Sexual adjustment after lower extremity amputation.

Sexual adjustment following lower extremity amputation was evaluated by interviewing 60 adults with recent amputations, 39 men and 21 women, after they had become independent in ambulation with a prosthesis. Among the men, 77% reported a substantial decrease in the frequency of sexual intercourse following amputation, while only 38% of the women reported a decrease. The decreased frequency was greater for nonmarried men than for married men, greater for men with above-knee amputations than for men with below-knee amputations, and greater for male amputee patients in whom phantom phenomena persisted compared to those in whom phantom phenomena no longer existed. The decreased frequency of intercourse for male amputee patients was unrelated to the patient's age, education, and etiology of amputation. There was no significant change in other aspects of sexual activity, including oral-genital relations, masturbation, homosexuality, and extramarital relations.