BMJ -- Press Releases

Releases Saturday 23 August 2003
No 7412 Volume 327

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(1) STUDIES REVEAL SCALE OF SEXUAL
PROBLEMS IN BRITAIN

(2) SWIMMING POOLS ARE AN IMPORTANT
HEALTH ASSET

(1) STUDIES REVEAL SCALE OF SEXUAL
PROBLEMS IN BRITAIN

(Problems with sexual function in people attending
London general practitioners: cross sectional study)
http://bmj.com/cgi/content/full/327/7412/423

(Sexual function problems and help seeking behaviour in
Britain: national probability sample survey)
http://bmj.com/cgi/content/full/327/7412/426

Two studies in this week's BMJ shed some light on the
current scale of sexual problems in Britain and whether
these problems are recognised by doctors.

Both studies found sexual difficulties were common. The
first surveyed 1,065 women and 447 men attending
general practices in London and found 22% of men and
40% of women were diagnosed with a sexual problem.

The second, a report from the national survey of sexual
attitudes and lifestyles, found 35% of men and 54% of
women with at least one sexual problem lasting at least
one month, although persistent problems, lasting at least
six months, were less likely.

Across the two studies, the most common problems
among men included lacking interest in sex, premature
orgasm, and anxiety about performance. Among women,
the most common problems were loss of sexual desire,
inability to experience orgasm, and painful intercourse.

According to the first study, although up to 30% of
people reported seeking advice from their doctor, only
3-4% had an entry relating to sexual difficulties in their
medical records, indicating that doctors may be reluctant
to record sensitive material.

The authors suggest that future research should focus on
refining our understanding of sexual function in both
sexes, what sort of help might be most effective, and the
most appropriate training for general practitioners.

In contrast, the second study found that few people seek
help with their problems. This has implications for
improving relationship education, counselling, and
doctors' professional development, as well as raising
public awareneness of services available for managing
sexual problems, say the authors.

Contacts:

Paper 1: Irwin Nazareth, Professor of Primary Care and
Population Sciences, Royal Free and University College
Medical School, London, UK
Email: i.nazareth{at}pcps.ucl.ac.uk

Paper 2: Catherine Mercer, Research Fellow, Centre for
Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Royal Free and
University College Medical School, London, UK
Email: cmercer{at}gum.ucl.ac.uk

(2) SWIMMING POOLS ARE AN IMPORTANT
HEALTH ASSET

(Benefits of swimming pools in two remote Aboriginal
communities in Western Australia: intervention study)
http://bmj.com/cgi/content/full/327/7412/415

(Editorial: Health benefits of swimming pools in remote
Aboriginal communities)
http://bmj.com/cgi/content/full/327/7412/407

Swimming pools provide important health and social
benefits to disadvantaged communities, finds a study in
this week's BMJ.

Researchers assessed the health and social impact of
swimming pools in two remote Aboriginal communities in
Western Australia. The salt-water pools were built by
the government to improve quality of life and reduce the
high rates of ear disease and skin infections among
Aboriginal children.

Eighteen months after the pools opened, skin infections
declined from 62% to around 20%. Ear disease also
declined, although not significantly.

Families were almost unanimous in their support of the
pools, reporting that children looked happier and
healthier and were learning to swim. School attendance
also encouraged through the "no school, no pool" policy.

Swimming in a salt-water pool provides the equivalent of
a nasal and ear washout and cleans the skin, say the
authors. In the short term this is likely to reduce the need
for antibiotics, and in the longer term it may help to
reduce chronic illnesses, and improve health,
educational, and social outcomes in this seriously
disadvantaged segment of Australian society, they
conclude.

Experts in an accompanying editorial welcome these
results with guarded optimism. Although swimming pools
can be an important health asset, there is no quick fix for
the many health problems that occur in remote
communities, they write. In some communities, the best
way forward may be another route.

Contact:

Deborah Lehmann, Epidemiologist, Centre for Child
Health Research, University of Western Australia, West
Perth, Australia
Email: deborahl{at}ichr.uwa.edu.au

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