Help-seeking behaviors of people with sexual problems.
Help-seeking activities associated with the sexual problems of community respondents (N = 503) were studied. Major findings include (i) a majority of respondents reported some form of social help-seeking from predominantly informal rather than professional helpers; (ii) a significant increase over early adulthood in the likelihood of reporting a dyadic sexual problem was evidenced, however there was no parallel change in help-seeking behaviors with age; (iii) help-seeking from intimates was associated with obtaining help from other informal contacts; (iv) help-seeking from extrafamilial, but not familial, supports was found to covary with income, and (v) a "normative" sequence to help-seeking behaviors was identified. Also discussed is the present work's relevance to research on human immunodeficiency virus transmission.
Catania
J A
JA
Department of Medicine, University of California-San Francisco 94105.
Pollack
L
L
McDermott
L J
LJ
Qualls
S H
SH
Cole
L
L
D000328:Adult; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D011613:Psychotherapy; D012657:Self-Help Groups; D012735:Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors