Prevalence of Diminished Libido and Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder

Abstract

Low sexual desire (LSD) is a rather common sexological symptom, which occurs in 33.4% of women, taking the first place among other such symptoms, and in 15.8% of men. At the same time, hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) is detected much less often due to the fact that one of its diagnostic criteria consists in distress caused by LSD. Although LSD becomes more frequent with age, distress reduces with age. Therefore the prevalence of HSDD among women remains a constant. In the author’s opinion, the approach that excludes a high rank of subjectivism in the diagnostic assessment of LSD (if a person has LSD but the latter does not cause any distress in this case or even, maybe, is fine with him/her, this person is healthy; if distress is caused the person is ill) is constructive. It is pointed out that both the rate of LSD and the prevalence of HSDD vary depending upon the age, race/ethnicity, educational level, body mass index, current smoking status, current depression, taking of antidepressants by people with a previous diagnosis of depression, hormonal therapy (in women during menopause), menopausal status and country of residence. It is reported that men are more biological in their sexual manifestations versus women, in whom psychological factors play a more marked role versus men. The latter think about sex and fantasize about it more frequently than women; they want to have sex more often irrespective of their sexual orientation; they want to have a larger number of sex partners; they masturbate more frequently; they are less inclined to give up their sexual activity; their sexual desire appears at an earlier age; they use a wide variety of sexual practices, and the role of biology is reduced by social factors in women to a greater extent than in men. Data are given that indisputably indicate a larger sexual activity of men versus women. For example, it has been revealed that lesbian couples have sexual relations significantly less frequently than heterosexual and gay couples. The same study has shown that the worse the state of health and the greater the extent of misfortune, the larger the lack of sexual interest. “everyday alcohol intake”, “bad or satisfactory state of health” and “emotional problems or stress” have proved to be predictors (prognostic factors) of LSD in men. Also, data of other studies on the prevalence of LSD in men as well as information about the rate of HSDD in them are given. It is pointed out that noticeable differences exist in the levels of LSD prevalence in different cultures in the range of 12.5% in men from Northern Europe to 28% in men from Southeastern Asia at the age of 40-80 years. The feeling of guilt caused by sex can mediate this association between the Southeastern ethnicity and sexual desire in men.