Men and women are indispensable partners in sexual relationships/marriage and family building. Despite this, the sexual health needs of men, beyond their roles as women's partners, have not received enough attention. A wide range of societal and individual factors shapes, and often constrains, men's aspirations towards sexual health and their behaviour as sexual partners.Sexual relationships are, among other issues, important goals for most men worldwide. Providing more information to meet men's needs for the medical and counselling services that are relevant for their sexual and reproductive health would be an appropriate measure given the important interdependence that exists between men's wellbeing and that of their partners, children and societies. Much more could be achieved if appropriate information, support and services were more readily available for men. Women's needs for sexual and reproductive health care services have long received more attention than have men's. The reasons for this imbalance are understandable: only women become pregnant and bear children, and the number, timing and safety of pregnancies and birth are directly relevant to women's health and wellbeing. Moreover, because most of the available contraceptive methods are designed to be used by women, related systems of serviceprovision target women. Research on sexual and reproductive health has also focused mainly on women [1].This jmhg theme issue aims to contribute to various aspects of sexual health. Improving men's knowledge and skills is essential for increasing the likelihood that men will engage in protective behaviours to the benefit of their own health and that of their partners. Furthermore, facilitating equitable communication between partners and within couples about sexual health is crucial! The last years have seen an explosion of interest in both men's and women's sexual function and dysfunction. Three eminent models of men's sexual problems have developed rapidly, particularly after the NIH Consensus Conference on Impotence in 1992 [2]. In this issue, Ian Eardley [3], in his editorial 'Erectile dysfunction: where are we going?'
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