OBJECTIVES: The Australian Study of Health and Relationships reports on sexual behaviours in a representative sample of Australian adults. METHOD: Between May 2000 and June 2001, computer-assisted telephone interviews were completed by a representative sample of 10,173 men and 9,134 women aged 16 to 59 years (response rate 73.1%). Respondents were asked whether in the past year they had for a period of at least one month experienced a range of sexual difficulties. RESULTS: The most common sexual difficulty was lack of interest in having sex (24.9% men, 54.8% women). Women were more likely than men to report being unable to come to orgasm (28.6% vs. 6.3%), not finding sex pleasurable (27.3% vs. 5.6%), physical pain during intercourse (20.3% vs. 2.4%) or worrying during sex about their body looking unattractive (35.9% vs. 14.2%). Men were more likely to report coming to orgasm too quickly (23.8% vs. 11.7%). Men (16.0%) and women (17.0%) were equally likely to have felt anxious about their ability to perform sexually. Erectile difficulties and lack of interest in sex were higher among the over-40s. Anxiety about performance was highest among men under 20. Experience of sexual difficulties correlated with self-reported ill health. CONCLUSION: The assumption that everyone should be interested in sex, should want to have it and should enjoy having it is a socially normative prescription and not a description of the actual state of affairs. Women reported less interest in sex, less pleasure and more pain than men.
OBJECTIVES: The Australian Study of Health and Relationships reports on sexual behaviours in a representative sample of Australian adults. METHOD: Between May 2000 and June 2001, computer-assisted telephone interviews were completed by a representative sample of 10,173 men and 9,134 women aged 16 to 59 years (response rate 73.1%). Respondents were asked whether in the past year they had for a period of at least one month experienced a range of sexual difficulties. RESULTS: The most common sexual difficulty was lack of interest in having sex (24.9% men, 54.8% women). Women were more likely than men to report being unable to come to orgasm (28.6% vs. 6.3%), not finding sex pleasurable (27.3% vs. 5.6%), physical pain during intercourse (20.3% vs. 2.4%) or worrying during sex about their body looking unattractive (35.9% vs. 14.2%). Men were more likely to report coming to orgasm too quickly (23.8% vs. 11.7%). Men (16.0%) and women (17.0%) were equally likely to have felt anxious about their ability to perform sexually. Erectile difficulties and lack of interest in sex were higher among the over-40s. Anxiety about performance was highest among men under 20. Experience of sexual difficulties correlated with self-reported ill health. CONCLUSION: The assumption that everyone should be interested in sex, should want to have it and should enjoy having it is a socially normative prescription and not a description of the actual state of affairs. Women reported less interest in sex, less pleasure and more pain than men.
Authors: Selahittin Çayan; Muammer Kendirci; Önder Yaman; Ramazan Aşçı; İrfan Orhan; Mustafa Faruk Usta; Oğuz Ekmekçioğlu; Ateş Kadıoğlu Journal: Turk J Urol Date: 2017-06-01
Authors: Josefine Bernhard Andresen; Christian Graugaard; Mikael Andersson; Mikkel Kjær Bahnsen; Morten Frisch Journal: Arch Sex Behav Date: 2022-09-20
Authors: Nigel Field; Catherine H Mercer; Pam Sonnenberg; Clare Tanton; Soazig Clifton; Kirstin R Mitchell; Bob Erens; Wendy Macdowall; Frederick Wu; Jessica Datta; Kyle G Jones; Amy Stevens; Philip Prah; Andrew J Copas; Andrew Phelps; Kaye Wellings; Anne M Johnson Journal: Lancet Date: 2013-11-26 Impact factor: 79.321