WCVB Sunday October 29 11:00 AM EST

Sexual Dysfunction High Among Women

Affects Half Of Women Between 18 And 50

Since the release of the drug Viagra, there's been a lot of talk about men's sexual health. But studies have shown sexual dysfunction is more common in women -- affecting as much as 43 percent of women between the ages of 18 and 50. This week, researchers from all over the world gathered in Boston to figure out what causes these problems and what can be done about them. "Men are supposed to have all the fun, but not to have to bear the consequences. I think the average woman is too busy, there are a lot of working moms and they're stressed out," XXXXX said. In this age of stress and sexual responsibility, most women rate their sexuality as, at best, fair. In a national survey of more than 1,000 women, Indiana researchers found overall sexual happiness was less based on a woman's own physical satisfaction, and more based on whether the woman's partner is satisfied and whether the woman feels an emotional closeness to her partner. The results were announced at Boston's international conference on Female Sexual Dysfunction, which explored the reasons this ailment is so common. "There are four out of 10 women with this. We're seeing childbirth, we're seeing hysterectomy, we're seeing perimenopause and postmenopause being associated with sexual dysfunction," Dr. Irwin Goldstein of Boston University's School of Medicine said. There are also differences among race. Sixty-three percent of black women said their sexuality was good or excellent, compared to just 47 percent of white women. For blacks, the more the household income, the better they scored their sexuality. For whites, education was a deciding factor. The hormone testosterone may also play a role regardless of ethnic background. Another study found 70 percent of women with a decreased sex drive had low levels of testosterone. The researchers say this makes a case for regular blood work to monitor levels of the hormone. "I think if we're talking about 10 to maybe 20 million women having this problem, I think this might be a normal part of a gynecological or physical exam in the future," Dr. Andre Guay of the Lahey Clinic said. Conference organizers hope that by sharing this kind of research, doctors will be able to help more women. "When patients walk in the office the usual message is well, I'm sorry there's not much we can do, we don't know enough about this. That excuse has to change," Goldstein said.