Male Sexual Function and Sexual Quality of Life in Polygamous Versus Monogamous Marriages

Sexual function and sexual quality of life are influenced by biological, psychological, social, and relationship-related factors. Marital structure may be associated with differences in sexual function, sexual satisfaction, psychological distress, and quality of life; however, evidence among Egyptian men is limited.

This study will use an anonymous Arabic-language web-based questionnaire to compare married Egyptian men in monogamous and polygamous marriages. Participants will be recruited from different Egyptian governorates through online dissemination of the survey. Before completing the questionnaire, participants will review the study information sheet and provide electronic informed consent.

The questionnaire will collect sociodemographic, clinical, lifestyle, sexual, psychological, and relationship-related information. Sexual function will be assessed using the Arabic version of the Sexual Health Inventory for Men/Sexual Health Inventory for Men-5 (SHIM/IIEF-5). Sexual quality of life will be assessed using the Sexual Quality of Life-Male questionnaire. Depression, anxiety, and stress will be assessed using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21. Marital satisfaction and relationship satisfaction will be assessed using predefined Likert-type questions.

The monogamous group will include men currently married to one wife. The polygamous group will include men currently married to two or more wives. Participants will be analyzed according to marital structure, and additional descriptive analyses may be performed according to the number of wives among polygamous participants.

The primary analysis will compare SHIM scores and the proportion of participants with impaired sexual function between the two marital groups. Secondary analyses will compare sexual quality of life, psychological status, marital satisfaction, and other clinical and sociodemographic variables. Multivariable regression models will be used to assess whether marital structure is independently associated with impaired sexual function or poor sexual quality of life after adjustment for relevant confounding factors.

Inclusion criteria

• Egyptian males aged 18 years or older.
• Currently married at the time of questionnaire completion.
• Currently in either a monogamous marriage, defined as marriage to one wife, or a polygamous marriage, defined as marriage to two or more wives.
• Able to read and understand Arabic.
• Willing to complete the anonymous online questionnaire.
• Able to provide electronic informed consent before accessing the questionnaire

Exclusion criteria

• Unmarried, divorced, or widowed individuals.
• Individuals who do not provide electronic informed consent.
• Incomplete questionnaire responses that do not contain the primary outcome measure.
• Duplicate or clearly invalid questionnaire responses.
• Self-reported major psychiatric illness or neurological disease that substantially affects sexual function.
• Participants receiving active treatment that substantially affects sexual function, unless the treatment can be documented and appropriately considered in the statistical analysis.
• Individuals unable to read or understand Arabic.