Sexual Satisfaction and the Importance of Sexual Health to Quality of Life Throughout the Life Course of U.S. Adults

Abstract

Introduction Discussions about sexual health are uncommon in clinical encounters, despite the sexual dysfunction associated with many common health conditions. Understanding of the importance of sexual health and sexual satisfaction among US adults is limited. Aim To provide epidemiologic data on the importance of sexual health for quality of life and people’s satisfaction with their sex lives and to examine how each is associated with demographic and health factors. Methods Data are from a cross-sectional, self-report questionnaire from a sample of 3515 English-speaking US adults recruited from an online panel that uses address-based probability sampling. Main Outcome Measures We report ratings of importance of sexual health to quality of life (single item with 5-point response) and the PROMIS® Satisfaction with Sex Life score (5 items, each with 5-point responses, scores centered on the US mean). Results High importance of sexual health to quality of life was reported by 62.2% of men (95% CI, 59.4%–65.0%) and 42.8% of women (95% CI, 39.6%–46.1%; P < .001). Importance of sexual health varied by sex, age, sexual activity status, and general self-rated health. For the 55% of men and 45% of women who reported sexual activity in the previous 30 days, satisfaction with sex life differed by sex, age, race/ethnicity (among men only), and health. Men and women in excellent health had significantly higher satisfaction than participants in fair or poor health. Women with hypertension reported significantly lower satisfaction (especially younger women), as did men with depression or anxiety (especially younger men). Conclusion In this large study of US adults’ ratings of the importance of sexual health and satisfaction with sex life, sexual health was a highly important aspect of quality of life for many participants, including participants in poor health. Moreover, participants in poorer health reported lower sexual satisfaction. Accordingly, sexual health should be a routine part of clinicians’ assessments of their patients. Health care systems that state a commitment to improving patients’ overall health must have resources in place to address sexual concerns. These resources should be available for all patients across the life span.

“I did not know it was a medical condition”: Predictors, severity and help seeking behaviors of women with female sexual dysfunction in the Volta region of Ghana

“…Although sexual functioning is an essential aspect of human life, sexual problems are pervasive, and can result in severe consequences for the individual (and potentially their partner), if not addressed. Sexual dysfunction, defined as difficulty experienced by an individual or a couple during any stage of a normal sexual activity, including physical pleasure, desire, preference, arousal or orgasm [3,4] has been associated with depression and other common mental disorders, relationship discord, poor self-rated health, infertility and overall quality of life [4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11]. Per the published literature, the prevalence of sexual dysfunctions is extremely high, and ranges from 10-63% across various global populations [7,[11][12][13][14].…”

Educational nurse‐led lifestyle intervention for persons with mental illness

“…Low sexual satisfaction can relate to poor physical health, whereas sexual satisfaction strongly relates to all domains of quality of life (Flynn et al . ). Users reported that following the intervention, they were more satisfied with physical health, as their increased walking capacity and decreased waist circumference corroborated.…”

Association Among Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms, Erectile Function, and Sexual Satisfaction: Results from the Brazil LUTS Study

“…Considering the substantial impact of LUTS on ED, sexual satisfaction, and quality of life among men older than 40 years, the results of the current and previous studies support the importance of a comprehensive assessment of men with LUTS that includes not only the urinary aspect, but also sexual function and sexual satisfaction. 18,19 Conversely, it would be beneficial to assess LUTS in men reporting with sexual dysfunction, as we estimated that a 3-point increase in IPSS score (minimal clinically important difference 33 ) was associated with a decrease of 0.431 points in IIEF-5 score among men with LUTS. This approach would enable a more comprehensive evaluation of 2 highly prevalent and potentially detrimental conditions in men.…”

“…15 Although the relationship between LUTS and ED has been well established, 17 data on the interrelationship among LUTS, sexual dysfunction, and sexual satisfaction are limited, particularly in the Brazilian male population and awareness of the importance of sexual satisfaction in general health and quality of life is increasing. More recent studies have shown that overall sexual health was rated as highly important in regard to quality of life, particularly among those who considered themselves to be in good health, 18 and that the presence of comorbidities (ie, hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes, and depression) that are known to be associated with sexual dysfunction increases the likelihood of sexual dissatisfaction. 19 As such, the assessment of sexual satisfaction as part of routine clinical practice is gaining attention.…”