Abstract
To study the sexual activity and the prevalence of sexual dysfunctions and related help seeking behaviour, among people in Europe aged 40–80 years. A telephone survey was carried out in 2001–2002 in Sweden, the UK, Belgium, Germany, Austria, France, Spain and Italy, of 4,977 men and 5,023 women, using a structured, standardized questionnaire Eighty-three percent of men and 66% of women had sexual intercourse during the year preceding the interview. The sexual dysfunctions most frequently reported were early ejaculation (11%) and erectile dysfunction (8%) in men; and a lack of sexual interest (18%), an inability to reach orgasm (13%) and lubrication difficulties (11%) in women. Of the 23% of men and 32% of women who reported sexual dysfunction, 26% had consulted a physician, with considerable between-country differences. Sexual activity is widespread among adult middle-aged and elderly people, but many experience sexual dysfunctions and few seek medical care.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
ASCF principal investigators and their associates (1992) Analysis of sexual behaviour in France (ACSF). A comparison between two modes of investigation: telephone survey and face-to-face survey. AIDS 6:315–323
Barlow DH, Cardozo LD, Francis RM, Griffin M, Hart DM, Stephens DW (1997) Urogenital ageing and its effect on sexual health in older British women. Br J Obstet Gynaecol 104:87–91
Blanker MH, Bosch JL, Groeneveld FP, Bohnen AM, Prins A, Thomas S, Hop WC (2001) Erectile and ejaculatory dysfunction in a community-based sample of men 50 to 78 years old: prevalence, concern, and relation to sexual activity. Urology 57:763–768
Braun M, Wassmer G, Klotz T, Reifenrath B, Mathers M, Engelmann U (2000) Epidemiology of erectile dysfunction: results of the ‘Cologne Male Survey’. Int J Impot Res 12:305–311
Deacon S, Minichiello V, Plummer D (1995) Sexuality and older people: revisiting the assumptions. Educ Gerontol 21:497–513
Dunn KM, Croft PR, Hackett GI (1999) Association of sexual problems with social, psychological, and physical problems in men and women: A cross sectional population survey. J Epidemiol Comm Health 53:144–148
Eurostat (2002) Health statistics—key data on health. Data 1970–2001
Fleming DM, Schellevis FG, Van Casteren V (2004) The prevalence of known diabetes in eight European countries. Eur J Public Health 14:10–14
Gardner MJ, Altman DG (1987) Confidence intervals rather than P value: estimation rather than hypothesis testing. Br Med J 292:746–750
Giuliano F, Chevret-Measson M, Tsatsaris A, Reitz C, Murino M, Thonneau P (2002) Prevalence of erectile dysfunction in France: results of an epidemiological survey of a representative sample of 1004 men. Eur Urol 42:382–389
Gott M, Hinchliff S (2003) How important is sex in later life? The views of older people. Soc Sci Med 56:1617–1628
Helgason AR, Adolfsson J, Dickman P, Arver S, Fredrikson M, Gothberg M, Steineck G (1996) Sexual desire, erection, orgasm and ejaculatory functions and their importance to elderly Swedish men: a population-based study. Age Ageing 25:285–291
Laumann EO, Nicolosi A, Glasser DB, Paik A, Gingell C, Moreira ED, Wang T, for the GSSAB Investigators’ Group (2006). Sexual problems among women and men aged 40 to 80 years: prevalence and correlates identified in the global study of sexual attitudes and behaviors. Int J Impot Res 17:39–57
Macfarlane GJ, Botto H, Sagnier PP, Teillac P, Richard F, Boyle P (1996) The relationship between sexual life and urinary condition in the French community. J Clin Epidemiol 49:1171–1176
Mak R, De Backer G, Kornitzer M, De Meyer JM (2002) Prevalence and correlates of erectile dysfunction in a population-based study in Belgium. Eur Urol 41:132–138
Martin-Morales A, Sanchez-Cruz JJ, Saenz de Tejada I, Rodriguez-Vela L, Jimenez-Cruz JF, Burgos-Rodriguez R (2001) Prevalence and independent risk factors for erectile dysfunction in Spain: results of the Epidemiologia De La Disfuncion Erectil Masculina study. J Urol 166:569–575
Matthias RE, Lubben JE, Atchison KA, Schweitzer SO (1997) Sexual activity and satisfaction among very old adults: results from a community-dwelling Medicare population survey. Gerontologist 37:6–14
Mercer CH, Fenton KA, Johnson AM, Wellings K, Macdowall W, McManus S, Nanchahal K, Erens B (2003) Sexual function problems and help seeking behaviour in Britain: national probability sample survey. Br Med J 327:426–427
Moynihan R (2003) The making of a disease: female sexual dysfunction. Br Med J 326:45–47
Nicolosi A, Laumann EO, Glasser DB, Moreira ED, Paik A, Gingell C (2004) For the GSSAB Investigators’ Group. Sexual behavior and sexual problems after the age of 40: the global study of sexual attitudes and behaviors (GSSAB). Urology 64:991–997
Nicolosi A, Moreira ED, Shirai M, Tambi MIB, Glasser DB (2003) Epidemiology of erectile dysfunction in four countries: cross-national study of the prevalence and correlates of erectile dysfunction. Urology 61:201–206
Osborn M, Hawton K, Gath D (1988) Sexual dysfunction among middle-aged women in the community. Br Med J 296:959–962
Shiri R, Koskimaki J, Hakama M, Hakkinen J, Tammela TL, Huhtala H, Auvinen A (2003) Prevalence and severity of erectile dysfunction in 50 to 75-year-old Finnish men. J Urol 170:2342–2344
Solstad K, Hertoft P (1993) Frequency of sexual problems and sexual dysfunction in middle-aged Danish men. Arch Sex Behav 22:51–58
Ventegodt S (1998) Sex and the quality of life in Denmark. Arch Sex Behav 27:295–307
Wolf-Maier K, Cooper RS, Banegas JR, Giampaoli S, Hense HW, Joffres M, Kastarinen M, Poulter N, Primatesta P, Rodriguez-Artalejo F, Stegmayr B, Thamm M, Tuomilehto J, Vanuzzo D, Vescio F (2003) Hypertension prevalence and blood pressure levels in 6 European countries, Canada, and the United States. JAMA 289:2363–2369
Acknowledgments
The Global Study of Sexual Attitudes and Behaviors was funded by Pfizer Inc. The authors thank the staff of the international advisory board: Gerald Brock (Canada), Sae-Chul Kim (Korea), Rosie King (Australia), Bernard Levinson (South Africa), Ken Marumo (Japan), Edson Moreira (Brazil), Ferruh Simsek (Turkey).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Consortia
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Nicolosi, A., Buvat, J., Glasser, D.B. et al. Sexual behaviour, sexual dysfunctions and related help seeking patterns in middle-aged and elderly Europeans: the global study of sexual attitudes and behaviors. World J Urol 24, 423–428 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00345-006-0088-9
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00345-006-0088-9