Survey: Three-in-five Americans feel that intimacy health important to overall well-being
WASHINGTON — According to a new national survey released Wednesday, people are failing to address their sexual health concerns despite acknowledging the importance of sexual health and its impact on personal happiness and well-being. The survey shows that while the majority of people (64%) believe sexual health correlates with overall satisfaction in life, more than a quarter shy away from addressing challenges with their doctor and only 13% of those dissatisfied with their sex lives are honest with their partners about their concerns.
“People are increasingly taking charge of their health in other areas, but that level of comfort hasn’t translated into addressing sexual health issues,” stated Eli Coleman, director, Program in Human Sexuality, professor and chair in Sexual Health, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, University of Minnesota. “We see growing comfort with sex as a cultural topic, but people still aren’t talking about their own sex lives, which has important implications for their overall health and happiness.”
“The significance of sexual health to one’s overall physical, emotional and psychological well-being, reflected in these findings, creates an urgency to address sexual health issues, as people would with other health concerns,” said Brandon Leonard, director, strategic initiatives, Men’s Health Network. “Embarrassment and discomfort are barriers, indicating a need to consider ways to encourage more of the large percentage of Americans who suffer from sexual health conditions to address them.”
Key survey findings include:
Sixty-four percent of participants believe that their sex life influences their overall satisfaction with their lives – more than time spent on themselves (56%) or quality of friendships (51%) and 65% feel happy when their sex life is healthy;
Among surveyed Americans facing sexual health problems, only 38% are currently satisfied with their sex lives;
Sixty-nine percent have never talked to a healthcare professional about problems that make it hard to enjoy or have sex; and
Twenty-six percent say that embarrassment when talking to a doctor is a barrier to addressing their sexual health issues.
The survey was conducted by Kelton in collaboration with Men’s Health Network, the American Sexual Health Association, HealthyWomen and Pfizer. It examined the impact of sexual health issues on overall health, happiness, and communication among 3,015 U.S. adults in committed relationships in which at least one partner was experiencing a sexual health issue. Key findings from the survey will be presented this week at the 20th Annual Fall Scientific Meeting of the Sexual Medicine Society of North America.
