From 2017... What factors are associated with reporting lacking interest in sex and how do these vary by gender? Findings from the third British national survey of sexual attitudes and lifestyles

From 2017... What factors are associated with reporting lacking interest in sex and how do these vary by gender? Findings from the third British national survey of sexual attitudes and lifestyles. Cynthia A Graham, Catherine H Mercer, Clare Tanton, Kyle G Jones, Anne M Johnson, Kaye Wellings, Kirstin R Mitchell. BMJ Open, Sep 2017. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2017-016942

Abstract

Objectives To investigate factors associated with reporting lacking interest in sex and how these vary by gender.

Setting British general population.

Design Complex survey analyses of data collected for a cross-sectional probability sample survey, undertaken 2010–2012, specifically logistic regression to calculate age-adjusted OR (AOR) to identify associated factors.

Participants 4839 men and 6669 women aged 16–74 years who reported ≥1 sexual partner (opposite-sex or same-sex) in the past year for the third National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (Natsal-3).

Main outcome measure Lacking interest in sex for ≥3 months in the past year.

Results Overall, 15.0% (13.9–16.2) of men and 34.2% (32.8–35.5) of women reported lacking interest in sex. This was associated with age and physical and mental health for both men and women, including self-reported general health and current depression. Lacking interest in sex was more prevalent among men and women reporting sexually transmitted infection diagnoses (ever), non-volitional sex (ever) and holding sexual attitudes related to normative expectations about sex. Some gender similarities in associated relationship and family-related factors were evident, including partner having had sexual difficulties in the last year (men: AOR 1.41 (1.07–1.86); women: AOR 1.60 (1.32–1.94)), not feeling emotionally close to partner during sex (men: 3.74 (1.76–7.93); women: 4.80 (2.99–7.69) and ease of talking about sex (men: 1.53 (1.23–1.90);women: 2.06 (1.77–2.39)). Among women only, lack of interest in sex was higher among those in a relationship of >1 year in duration and those not sharing the same level of interest (4.57 (3.87–5.38)) or preferences (2.91 (2.22–3.83)) with a partner.

Conclusions Both gender similarities and differences were found in factors associated with lacking interest in sex, with the most marked differences in relation to some relationship variables. Findings highlight the need to assess, and if appropriate, treat lacking interest in sex in a holistic and relationship-specific way.

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Regarding attitudinal variables, both men and women who endorsed statements that ‘people are under pressure to have sex’ and ‘people want less sex as they age’ were more likely to report lacking interest in sex over the past year. The only attitudinal variable that showed a significant interaction with gender was that which related to men having a ‘naturally higher sex drive than women’. Men who agreed with this statement were less likely than those who disagreed to lack interest in sex, while the reverse was true among women.

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To our knowledge, no previous studies have assessed the association between attitudes towards sexual matters and lack of interest in sex. Endorsing the assumption that ‘people want less sex as they age’ was associated with lack of interest in both genders. It might be that this belief contributes to a decline in interest, or—equally plausible—that those who lack interest adopt this attitude to avoid viewing their experience as problematic. Interestingly, men who endorsed the view that ‘men have a higher sex drive than women’ were significantly less likely to report lacking interest in sex, whereas women who agreed with this statement were more likely to do so. If people responded to this statement with reference to their own relationship, these findings may be seen as making intuitive sense. The results suggest that endorsing stereotypical gender norms related to sex may adversely affect women more than men.