Sexual desire and sexual activity of men and women across their lifespans: results from a representative German community survey.
OBJECTIVE
To present data on sexual desire and sexual activity from a representative survey of men and women covering the total age range of the adult German population, as previous studies have usually been based on samples selected for gender (either men or women) and age (ageing populations).


METHODS
A representative sample of 2341 men and women aged 18-93 years were surveyed to determine frequency and intensity of sexual desire and sexual activity, and their social, individual and interpersonal characteristics.


RESULTS
Sexual desire declined with advancing age; overall, men reported more frequent and stronger sexual desire than women. However, there were important interactions between gender and age indicating an earlier decline among women. For both men and women, sexual activity in older participants was mostly an issue of the presence of a partnership. There were additional social and personality determinants of a lack of sexual desire and sexual inactivity: in men, sexual desire was compromised by social factors (unemployment, low income), while in women these were previous sexual traumas (childhood sexual abuse, rape).


CONCLUSIONS
Community surveys elucidate the trajectory of sexual desire and activity across the lifespan. Further research on the determinants and risk factors for a lack of sexual desire and sexual inactivity is recommendable taking gender and age composition of the samples into account.
Beutel
Manfred E
ME
Klinik für Psychosomatische Medizin und Psychotherapie, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany. beutel@psychosomatik.klinik.uni-mainz.de
Stöbel-Richter
Yve
Y
Brähler
Elmar
E
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007989:Libido / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology; D012735:Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological / Q000453:epidemiology*; D020018:Sexual Dysfunctions, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012747:Sexual Partners / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires