The goal of the current study was to asses the effect of pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) on measured erectile function as an indicator of sexuality in men with LUTS following stroke. A sample of 516 men with stroke was recruited to participate in this single-blinded, randomized controlled trial according to in- and exclusion criteria. This resulted in 31 participants who were randomized to either a Treatment Group (n = 16) or a Control Group (n = 15). The intervention was comprised of 12♣weeks of PFMT. The effect was measured on the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5) questionnaire. Thirty participants (median age: 68 years; interquartile range: 60-74 years) completed the study, 15 in each group. The results of the IIEF-5 sum score showed a significant improvement (P < 0.04) from pre-test to post-test in the Treatment Group, but not in the Control Group. Within pre-test and 6-month follow-up, the median sum score was reduced in both groups, worsened in the Control Group [Treatment Group, 3 (17%) versus Control Group, 5 (31%)]. There were differences between the groups at post-test and at follow-up, but they were not statistically significant.
The results displayed that, as measured by erectile function in men with LUTS after stroke, PFMT may have short-term and long-term effect, although no statistically significant effect was shown between the groups.