New survey reveals importance of sexual health to relationships and self-esteem but finds many refuse to speak to their doctors
Geneva (ots-prnewswire) -
Pfizer Inc Announces Launch of Survey in Multiple Countries to Document the Impact of Sexual Health in the Second Half of Life
Problems with sexual health are a legitimate health concern according to nearly 70 percent of men and women age 40+ in a five-country survey(A) funded by Pfizer Inc. Partner relationships and self-esteem were ranked as most affected by sexual health problems. Although 64 percent of respondents felt that sexual health should be a primary discussion point with physicians, only 30 percent with sexual health problems would have spoken with a physician about the issue.
"While there has been significant improvement in the public's understanding that poor sexual health is treatable, the preliminary survey revealed many barriers remain to seeking and utilising existing treatments to sexual health problems, including acknowledgement of the condition and patient-physician discussion," said Professor Edward Laumann, Department of Sociology and the College, University of Chicago.
In an effort to better understand and improve the ability of patients and physicians to communicate on these sensitive issues, Pfizer announced today that it is initiating The Pfizer Report on Sexual Health in the Second Half of Life, a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural baseline understanding of attitudes regarding the importance of sexual health and well-being among men and women aged 40 and older.
"The Pfizer Report on the Sexual Health in the Second Half of Life represents a new era in sexual health research," said Jack Watters, M.D., Vice President, Medical - EUCAN, Pfizer. "Building on a strong history of previous research, including the experience of more than 13 million men who have been treated for erectile dysfunction over the past three years, The Pfizer Report will be the first simultaneous, multi-country survey to assess attitudes and beliefs about sexual health and their impact on relationships among mature men and women. We hope the data captured in the survey will guide the development of educational materials to facilitate open dialogue about sexual health," Dr. Watters added.
More than 25 years ago, the World Health Organisation declared, "There exist fundamental rights for the individual, including ... freedom from organic disorders, disease and deficiencies that interfere with sexual and reproductive function." However, despite this statement, more than two decades later many challenges remain to achieving the vision of sexual health espoused in this declaration.
Sexual health, particularly for men and women over the age of 40, has only recently been widely discussed. Poor understanding regarding the underlying causes of problems with sexual health, lack of viable treatment options, and the stigma associated with discussing these problems among this age group were an impediment to progress.
To help gain perspective of these important issues, Pfizer conducted a preliminary survey of 1,000 respondents (100 men, 100 women per country, age 40+) in the UK, Germany, France, Spain and Italy. The survey found that more than twice as many of those with sexual health problems would have spoken to their partner (64 percent) as would have talked with their physicians about the problem (30 percent). In fact, 27 percent have done nothing to improve their sexual health problems. And only 6 percent of respondents with sexual health problems have received prescription treatment.
"This preliminary research demonstrates that there appears to be interesting cultural differences in understanding of sexual health and priorities and barriers to treatment may vary from country to country. Clearly, people across different countries feel sexual health discussions need to be part of regular medical check-ups and many are not proactively engaging in these conversations," said Professor Laumann. "It is our hope that The Pfizer Report will help physicians better understand sexual health by providing them with a better understanding of their patients' needs and helping them identify how to initiate these important discussions."
The Pfizer Report on Sexual Health in the Second Half of Life will examine sexual attitudes and behaviour in more than 20,000 men and women aged 40 and over living in Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America and North America. Specifically, The Pfizer Report will survey individuals in more than ten countries including Australia, Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Sweden, UK and the USA.
This survey(B) will collect data to help explore the attitudes towards sexual health and relationships. As The Pfizer Report will be repeated at regular intervals, it will also provide an opportunity to track trends in sexual health attitudes and behaviour over time.
A multidisciplinary advisory board of international experts will develop the questionnaire and guide the research process. The initial results of The Pfizer Report will be announced at 4th Congress of the European Society for Sexual and Impotence Research (ESSIR) in Rome, Italy, 30 September - 3 October 2001.
Pfizer Inc discovers, develops, manufactures and markets leading prescription medicines, for humans and animals, and many of the world's best known consumer products. Pfizer had global revenues of US$29.6 billion in 2000.
Pfizer plans to make a research and development investment of about $5 billion in 2001.
Notes to the Editor (A) Survey fielded by McKessonHBOC Pharmaceutical Partners Group. (B) Interview methods will vary based on the market.
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