Sex has always been a taboo subject in Asian society. However, over the past few years, awareness in the field of men's sexual health has improved, and interest in sexual health research has recently increased. The epidemiology and prevalence of erectile dysfunction, hypogonadism and premature ejaculation in Asia are similar in the West. However, several issues are specific to Asian males, including culture and beliefs, awareness, compliance and the availability of traditional/complementary medicine. In Asia, sexual medicine is still in its infancy, and a concerted effort from the government, relevant societies, physicians and the media is required to propel sexual medicine to the forefront of health care. Asian Journal of Andrology (2011) 13, 537-542; doi:10.1038/aja.2010.135; published online 6 June 2011Keywords: Asia; erectile dysfunction; health; hypogonadism; male; premature ejaculation; sex
INTRODUCTIONUntil recently, men's sexual health has taken a backseat in the planning and implementation of health care. When Viagra (sildanefil) burst onto the scene more than a decade ago, it opened up the floodgates for research and development on men's sexual health. As a result, a previously taboo subject was transformed into a popular topic, even in Asia. Being a conservative society, male sexual health was initially embraced with trepidation in Asia. In contrast, the more open culture of the West has seen significant progress in the field of sexual medicine. The purpose of this review is to examine the burden of men's sexual health in Asia and to identify issues that are unique to Asian men in order to develop strategies for the improvement of men's health care in Asia.