32% more men complain of reduced sex drive in 2019, compared to 2009

A 10-years single-center study reported that substantially more men complain of reduced sexual desire than a decade ago. Conversely, fewer men complain of erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation.

A single-center study collecting longitudinal data over 10 years reported that substantially more men complain of reduced sexual desire than a decade ago. Conversely, fewer men complain of erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation.

Prof. Paolo Capogrosso (San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy) presented a study addressing why men seek medical support for their sexual health problems1. While erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation have become less commonly reported, complaints of reduced sexual desire and Peyronie's disease are on the rise.

The researchers included 3,244 men who visited the San Raffaele Hospital Sexual Health Clinic in Milan over the last decade (2009-2019) and collected information concerning the reasons they initiated consultation. The observations boiled down to a few key trends:

Although erectile dysfunction is still the main reason for attending the clinic, this number has been steadily dropping. In contrast, Peyronie's disease appears to be steadily more reported and makes up 35% of the complaints in 2019. Given that stigma surrounding sexual health has been presumably decreasing steadily, some of the changes reflect a novel openness to seek help at a sexual health clinic. Similarly, successful and accessible erectile dysfunction treatments are possibly attributable to the dropping numbers of that particular complaint. 

Reference:
1. Capogrosso P, et al. Trends in reported male sexual dysfunctions over the last decade: the evolving landscape. EAU20 Virtual Congress, 17-26 July 2020, Abstract 731. Session: Diagnostic novelties in male sexual dysfunction.