New UK study into male sexual dysfunction

By William Smith

A new UK study shows that over two-thirds of men who contacted a leading sexual advice charity had erection problems which were frequently linked to a loss of sex drive. The full research is published the International Journal of Clinical Practice (IJCP).

The study also found that a large number of men from the Indian subcontinent and the Middle East sought email advice on problems with premature ejaculation and masturbation. These are issues which are often related to arranged marriage, a fact that has been established by previous research.

The IJCP study centred around the UK-based Sexual Advice Association. People can make contact to this service by telephone or email and can talk to a chartered psychologist. More advice is available from a medical team that includes a family doctor with a specialist interest in men’s health, a cardiologist, urologist, gynaecologist, psychiatrist and a sexual health clinical nurse practitioner.

Researchers studied 5,531 telephone calls and 2,160 emails received during 2009 and 2010. Specific reference was given to the 673 emails which required an in-depth reply from a doctor who specialises in male sexual dysfunction.

The majority of people learned about the service through the charity’s website. During the study period this attracted visitors from 20 different countries including Afghanistan and Zimbabwe. The majority of visits were from the UK which accounted for over two-thirds of visits. There were also a significant number of visitors from the USA, Singapore and Canada.

‘A lot of men do not seek medical advice for sexual problems and it is estimated that only half of them will seek help within a year,’ says Dr. John Tomlinson, the lead author. Tomlinson has previously run a hospital-based men’s health clinic for several years and now works with the Sexual Advice Association.

‘Although there have been a number of reports in the literature about the value of telephone help lines little is known about the role of email advice in supporting patients with sexual problems,’ he added.

The analysis of the 673 emails that required an in-depth reply showed that:

71% were from the UK, 23% were from outside the UK and the rest were unknown. Men aged 21 to 30 were most likely to make contact by email, accounting for a quarter of those received.
The most common problems were erection problems (69%), loss of sex drive (17%), premature ejaculation (12%), masturbation problems (10%) and genital problems (12%).
Erection problems increased with age and the age groups most concerned with premature ejaculation and lack of sex drive were 31 to 40 years and 41 to 50 years respectively.
Men in the UK were more likely to express concerns about erection problems and lack of sex drive than men outside the UK. UK men with erection problems tended to be older than those outside the UK -- averaging 47 years of age compared with 37 years.
Premature ejaculation and masturbation worries were more commonly reported by men from outside the UK, particularly from the Indian subcontinent. These included concerns that excessive masturbation in adolescence had caused their current sexual problems.
70% of the men who expressed concerns about the size of their penis or a bend in their erection were under 40.
Advice included contacting their family doctor, getting their testosterone checked -- particularly if they were over 40 or had diabetes or heart disease -- and referral to a specialist charity for sexual and relationship therapy.

Co-author, Professor Kevan Wylie specialises in sexual medicine at Sheffield Care NHS Trust. Wylie sais ‘Telephone advice lines are an established source of support for patients with sexual problems. Our study shows that e-mail advice and counselling are also an increasingly important and effective resource for men who find it difficult to discuss intimate issues with their family doctor.’

‘Sexual problems can have a serious impact on people’s quality of life and relationships and can often point to underlying medical problems that need attention. We believe that the advice provided by organisations like Sexual Advice Association is invaluable in helping men to get the treatment and advice they need,’ concluded Wylie.