Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by VÄLIMÄKI, M.
Right arrow Articles by YLIKAHRI, R.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow Articles by VÄLIMÄKI, M.
Right arrow Articles by YLIKAHRI, R.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© 1983 Medical Council on Alcohol

research-article

THE EFFECT OF ALCOHOL ON MALE AND FEMALE SEXUAL FUNCTION

MATTI VÄLIMÄKI and REINO YLIKAHRI

Third Department of Medicine, University of Helsinki, and the Research Laboratories of the State Alcohol Monopoly (Alko), Helsinki, Finland

Received 25 April 1983; In the chronic male alcoholics several mechanisms are involved in the pathogenesis of the sexual dysfunction that manifests itself clinically as testicular atrophy, gynaecomastia, impotence and sterility. Animal studies have distinctly demonstrated the ability of alcohol to impair testosterone production and spermatogenesis both through its direct toxic effects on the testes and through interference in the function of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. The alcohol-induced enhancement of testosterone catabolism also contributes to the loss of plasma testosterone. Apart from being hypoandrogenized, chronic alcoholic men are also exposed to the excessive oestrogen effect that results from the accumulation of oestrogenic hormones, principally from that of oestrone, and from the changes in oestrogen receptors. The role of hyperprolactinaemia in the alterations of sexual function of chronic male alcoholics is unknown. The significance of liver damage in the pathogenesis of hormonal disturbances is emphasized by the finding that, apart from impairment of spermatogenesis, the hormonal changes seem to be most marked in alcoholic men with liver cirrhosis.

Animal studies have again dearly demonstrated the toxicity of alcohol to female gonads. Consistent with the animal findings, menstrual abnormalities, decreased female sexual characteristics and sterility associated with ovarian atrophy have been reported in chronic alcoholic women. The loss of oestrogens and progesterone provides the hormonal basis for these changes. In spite of marked hypo-oestrogenization, plasma gonadotropin levels have not been elevated in chronic female alcoholics, indicating that disturbed regulation of gonadotropin secretion is an important factor in the genesis of ovarian failure in these patients, even if ovarian function may also be directly impaired. Hyperprolactinaemia is not one of the hormonal hallmarks of sexual dysfunction in chronic alcoholic women.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.