title: Sexual Health and Overall Wellness (SHOW) survey in men and women in selected European and Middle Eastern countries.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate whether better sexual health is associated with improvements in overall health and wellness, a more loving and intimate relationship, and a more positive outlook on life.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Sexual Health and Overall Wellness survey used self-administered questionnaires to collect data from men and women aged 25-74 years who had had sexual intercourse at least once within the previous 12 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Across nine countries, 3780 self-administered questionnaires were completed: 1893 from men (mean age, 44.6 years); 1887 from women (mean age, 44.2 years). The majority of men and women were satisfied with the frequency of sexual intercourse over the previous 4 weeks (59% and 66%, respectively); the majority (67% and 55%, respectively) reported that having sex was 'very important' or 'absolutely essential'. For men and women, there was a strong association between satisfaction with sex and overall health, and between satisfaction with sex and an overall positive outlook on life.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  For men and women, satisfaction with different aspects of sex was important, and was strongly associated with satisfaction with general health, relationships and other aspects of wellbeing.
authors.affiliation: St Peter's Andrology Centre, London, UK. n.dean1@nhs.net
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dean
authors.forename: Arik
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shechter
authors.forename: Arkadiy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vertkin
authors.forename: Petr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Weiss
authors.forename: Onder
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Yaman
authors.forename: Michal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hodik
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ginovker
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008877:Middle East / Q000453:epidemiology; D010410:Penile Erection; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011788:Quality of Life; D060728:Reproductive Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Erectile dysfunction; intimacy; quality of life; satisfaction; sexual health