Fertility and sexual function after spinal cord injury

Following damage to spinal cord, sexual function and fertility of the survivors would greatly be affected and using assistive reproductive therapies would be inevitable. During a 2-year program, 1429 SCI survivors of Iran-Iraq War were thoroughly examined by urologists. Patient's demographic characteristics and information relevant to sexual and fertility status as date of marriage, number of children and use of assistive reproductive therapies, were recorded. The mean age of the survivors was 37.9±8.5 y/o and the mean period after injury was 14.6±2.9 years. 87.4% of the subjects suffered from paraplegia and 98.4% of them were men. Sexual dysfunction reported in 69.9% of the subjects while fertility problems observed in 58.5%. 23.7% of the cases had no child and 30.4% had a single one. Success rate following IUI, IVF and were 21.9%, 24.1% and 20% respectively. Statistical analysis revealed no relation between level of spinal cord injury and fertility. Relatively high success rate after assistive reproductive therapies would maintain the hope of bearing a child after Spinal Cord Injury.