyond metropolitan and regional borders”.
