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| |  New Survey Highlights Role Of Family Physicians In Treating Impotence KALAMAZOO, Mich., Sept. 18, 1996 -- At a time when primary care physicians are seeing a 43 percent increase in the number of impotence patients each year, some physicians express reluctance to discuss sexual health issues with their patients. In fact, a new survey reveals that 36 percent of physicians will discuss sexual health only if the patient brings it up. Additionally, one in three physicians (32 percent) who find impotence a difficult subject to discuss, report that it is "extremely difficult" or "very difficult" to discuss sexual function with patients, according to the survey. The national phone survey of 226 physicians (family practitioners, general practitioners and internists), sponsored by Pharmacia & Upjohn (NYSE: PNU), was conducted by Bruskin/Goldring Research in conjunction with September's Impotence Awareness Month. The goal of the survey was to explore the role and comfort level of primary care physicians in the treatment of impotence, a highly treatable condition that affects up to 30 million American men. Despite effective treatment options, only one in 20 men seeks medical attention for impotence, because they are either not aware of treatment options and/or may find the subject too embarrassing to discuss with their partner or physician. The largest barrier experienced by primary care physicians in the management of impotence is their lack of comfort discussing impotence and other sexual health problems with their patients. Almost a quarter of the doctors (22 percent) surveyed indicate that they find impotence a difficult subject to discuss with patients. Of the respondents who find impotence a difficult subject to discuss, a third find it "extremely difficult" or "very difficult" to discuss sexual function with their patients. Another barrier in the management of impotence is a man's reluctance to seek help. Physicians report that men wait an average of six to nine months before seeking treatment. Additionally, physicians report that men have misconceptions about impotence, believing that it is "incurable" (23 percent), is the result of aging (16 percent), is permanent (9 percent) and that it is caused only by psychological factors (7 percent). "While many men with impotence desperately want to be treated, they are often too embarrassed to discuss their problem with their physician," said Francois Eid, M.D., director of the Erectile Dysfunction Unit at The New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center. "In the 90s, there is no reason for a man to go untreated for impotence. With a renewed emphasis on patient/physician communication, more men can resume the enriching sex lives once disrupted by impotence." While slightly more than half of all primary care physicians (55 percent) screen for impotence when taking a medical history, only three in ten (29 percent) routinely discuss sexual health problems in a standard physical exam. There is a significant connection between those doctors who are highly familiar with various treatment options and the likelihood to screen for impotence, compared with those doctors who are less knowledgeable (61 percent versus 43 percent, respectively) about impotence treatment. "The age when a man may begin to experience erection difficulty is unpredictable, but the incidence increases rapidly for men in their mid-50s," said Dr. Eid. "By age 70, it is expected that at least half of the male population will experience some erectile difficulties. Therefore it's important that, once a man hits 40, a discussion of his sexual health, including his erectile functioning, should be included in an annual exam. However, a major barrier to this approach is that men traditionally do not have annual exams." Physicians expressed confidence about treating impotence, with 71 percent saying that they are "extremely familiar" or "very familiar" with treatment options. When asked to name impotence treatment options, the doctors most frequently mentioned intercavernosal injection therapy (59 percent) and surgical implants (51 percent). Physicians indicating they are familiar with treatment options are significantly more likely to say that they see more men now than in the past for impotence. According to Dr. Eid, physicians and their patients now have effective treatment choices that weren't available in the past. The newest form of therapy for erectile dysfunction is administered by a small-needle injection into the side of the penis with Caverject (alprostadil sterile powder), which is reconstituted with sterile water prior to administration. In fact, nearly nine out of ten physicians surveyed (88 percent) are familiar with intercavernosal therapy for treating impotence. The most common side effect seen with Caverject use is mild penile pain, which occurs in approximately one-third of users. The correct dosage is determined by a visit to the physician's office. Pharmacia & Upjohn, Inc., is a research-based pharmaceutically focused company dedicated to helping people around the world live longer and fuller lives. The Company was formed through a merger of Pharmacia AB and The Upjohn Company and began operating in November 1995. Pharmacia & Upjohn is a provider of human health care and related products, and operates on a global basis. The Company has a corporate management center in London and major research and manufacturing centers in the United States, Sweden and Italy.
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