Mengesha Zelalem, Alem Adugnaw Zeleke, Gebremedhin Tesfaye Alemayehu, Hawkey Alexandra J
Health Research Institute, University of Canberra, 11 Kirinari St, Bruce ACT, Canberra, 2617, Australia.
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia.
Arch Sex Behav. 2025 Jul 21. doi: 10.1007/s10508-025-03182-7.
Sexual difficulties are common among Australian men, affecting over half the population regardless of age or sexual identity. It can have significant impacts on physical health, mental well-being, and quality of life if left untreated. The present study aimed to examine sexual difficulty trends, sources of seeking help, and factors associated with sexual help-seeking behavior among a cohort of Australian men. Four waves of data from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Male Health (Ten to Men) were used in the analysis. We included men aged 18 years and above who had engaged in vaginal, oral, or anal sex, leading to a total sample size of 12,737 (wave 1), 8,933 (wave 2), 6,991 (wave 3), and 5,804 (wave 4) men. Logistic regression was undertaken to identify factors associated with sexual help-seeking behavior. Across the four waves, there was a significant rise in the prevalence of men experiencing at least one form of sexual difficulty, increasing from 54.1% (95% CI 52.7, 62.5) in 2013/14 to 64.7% (95% CI 62.8, 66.7) in 2022. The increase in prevalence of sexual difficulties was more pronounced among men from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds which increased from 42.8% (95% CI 38.1, 47.5) in 2013/14 to 61.5% (95% CI 55.6, 67.1) in 2022. Around 17.6% of men sought assistance for their sexual health concerns in 2022, with no significant change over the study period. Number of sexual difficulties, age, sexual identity, relationship status, conformity to masculine norms, depression, and number of financial hardships were factors significantly associated with sexual health-seeking behavior. Despite the burden of sexual difficulties increasing among Australian men, few have sought assistance, suggesting a significant level of unmet sexual health need. This underscores the necessity of evaluating current services and considering co-designed sexual health initiatives, informed by an intersectional approach, to enhance accessibility, engagement, and responsiveness to the distinct sexual health needs and preferences of men from a range of communities.
性方面的困扰在澳大利亚男性中很常见，无论年龄或性取向如何，都影响着超过一半的人口。如果不加以治疗，它会对身体健康、心理健康和生活质量产生重大影响。本研究旨在调查澳大利亚男性群体中性困扰的趋势、寻求帮助的来源以及与寻求性方面帮助行为相关的因素。分析中使用了来自澳大利亚男性健康纵向研究（十到男人）的四轮数据。我们纳入了18岁及以上有过阴道、口交或肛交行为的男性，最终样本量分别为12737人（第一轮）、8933人（第二轮）、6991人（第三轮）和5804人（第四轮）。进行逻辑回归以确定与寻求性方面帮助行为相关的因素。在这四轮研究中，至少经历一种性困扰形式的男性患病率显著上升，从2013/14年的54.1%（95%置信区间52.7, 62.5）增至2022年的64.7%（95%置信区间62.8, 66.7）。性困扰患病率的增加在文化和语言背景多样的男性中更为明显，从2013/14年的42.8%（95%置信区间38.1, 47.5）增至2022年的61.5%（95%置信区间55.6, 67.1）。2022年约17.6%的男性因性健康问题寻求过帮助，在研究期间没有显著变化。性困扰的数量、年龄、性取向、恋爱状况、对男性规范的遵从程度、抑郁以及经济困难的数量是与寻求性健康帮助行为显著相关的因素。尽管澳大利亚男性中性困扰的负担在增加，但很少有人寻求帮助，这表明存在大量未满足的性健康需求。这凸显了评估当前服务并考虑采用交叉性方法共同设计性健康倡议的必要性，以提高可及性、参与度，并回应来自不同社区男性独特的性健康需求和偏好。
