Sexual function problems and help seeking behaviour in Britain: national probability sample survey.

We thank Josephine Woolf for her collaboration in obtaining funding; Alice Gladwin, Monique Cloherty, and Üta Drescher for their assistance in collecting the data; and Bob Blizard for his statistical advice on the project. Contributors: See bmj.com Funding: health service research project grant provided by the Wellcome Trust (reference 991026); the North and Central Thames Research Network (NoCTeN) provided service support costs involved with the recruitment at the general practices. Competing interests: None declared. Ethical approval: Two London local research ethical committees approved the study. 1 Reynolds CF, Frank E, Thase ME,Houck PR, Jennings JR,Howell JR, et al. Assessment of sexual function in depressed, impotent, and healthy men: factor analysis of a brief sexual function questionnaire for men. Psychiatry Res 1987;24:231-50. 2 Daker-White G. Reliable and valid self-report outcome measures in sexual dysfunction: a systematic review. Arch Sex Behav 2002;31:197-209. 3 Taylor JF, Rosen RC, Leiblum SR. Self report assessment of female sexual function. Arch Sex Behav 1994;23:627-43. 4 Kinsey AC, Pomeroy WB, Martin CE. Sexual behaviour in the human male. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders, 1948. 5 World Health Organization. International statistical classification of disease and related health problems, 10th revision.Geneva: WHO, 1992. 6 Ware JE, Kosinski M, Keller SD. A 12-item short-form health survey construction of scales and preliminary tests of reliability and validity. Med Care 1996;34:220-33. 7 Goldberg D, Williams D. A user’s guide to the general health questionnaire. Windsor: NFER-Nelson, 1988. 8 Ewing JA. Detecting alcoholism: the CAGE questionnaire. JAMA 1984;252:1905-7. 9 Finkelhor D. Child sexual abuse. In: Rosenberg ML, Fenley MA, eds. Violence in America—a public health approach. New York: Oxford University Press, 1991:79-94. 10 Crenshaw TL, Goldberg JP. Sexual pharmacology—drugs that affect sexual function. New York: Norton, 1996. 11 McCormick A, Fleming D, Charlton J. Morbidity statistics from general practice—fourth national morbidity study 1991-1992. London: OPCS, HMSO, 1995. 12 Peach C. Ethnicity in the 1991 census—the ethnic minority populations of Great Britain. Volume 2. London, Stationery Office, 1998:206-21. 13 Johnson AM, Mercer CH, Erens B, Copas AJ, McManus S, Wellings K, et al. Sexual behaviour in Britain: partnerships, practices and HIV risk behaviours. Lancet 2001;358:1835-42. 14 Laumann EO, Paik A, Rosen R. Sexual dysfunction in the United States: prevalence and indicators. JAMA 1999;281:537-44. 15 Akkus E, Kadioglu A, Esen A, Doran S, Ergen A, Anafarta K, et al. Prevalence and correlates of erectile dysfunction in Turkey: a population based study. Eur Urol 2002;41:298-304. 16 Mirone V, Imbimbo C, Bortolotti A, Di Cintio E, Colli E, Landoni M, et al. Cigarette smoking as a risk factor for erectile dysfunction: results from an Italian epidemiological study. Eur Urol 2002;41:294-7. 17 Tiefer L. Sexology and the pharmaceutical industry: the threat of co-optation. J Sex Res 2000;37:273-83. 18 Moynihan R. The making of a disease: female sexual dysfunction. BMJ 2003;236:45-7. 19 Mercer CH, Fenton KA, Johnson AM, Wellings K, Macdowell W, McManus S, et al. Self reported sexual function problems and help seeking behaviour: results from a British probability sample survey. BMJ 2003 (in press). 20 Humphery S, Nazareth I. GPs’ views on their management of sexual dysfunction. Fam Pract 2001;18:516-8. 21 Moreira ED, Najjar Abdo CH, Barreto Torres E, Lisboa Lobo CF, Saraiva Fittipaldi JA. Prevalence and correlates of erectile dysfunction: results of the Brazilian study of sexual behaviour.Urology 2001:58:583-8.