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The Impact of the Environment on Sexual Health

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Management of Sexual Dysfunction in Men and Women

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Abstract

There is a great deal of interest surrounding environmental influences that may affect sexual health and fertility. Patients with sexual dysfunction or infertility are often motivated to assess and ameliorate these conditions, and our constant interaction with our environment makes environmental factors obvious targets for modification. Many potential environmental influences on male and female sexual function and reproductive health exist, and in this chapter, we focus on the impact of obesity, diet, exercise, smoking, alcohol, illicit drugs, lifestyle, temperature, maternal age, electromagnetic radiation, and the built environment on fertility and sexual function in men and women. The available literature supports promotion of better sexual and reproductive function through a healthy lifestyle with attention to diet and exercise while limiting tobacco, alcohol, and drugs known to affect fertility and sexual function. Future high-quality clinical trials are required to better elucidate the role of additional environmental factors on sexual and reproductive health.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Urology, University of Michigan Medical Center, 3875 Taubman Center/SPC 5330, 1500 E. Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-5330, USA

    James M. Dupree M.D., M.P.H.

  2. Dalhousie University, Saint John, NB, Canada

    Gavin M. Langille M.D., F.R.C.S.C.

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  1. James M. Dupree M.D., M.P.H.
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  2. Gavin M. Langille M.D., F.R.C.S.C.
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Correspondence to James M. Dupree M.D., M.P.H. .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Chief, Division of Male Reproductive Medicine and Surgery; Scott Department of Urology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA

    Larry I. Lipshultz

  2. Assistant Professor; Division of Male Reproductive Medicine and Surgery; Center for Reproductive Medicine; Scott Department of Urology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA

    Alexander W. Pastuszak

  3. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology; George Washington University; School of Medicine and Health Sciences, The Center for Vulvovaginal Disorders, Washington, District of Columbia, USA

    Andrew T. Goldstein

  4. Psychiatric Center Copenhagen; Institute of Clinical Medicine; University of Copenhagen, Sexological Clinic, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Annamaria Giraldi

  5. Weill Medical College Cornell University; Co-Director, Human Sexuality Program; The New York Presbyterian Hospital; Founder, MAP Education and Research Fund, Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, Reproductive Medicine and Urology, NEW YORK, New York, USA

    Michael A. Perelman

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Dupree, J.M., Langille, G.M. (2016). The Impact of the Environment on Sexual Health. In: Lipshultz, L., Pastuszak, A., Goldstein, A., Giraldi, A., Perelman, M. (eds) Management of Sexual Dysfunction in Men and Women. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-3100-2_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-3100-2_3

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