A strange quietness falls over the quiet hallways of Nair Hospital's Andrology OPD as patients who are struggling with societal insecurity find comfort for their sexual health issues. It targets an important but frequently disregarded part of men's sexual health and reproductive well-being, making it a unique situation in civic-run healthcare. Nair Hospital’s Andrology OPD is run by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), which operates on Wednesdays.
A 43-year-old man from Bandra East, visibly unsettled, is struggling with Peyronie’s disease. This condition induces penile curvature, affecting sexual performance, and it causes discomfort during erection. He is seeking help from doctors at Nair Hospital.
For this issue, the private hospital was charging him INR 400.
Due to social stigma, sexual health problems often remain hidden, requiring many people to seek private consultations—a luxury that is out of reach for individuals living in less fortunate circumstances.
To close this price disparity, Nair Hospital was the first government-run medical facility to open an andrology outpatient department, or OPD, focused on treating sexual health issues in males from low-income families.
The Andrology Outpatient Department at Nair Hospital, which sees 1,200 patients a year, has successfully addressed an increase in sexual health problems in three years. The problems range from erectile dysfunction to premature ejaculation. After overcoming early stigma, it has gotten great feedback and helped impoverished areas.
Men's sexual health difficulties are stigmatised, and this keeps them from talking about them with family and friends for fear of being laughed at Dr. Priyank Kothari, an assistant professor in the urology department and coordinator of the andrology outpatient department, stated that it is critical to eliminate this stigma by providing a safe environment for candid conversations, guaranteeing that everyone, regardless of financial situation, has access to private, caring healthcare, and fostering a community that is healthier and better informed.
Dr. Kothari says that certain cases have genetic origins. Their committed staff uses a multimodal approach to address patients' concerns, including medicine, surgery, and counselling. This all-encompassing approach seeks to address the root causes as well as the symptoms.
Doctors report an inflow of cases into the OPD every year, with an average of 500 cases of erectile dysfunction. In addition to other issues, complaints include 250 cases of premature ejaculation, 150 cases of low sperm count, 50 cases of zero sperm count, and 50 cases of penile curvature.
This trend highlights the need for expert treatment by encouraging candid discussions and creating a stigma-free environment for seeking medical attention. The necessity for inexpensive healthcare is emphasised by the fact that financial barriers also prevent the underprivileged from accessing treatment.
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