title: Female sexual dysfunction among young and middle-aged women in Hong Kong: prevalence and risk factors.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Sexual dysfunction is a serious public health problem that affects women's quality of life. However, there is very little epidemiological data on its incidence in Hong Kong Chinese women.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To estimate the prevalence of, and risk factors associated with sexual dysfunction among young and middle-aged women in Hong Kong.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was part of the ninth Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice survey conducted by the Family Planning Association of Hong Kong in 2007. The dataset comprised 1,510 face-to-face interviews with Hong Kong Chinese women aged 19-49 living in the community.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition classification of sexual dysfunction was used to measure female sexual dysfunction (FSD).
  
  
  RESULTS
  At least one form of FSD was reported by 37.9% of the sample. Multivariate analysis showed that having sought medical help for sexual problems (odds ratio [OR] = 4.20), having a partner with erectile dysfunction (OR = 2.44) and premature ejaculation (OR = 2.56), perceiving sex as unimportant to marriage (OR = 1.57), and reporting marital dissatisfaction (OR = 1.45) were all significant risk factors for FSD and its specific components among the sample. However, having liberal attitudes to sex (OR = 0.63) was a protective factor.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of FSD is lower among Hong Kong Chinese young and middle-aged women than in the United States and some Asian countries. Factors contributing to the risk of FSD span the domains of sexual experience, attitudes to sex, and relationship factors. These findings suggest future directions for the delivery of services addressing the prevention and treatment of FSD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Work, The School of Sociology and Population Studies, Renmin University of China, Beijing, China. zhang_huiping@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Huiping
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Paul S F
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Yip
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D044466:Asian People / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006723:Hong Kong; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D012735:Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology*; D020018:Sexual Dysfunctions, Psychological / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology*; D055815:Young Adult