Ali Kheradmand - Taleghani Hospital Research Development Committee, Behavioral Sciences Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Ahad Fazeli - Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Azadeh Mazaheri-Meybodi - Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

Background: Opioid use disorder is a major concern to public health, and opioid maintenance treatment onmethadone or buprenorphine is a widely used approach. On the other hand, in recent years, there has beenmore regards for the use of opium tincture for detoxification and maintenance treatment of opioiddependence in certain parts of the world. The purpose of our research was to compare sexual impairments ofmethadone maintenance treatment (MMT), buprenorphine maintenance treatment (BMT), and opiumtincture maintenance treatment (OMT) in patients.Methods: The study sample consisted of opium-addicted men candidates for maintenance treatment in anaddiction quitting clinic in Tehran, Iran, from November ۲۰۱۷ to February ۲۰۱۸. Participants (n = ۸۴) wererandomly assigned to three groups (of the equal number), receiving either methadone tablet, buprenorphinesublingual tablet, and opium tincture. The average score for sexual function was evaluated using the ArizonaSexual Experiences Scale (ASEX) at the beginning and after ۳ months after treatment.Findings: Although there was no significant different in ASEX scores between the groups at the beginningand end of the study (P > ۰.۰۵), but the difference was significant in each group in comparing by themselves.Conclusion: These results showed that sexual dysfunction became better after opioid substitution therapies,and no differences were observed on sexual dysfunction between the three groups

Methadone, Buprenorphine, Opium tincture, Sexual dysfunctions, Opioid substitution therapies