Hypoactive Sexual Desire - Prevalence

The U.S. national probability sample of 1,749 women and 1,410 men aged 18-59 years provides useful prevalence data for sexual dysfunction, including hypoactive sexual desire ("lacked interest in sex"). Among women, the prevalence of this symptom changed little with age (18-29 years, 32%; 30-39 years, 32%; 40-49 years, 30%; 50-59 years, 27%). Among men, by contrast, the prevalence of "lacked interest in sex" increased with age (18-29 years, 14%; 30-39 years 13%; 40-49 years, 15%; 50-59 years, 17%).

The number of individuals with hypoactive sexual desire disorder presenting for treatment has increased substantially over the past 15-20 years. It is the commonest presentation among women with sexual dysfunction attending clinics for treatment, accounting for about 40% of cases. Among those presenting at sex therapy clinics with this problem, women outnumber men.

For example, at a psychosexual clinic in Oxford, UK, 37% of female patients had a primary diagnosis of hypoactive sexual desire disorder, compared with less than 5% of male patients. It may be that men who experience loss of sexual desire seek help from other types of clinics. For example, in the UK, whereas only 5.1% of male patients attending a psychosexual clinic presented with hypoactive sexual desire disorder, 34.2% of male patients seeking treatment for sexual dysfunction at a genitourinary medicine clinic presented with this problem, even though both clinics were run by the same clinician. Among patients seeking recruitment to a multicenter trial of a pharmacological treatment for sexual dysfunctions, 65% had a primary diagnosis of hypoactive sexual desire disorder.

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