Sexual problems among women and men aged 40-80 y: prevalence and
The Global Study of Sexual Attitudes and Behaviors (GSSAB) is an international survey of various aspects of sex and relationships among adults aged 40–80 y. An analysis of GSSAB data was performed to estimate the prevalence and correlates of sexual problems in 13 882 women and 13 618 men from 29 countries. The overall response rate was modest; however, the estimates of prevalence of sexual problems are comparable with published values. Several factors consistently elevated the likelihood of sexual problems. Age was an important correlate of lubrication difficulties among women and of several sexual problems, including a lack of interest in sex, the inability to reach orgasm, and erectile difficulties among men. We conclude that sexual difficulties are relatively common among mature adults throughout the world. Sexual problems tend to be more associated with physical health and aging among men than women.

There is an ongoing debate regarding the nature of gender differences in sexual problems. One feature of this debate centers on the extent to which biological, psychosocial, and cultural factors each contribute to these various difficulties. Yet, assessments of their relative influence on the prevalence of sexual problems have been hampered by the lack of systematic, cross-cultural population studies. A recent review of 52 studies on sexual dysfunctions, for example, found that few were based on broadly representative samples, and even fewer included information on multiple sexual problems in both women and men. Indeed, the majority of studies typically focus on erectile dysfunction (ED). With most epidemiological studies focused on North American and Western European populations, findings from other regions of the world are often based on smaller studies involving clinical series or other samples that are not broadly representative. The Global Study of Sexual Attitudes and Behaviors (GSSAB) was recently conducted to investigate health status, as well as attitudes, beliefs, behaviors, and satisfaction regarding sex and relationships among middle-aged and older adults in 29 countries.

The objectives of the current analysis of the GSSAB include the following: (1) to estimate the prevalence of sexual problems among women and men for seven regional clusters and (2) to identify factors that increase the likelihood of reporting selected, common sexual problems by gender and regional cluster.