Help-seeking behaviour for sexual problems: the Global Study of Sexual Attitudes and Behaviors
Corresponding Author
E.D. Moreira Jr.
Gonçalo Moniz Research Center, 1 Oswaldo Cruz Foundation and Diretoria Científica, Hospital São Rafael, Salvador, Brazil, St Joseph's Health Care London, 2 Ontario, Canada, Pfizer Inc, 3 New York, NY, USA, Department of Epidemiology, 4 Institute of Biomedical Technologies, National Research Council, Milan, Italy, G.H. Sergievsky Center, 5 School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA, University of Chicago, 6 Chicago, IL, USA; University of Iowa, 7 Iowa City, IA, USA; Southmead Hospital, 8 Bristol, UK
Edson D. Moreira Jr, MD, PhD, Unit of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Oswald Cruz Foundation, Rua Waldemar Falcão 121, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil 40.295-001 Tel.: +55 71 356 8781x243 Fax: +55 71 356 2155 Email: [email protected]Search for more papers by this authorG. Brock
Gonçalo Moniz Research Center, 1 Oswaldo Cruz Foundation and Diretoria Científica, Hospital São Rafael, Salvador, Brazil, St Joseph's Health Care London, 2 Ontario, Canada, Pfizer Inc, 3 New York, NY, USA, Department of Epidemiology, 4 Institute of Biomedical Technologies, National Research Council, Milan, Italy, G.H. Sergievsky Center, 5 School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA, University of Chicago, 6 Chicago, IL, USA; University of Iowa, 7 Iowa City, IA, USA; Southmead Hospital, 8 Bristol, UK
Search for more papers by this authorD.B. Glasser
Gonçalo Moniz Research Center, 1 Oswaldo Cruz Foundation and Diretoria Científica, Hospital São Rafael, Salvador, Brazil, St Joseph's Health Care London, 2 Ontario, Canada, Pfizer Inc, 3 New York, NY, USA, Department of Epidemiology, 4 Institute of Biomedical Technologies, National Research Council, Milan, Italy, G.H. Sergievsky Center, 5 School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA, University of Chicago, 6 Chicago, IL, USA; University of Iowa, 7 Iowa City, IA, USA; Southmead Hospital, 8 Bristol, UK
Search for more papers by this authorA. Nicolosi
Gonçalo Moniz Research Center, 1 Oswaldo Cruz Foundation and Diretoria Científica, Hospital São Rafael, Salvador, Brazil, St Joseph's Health Care London, 2 Ontario, Canada, Pfizer Inc, 3 New York, NY, USA, Department of Epidemiology, 4 Institute of Biomedical Technologies, National Research Council, Milan, Italy, G.H. Sergievsky Center, 5 School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA, University of Chicago, 6 Chicago, IL, USA; University of Iowa, 7 Iowa City, IA, USA; Southmead Hospital, 8 Bristol, UK
Search for more papers by this authorE.O. Laumann
Gonçalo Moniz Research Center, 1 Oswaldo Cruz Foundation and Diretoria Científica, Hospital São Rafael, Salvador, Brazil, St Joseph's Health Care London, 2 Ontario, Canada, Pfizer Inc, 3 New York, NY, USA, Department of Epidemiology, 4 Institute of Biomedical Technologies, National Research Council, Milan, Italy, G.H. Sergievsky Center, 5 School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA, University of Chicago, 6 Chicago, IL, USA; University of Iowa, 7 Iowa City, IA, USA; Southmead Hospital, 8 Bristol, UK
Search for more papers by this authorA. Paik
Gonçalo Moniz Research Center, 1 Oswaldo Cruz Foundation and Diretoria Científica, Hospital São Rafael, Salvador, Brazil, St Joseph's Health Care London, 2 Ontario, Canada, Pfizer Inc, 3 New York, NY, USA, Department of Epidemiology, 4 Institute of Biomedical Technologies, National Research Council, Milan, Italy, G.H. Sergievsky Center, 5 School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA, University of Chicago, 6 Chicago, IL, USA; University of Iowa, 7 Iowa City, IA, USA; Southmead Hospital, 8 Bristol, UK
Search for more papers by this authorT. Wang
Gonçalo Moniz Research Center, 1 Oswaldo Cruz Foundation and Diretoria Científica, Hospital São Rafael, Salvador, Brazil, St Joseph's Health Care London, 2 Ontario, Canada, Pfizer Inc, 3 New York, NY, USA, Department of Epidemiology, 4 Institute of Biomedical Technologies, National Research Council, Milan, Italy, G.H. Sergievsky Center, 5 School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA, University of Chicago, 6 Chicago, IL, USA; University of Iowa, 7 Iowa City, IA, USA; Southmead Hospital, 8 Bristol, UK
Search for more papers by this authorC. Gingell
Gonçalo Moniz Research Center, 1 Oswaldo Cruz Foundation and Diretoria Científica, Hospital São Rafael, Salvador, Brazil, St Joseph's Health Care London, 2 Ontario, Canada, Pfizer Inc, 3 New York, NY, USA, Department of Epidemiology, 4 Institute of Biomedical Technologies, National Research Council, Milan, Italy, G.H. Sergievsky Center, 5 School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA, University of Chicago, 6 Chicago, IL, USA; University of Iowa, 7 Iowa City, IA, USA; Southmead Hospital, 8 Bristol, UK
Search for more papers by this authorFor the GSSAB Investigators' Group.
Gonçalo Moniz Research Center, 1 Oswaldo Cruz Foundation and Diretoria Científica, Hospital São Rafael, Salvador, Brazil, St Joseph's Health Care London, 2 Ontario, Canada, Pfizer Inc, 3 New York, NY, USA, Department of Epidemiology, 4 Institute of Biomedical Technologies, National Research Council, Milan, Italy, G.H. Sergievsky Center, 5 School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA, University of Chicago, 6 Chicago, IL, USA; University of Iowa, 7 Iowa City, IA, USA; Southmead Hospital, 8 Bristol, UK
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
E.D. Moreira Jr.
Gonçalo Moniz Research Center, 1 Oswaldo Cruz Foundation and Diretoria Científica, Hospital São Rafael, Salvador, Brazil, St Joseph's Health Care London, 2 Ontario, Canada, Pfizer Inc, 3 New York, NY, USA, Department of Epidemiology, 4 Institute of Biomedical Technologies, National Research Council, Milan, Italy, G.H. Sergievsky Center, 5 School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA, University of Chicago, 6 Chicago, IL, USA; University of Iowa, 7 Iowa City, IA, USA; Southmead Hospital, 8 Bristol, UK
Edson D. Moreira Jr, MD, PhD, Unit of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Oswald Cruz Foundation, Rua Waldemar Falcão 121, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil 40.295-001 Tel.: +55 71 356 8781x243 Fax: +55 71 356 2155 Email: [email protected]Search for more papers by this authorG. Brock
Gonçalo Moniz Research Center, 1 Oswaldo Cruz Foundation and Diretoria Científica, Hospital São Rafael, Salvador, Brazil, St Joseph's Health Care London, 2 Ontario, Canada, Pfizer Inc, 3 New York, NY, USA, Department of Epidemiology, 4 Institute of Biomedical Technologies, National Research Council, Milan, Italy, G.H. Sergievsky Center, 5 School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA, University of Chicago, 6 Chicago, IL, USA; University of Iowa, 7 Iowa City, IA, USA; Southmead Hospital, 8 Bristol, UK
Search for more papers by this authorD.B. Glasser
Gonçalo Moniz Research Center, 1 Oswaldo Cruz Foundation and Diretoria Científica, Hospital São Rafael, Salvador, Brazil, St Joseph's Health Care London, 2 Ontario, Canada, Pfizer Inc, 3 New York, NY, USA, Department of Epidemiology, 4 Institute of Biomedical Technologies, National Research Council, Milan, Italy, G.H. Sergievsky Center, 5 School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA, University of Chicago, 6 Chicago, IL, USA; University of Iowa, 7 Iowa City, IA, USA; Southmead Hospital, 8 Bristol, UK
Search for more papers by this authorA. Nicolosi
Gonçalo Moniz Research Center, 1 Oswaldo Cruz Foundation and Diretoria Científica, Hospital São Rafael, Salvador, Brazil, St Joseph's Health Care London, 2 Ontario, Canada, Pfizer Inc, 3 New York, NY, USA, Department of Epidemiology, 4 Institute of Biomedical Technologies, National Research Council, Milan, Italy, G.H. Sergievsky Center, 5 School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA, University of Chicago, 6 Chicago, IL, USA; University of Iowa, 7 Iowa City, IA, USA; Southmead Hospital, 8 Bristol, UK
Search for more papers by this authorE.O. Laumann
Gonçalo Moniz Research Center, 1 Oswaldo Cruz Foundation and Diretoria Científica, Hospital São Rafael, Salvador, Brazil, St Joseph's Health Care London, 2 Ontario, Canada, Pfizer Inc, 3 New York, NY, USA, Department of Epidemiology, 4 Institute of Biomedical Technologies, National Research Council, Milan, Italy, G.H. Sergievsky Center, 5 School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA, University of Chicago, 6 Chicago, IL, USA; University of Iowa, 7 Iowa City, IA, USA; Southmead Hospital, 8 Bristol, UK
Search for more papers by this authorA. Paik
Gonçalo Moniz Research Center, 1 Oswaldo Cruz Foundation and Diretoria Científica, Hospital São Rafael, Salvador, Brazil, St Joseph's Health Care London, 2 Ontario, Canada, Pfizer Inc, 3 New York, NY, USA, Department of Epidemiology, 4 Institute of Biomedical Technologies, National Research Council, Milan, Italy, G.H. Sergievsky Center, 5 School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA, University of Chicago, 6 Chicago, IL, USA; University of Iowa, 7 Iowa City, IA, USA; Southmead Hospital, 8 Bristol, UK
Search for more papers by this authorT. Wang
Gonçalo Moniz Research Center, 1 Oswaldo Cruz Foundation and Diretoria Científica, Hospital São Rafael, Salvador, Brazil, St Joseph's Health Care London, 2 Ontario, Canada, Pfizer Inc, 3 New York, NY, USA, Department of Epidemiology, 4 Institute of Biomedical Technologies, National Research Council, Milan, Italy, G.H. Sergievsky Center, 5 School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA, University of Chicago, 6 Chicago, IL, USA; University of Iowa, 7 Iowa City, IA, USA; Southmead Hospital, 8 Bristol, UK
Search for more papers by this authorC. Gingell
Gonçalo Moniz Research Center, 1 Oswaldo Cruz Foundation and Diretoria Científica, Hospital São Rafael, Salvador, Brazil, St Joseph's Health Care London, 2 Ontario, Canada, Pfizer Inc, 3 New York, NY, USA, Department of Epidemiology, 4 Institute of Biomedical Technologies, National Research Council, Milan, Italy, G.H. Sergievsky Center, 5 School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA, University of Chicago, 6 Chicago, IL, USA; University of Iowa, 7 Iowa City, IA, USA; Southmead Hospital, 8 Bristol, UK
Search for more papers by this authorFor the GSSAB Investigators' Group.
Gonçalo Moniz Research Center, 1 Oswaldo Cruz Foundation and Diretoria Científica, Hospital São Rafael, Salvador, Brazil, St Joseph's Health Care London, 2 Ontario, Canada, Pfizer Inc, 3 New York, NY, USA, Department of Epidemiology, 4 Institute of Biomedical Technologies, National Research Council, Milan, Italy, G.H. Sergievsky Center, 5 School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA, University of Chicago, 6 Chicago, IL, USA; University of Iowa, 7 Iowa City, IA, USA; Southmead Hospital, 8 Bristol, UK
Search for more papers by this authorSummary
The Global Study of Sexual Attitudes and Behaviors (GSSAB) investigated various aspects of sex and relationships among 27,500 men and women aged 40–80 years. Here, we report help-seeking behaviours for sexual problems in this population. A questionnaire was administered using the accepted survey method in each country. Although almost half of all sexually active respondents had experienced at least one sexual problem, less than 19% of them (18.0% of men and 18.8% of women) had attempted to seek medical help for their problem(s). The most frequent action taken by men and women was to talk to their partner (39%). Only 9% of men and women had been asked about their sexual health by a doctor in a routine visit during the past 3 years. Although sexual problems are highly prevalent, few men and women seek medical help for these problems. Overall, men and women show similar help-seeking behaviours.
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