Sexual Health and Overall Wellness (SHOW) survey in men and women in selected European and Middle Eastern countries

Objective: To investigate whether better sexual health is associated with improvements in overall health and wellness, a more loving and intimate relationship, and a more positive outlook on life. Methods: The Sexual Health and Overall Wellness survey used self-administered questionnaires to collect data from men and women aged 25-74 years who had had sexual intercourse at least once within the previous 12 months. Results: Across nine countries, 3780 self-administered questionnaires were completed: 1893 from men (mean age, 44.6 years); 1887 from women (mean age, 44.2 years). The majority of men and women were satisfied with the frequency of sexual intercourse over the previous 4 weeks (59% and 66%, respectively); the majority (67% and 55%, respectively) reported that having sex was 'very important' or 'absolutely essential'. For men and women, there was a strong association between satisfaction with sex and overall health, and between satisfaction with sex and an overall positive outlook on life. Conclusion: For men and women, satisfaction with different aspects of sex was important, and was strongly associated with satisfaction with general health, relationships and other aspects of wellbeing.