Treatments of Sexual Dysfunction in Opioid Substitution Therapy Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

source extracted confidence: high 2026-04-09
#antidepressive-agents-second-generation #bupropion #humans #opiate-substitution-treatment #panax

Treatments of Sexual Dysfunction in Opioid Substitution Therapy Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Ramli et al., 2021 | Int J Med Sci | Meta Analysis

Citation

Ramli Fitri Fareez, Azizi Muhammad Hasif, Syed Hashim Syed Alhafiz. Treatments of Sexual Dysfunction in Opioid Substitution Therapy Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Int J Med Sci. 2021;18(11):2372-2380. doi:10.7150/ijms.57641

Abstract

Sexual dysfunction is a common condition in the opioid substitution therapy (OST) population. We aimed to determine the efficacy and safety of treatment for sexual dysfunction in the OST population. We searched for interventional studies from Medline, PubMed, and Scopus. Three independent authors conducted a risk-of-bias assessment (RoB 2). A total of seven studies (five randomized-controlled trials, two quasi-experimental), including 473 patients with sexual dysfunction, were identified. Among these, three bupropion (n=207), one trazodone (n=75), two rosa Damascena (n=100), and one ginseng (n=91) studies had reported significantly improve various sexual functioning domains in both genders. In a meta-analysis, bupropion significantly increased male sexual function with standardized mean difference of 0.53; 95% confidence interval of 0.19-0.88; P < 0.01; I2=0. The adverse effects were minor for all agents, and no significant difference between treatment and placebo groups in randomized-controlled trials. These agents have a promising future as therapy for sexual dysfunction in the OST population. However, given the limited sample size and number of studies, further studies should be conducted to confirm the use of these agents.

Key Findings

However, given the limited sample size and number of studies, further studies should be conducted to confirm the use of these agents.

Outcomes Measured

  • Requires manual extraction

Population

Field Value
Population sexual dysfunction
Sample Size 207
Age Range See abstract
Condition See abstract

MeSH Terms

  • Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation
  • Bupropion
  • Humans
  • Opiate Substitution Treatment
  • Panax
  • Plant Extracts
  • Quality of Life
  • Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
  • Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological
  • Sexual Dysfunctions, Psychological
  • Trazodone
  • Treatment Outcome

Evidence Classification

  • Level: Meta Analysis
  • Publication Types: Journal Article, Meta-Analysis, Systematic Review
  • Vertical: ginseng

Provenance

Source extracted via PubMed E-utilities API on 2026-04-09