Low Sexual Desire Most Common Female Sexual Problem, Large Study

Main Category: Women's Health / Gynecology
Also Included In: Sexual Health / STDs;  Endocrinology;  Psychology / Psychiatry
Article Date: 31 Oct 2008 - 7:00 PDT

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Results from the PRESIDE* survey, the largest study assessing the prevalence of female sexual problems, show that low sexual desire is the most commonly reported sexual problem in women aged 18 or older.1 In the new survey of more than 31,000 women, published today in Obstetrics & Gynecology (the Green Journal), nearly one in 10 women said they experience low desire with sexually-related personal distress, a condition that is medically referred to as Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder (HSDD).1

HSDD, is defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) of the American Psychiatric Association, as diminished feelings of sexual interest or desire, absent sexual thoughts or fantasies and lack of responsive desire that causes marked distress or interpersonal difficulties and is not caused by a medical condition or drug.2 HSDD is a medical condition that remains largely under-diagnosed.3

"Physicians who diagnose and treat women with sexual problems should make sure to evaluate the patient's level of distress associated with her problem," said Jan L. Shifren, M.D., the leading author and director of The Menopause Programme, Vincent Obstetrics and Gynaecology Service at Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston. "As distressing sexual problems were identified in approximately 1 in 8 women, health care providers need to ask their patients about sexual concerns, and whether they are causing unhappiness, frustration or other distressing feelings that may be impacting their quality of life."

PRESIDE Results

In the PRESIDE survey, 44.2% of women reported experiencing a sexual problem of some kind.1 Low desire was most common, reported in 38.7% of the respondents1; low arousal (26.1%) and orgasm difficulty (20.5%) were less frequent.1 Of all the women surveyed, 22.8% said they had sexually-related personal distress.1

Low desire was the most common distressing sexual problem, affecting 10% of respondents. It is twice as common as distress associated with arousal (5.4%) or orgasm problems (4.7%).1 Low desire with associated distress was prevalent in women of all ages but particularly pronounced in mid-life.1

About PRESIDE

PRESIDE is a cross-sectional, population-based, nationally-representative survey of 31,581 adult women in the United States.1

As female sexual dysfunction is characterised by sexual problems associated with personal distress, two validated instruments were used. The Changes in Sexual Functioning Questionnaire (CSFQ-14), a 14-item validated tool, was used to capture a respondent's self-evaluation of current sexual behaviors and problems using a five-point scale.1 The Female Sexual Distress Scale (FSDS), a 12-item validated tool, measures a woman's distress about her sex life, assesses guilt, frustration, stress, worry, anger, embarrassment, and unhappiness during the past 30 days.1

About DSM-IV

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, defines HSDD as the persistent lack (or absence) of sexual fantasies or desire for any form of sexual activity marked by distress or interpersonal difficulty and not better accounted for by another disorder (except another sexual dysfunction), direct physiological effects of a substance (including medications) or a general medical condition.2

About Boehringer Ingelheim

The Boehringer Ingelheim group is one of the world's 20 leading pharmaceutical companies. Headquartered in Ingelheim, Germany, it operates globally with 135 affiliates in 47 countries and 39,800 employees. Since it was founded in 1885, the family-owned company has been committed to researching, developing, manufacturing and marketing novel products of high therapeutic value for human and veterinary medicine.

In 2007, Boehringer Ingelheim posted net sales of 10.9 billion Euros while spending one fifth of net sales in its largest business segment Prescription Medicines on research and development. http://www.boehringer-ingelheim.com

Please be advised

This release is from Boehringer Ingelheim Corporate Headquarters in Germany. Please be aware that there may be national differences between countries regarding specific medical information, including licensed uses. Please take account of this when referring to the information provided in this document. This press release is not intended for distribution within the USA.

* Prevalence of Female Sexual Problems Associated with Distress and Determinants of Treatment Seeking.

References

1. Shifren, JL et al. Sexual Problems and Distress in United States Women: Prevalence and Correlates. Obstet Gynecol 2008; 112(5)

2- Sexual and gender identity disorders. In: American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 4th Ed. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association; 2000:493-538

3. Bachmann G. Female sexuality and sexual dysfunction: are we stuck on the learning curve? . 2006 Jul;3(4):639-45.

Boehringer Ingelheim