Sexual Dysfunction in the United States

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Abstract
Sexual dysfunctions are characterized by disturbances in sexual desire and in the psychophysiological changes associated with the sexual response cycle in men and women.1 Despite increasing demand for clinical services and the potential impact of these disorders on interpersonal relationships and quality of life,2,3 epidemiologic data are relatively scant. Based on the few available community studies, it appears that sexual dysfunctions are highly prevalent in both sexes, ranging from 10% to 52% of men and 25% to 63% of women.4-6 Data from the Massachusetts Male Aging Study7 (MMAS) showed that 34.8% of men aged 40 to 70 years had moderate to complete erectile dysfunction, which was strongly related to age, health status, and emotional function. Erectile dysfunction has been described as an important public health problem by a National Institutes of Health Consensus Panel,8 which identified an urgent need for population-based data concerning the prevalence, determinants, and consequences of this disorder. Even less is known about the epidemiology of female sexual dysfunction.