Female and Male Sexual Dysfunctions -
Sexual Dysfunctions

Prevalence: How many people suffer from sexual dysfunctions?

Short answer: Nobody knows.

Long answer: It is difficult, if not impossible, to say how many people suffer from sexual dysfunctions and to what degree. Most available figures are provided by therapists or drug companies who want to sell their services or products and thus have a professional interest in large numbers of potential patients. In any case, patients showing up for therapy are never representative of the populations as a whole. Truly representative sex surveys are rare and usually silent on this point, because self-reports about sexual difficulties are not reliable. Many people lie, deceive themselves or exaggerate in either direction. Others, being unaware of the biological and social realities around them, cling to unrealistic norms of sexual performance. Moreover, as already stated, any definition of sexual dysfunction itself cannot help but be "soft" and imprecise. The term lends itself to stretching and often is used to cover all kinds of minor disappointments and temporary inconveniences. However, people are not machines, and everyone is likely to experience occasions when the "spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak". In such cases, it would be inappropriate to speak of a sexual dysfunction. Finally, different people have different sexual needs, and some couples may be greatly mismatched in this regard. With different partners they might not have any problems at all. In short:
Beware of any number about the alleged prevalence of sexual dysfunctions!