An insightful Portuguese study set out to address a question that may not get much attention in the field of women’s sexual health – do lesbians experience fewer sexual problems or difficulties in the realm of intimacy compared to their heterosexual counterparts?
Category: By the numbers
Wanting to want it: low desire as a common sexual complaint among middle-aged Canadian adults
Being middle-aged (40-59 years old) often means you are juggling many things at once. Dr. Quinn-Nilas and their team of Canadian researchers wanted to study this population of adults that can be overlooked in sexual health surveys. Sexual health problems are common in this age range and the researchers wanted to look at the most frequent sexual problems and their possible effect on people’s happiness with their sex life.
Sexual satisfaction is not one-size-fits-all
Sexual satisfaction is a complex topic which covers more than just having good sex or frequent orgasms. It includes aspects outside of just intercourse and sexual function, such as desire or sexual problems, though it does not have a common definition or explanation. What researchers do know is that sexual satisfaction can be an important part of maintaining stable relationships. It also plays a role in overall well-being, both emotional and physical.
Dutch women report having satisfying sex lives into older age
Dr. Ellen Lammerink and her team from the University Medical Center Groningen conducted this study to get more accurate information about age-related sexual dysfunction in Dutch women. This is the largest study on women’s sexual functioning in a Dutch population that uses scientifically-accepted questionnaires.
Female low desire with distress is the most commonly reported sexual dysfunction in large US study
In one of the largest studies conducted to date on women’s sexual dysfunction, the PRESIDE study was conducted to get a better understanding of sexual problems reported by women, such as low sexual desire, low arousal, and/or orgasm difficulties.
Culture and age contribute to women’s experiences of sexual dysfunction and distress
Many studies have shown that as women get older, they are more likely to experience low sexual desire. However, the proportion of women who experience both low sexual desire with associated distress (known as hypoactive sexual desire disorder, or HSDD) doesn’t change with age, according to research. So why might this be?