Sexual desire among physicians during a pandemic COVID-19

In our study, we assessed sexual desire, sexual behavior and perceived stress during the COVID-19 pandemic in a population of physicians. Our study was cross-sectional and descriptive, conducted among a sample of healthcare professionals, interviewed during the period from September 2020 to January 2021 via social networks. We used the Sexual Desire Rating Scale (SDRS) and the Perceived Stress Rating Scale (PSS). We included 104 physicians ranging in age from 24 to 60. Of the participants, 40.4% avoided having sex with their partner during this period. Participants reported a decrease in desire in 30.8% of cases during this period of the COVID-19 pandemic. Assessment of sexual desire using the Sexual Desire Scale (SDS) showed that 33.7% had a below-average mean total desire score; 41.3% had a below-average mean dyadic desire score and 75% had a below-average solitary desire score. No significant association was found between sexual desire scores and perceived stress.