Introduction: Survey data provide evidence that low sexual desire is commonly reported among pre- and postmenopausal women. About 10% of women with low sexual desire experience related personal distress. This survey assessed women's attitudes toward the condition and how it affects personal relationships, along with level of awareness of low sexual desire as a medical condition and treatment-seeking history.
Methods: The online survey was conducted in a convenience sample of 450 pre- and postmenopausal women aged 20 to 60 years with self-described low sexual desire and related distress. The percentage reported is the ratio of responses over number of respondents for each point on visual analogy scales or option(s) on multiple-choice questions.
Results: Twenty-seven percent of premenopausal and 34% of postmenopausal women were very dissatisfied with their current sexual desire level. Over 70% attributed personal and interpersonal difficulties to low sexual desire, most often negative impacts on body image and self-confidence. Feeling "less connectedness" was the most frequently selected impact on partner relationships. Approximately 90% of respondents would like to have or desire sex more often; 95% believed that one or two more satisfying sexual experiences per month would be meaningful. Most respondents did not realize that distressing low sexual desire was a treatable medical condition and had never mentioned their low sexual desire to health care providers.
Conclusions: Despite reporting negative impacts of low sexual desire and a desire for more frequent sex, most women had not sought medical help. These results add to the evolving recognition of the importance of sexual functioning in women's lives.