Sexual dysfunction in men with alcoholic cirrhosis was investigated in young (less than 56 years) outpatients with steady female partners. Sixty-one per cent (11/18) claimed sexual dysfunction, with erectile dysfunction and/or reduced sexual desire being the most common symptoms. Comparing patients with (n = 11) and without (n = 7) sexual dysfunction, no significant differences were found concerning a number of pertinent clinical variables. This should be interpreted with caution, however, owing to the small number of patients in each group. The prevalence and type of sexual dysfunction were not significantly different comparing alcoholic cirrhotic men to chronic alcoholic men without overt liver disease (matched for duration of alcoholism, age and duration of partnership) and to insulin-dependent diabetic men (matched for age and duration of partnership). However, all groups had a significantly (p less than 0.025) raised prevalence of sexual dysfunction when compared to men without chronic disease (matched for age and duration of partnership).