Introduction: Telephone help-lines for people with sexual problems have been established in many European countries during the late decade. They, however, have very different modes of operation, and very few reports focusing on the way they function have been published internationally.
Aim: To describe the methods and activities of a Swedish help-line for sexual problems.
Methods: In the 5 years, from 1999 to 2003, 27,387 persons called the Swedish toll-free help-line for "impotence and sexual problems" that operates around the clock. The majority of callers appeared to be looking for information on erectile dysfunction. A counseling option staffed by experts in sexual medicine counseled 2,817 (men 73%, women 27%). A further 478 callers were professionals wanting information or advice.
Results: Among a wide spectrum of problems associated with the callers' sexual life, sexual dysfunctions were the most frequent. Calls about sexual abuse, sexual preference, paraphilias, and other subjects were also received. Among those with sexual dysfunction, 33% of men and 41% of women had more than one sexual dysfunction. These were often concomitant with a frequently drug-treated, medical condition. In addition to counseling, the majority of callers were advised to contact physicians or specialists in sexology/sexual medicine for further help.
Conclusion: Competent person-to-person telephone counseling in the multifaceted bio-psycho-social field of sexual problems requires broad knowledge on sexual medicine.