Scottish men have the least satisfying sex lives in Britain

Half of Scottish men say they are dissatisfied with their sex lives, but they are more uncomfortable than men from other parts of the UK about talking to their GP about sexual problems, a survey has suggested.

The proportion of Scottish men who said they were dissatisfied, at 50 per cent, is the highest in the UK. Only 47 per cent of men surveyed in England were dissatisfied, 40 per cent in Wales and 32 per cent in Northern Ireland.

Those who were married or living with a partner showed the highest levels of satisfaction with their sex lives, and the highest levels of dissatisfaction were among men who were widowed, the survey found.

A total of 36 per cent of Scots men said they would feel comfortable talking to their GP about sexual problems compared to 41 per cent in England and 44 per cent in Wales, and 9 per cent of Scottish men said they would speak to their other half about the problem, compared to 11 per cent in England and 18 per cent in Wales and Northern Ireland.

The survey also found men are more likely to get help within a few weeks if there is a problem with their car or computer, than approach a doctor about issues with a low sex drive.

Dr Geoffrey Hackett, a GP and consultant in sexual medicine, will be presenting the survey findings at a conference today.

“Three quarters of men in England and Scotland have not heard of Testosterone Deficiency Syndrome (TDS) which has strong links to cardiovascular disease and early death in men. As the data shows, men are more likely to fix their hard drive than their sex drive,” he said.

“We are calling on at-risk, symptomatic men, especially those over 50 years old with type 2 diabetes, to discuss their symptoms with their GP.”

The survey will be discussed at the Men’s Health World Congress in Vienna, which is exploring awareness and barriers to diagnosis across the UK.

Dr Hackett added: “Scottish men are also far more likely to consult the GP quickly if they have urinary or bowel problems, or skin problems than sexual performance problems, due to extreme embarrassment.

“TDS is also an early predictor and independent risk factor of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease and men with type 2 diabetes, over 50 years of age are most likely to have it.”

Duncan I’Anson, senior brand manager at Bayer Healthcare, who funded the research, said: “Key factors that motivate men with sexual problems to go to the doctor were pressure from a partner or starting a new relationship, so women have a vital role to play.”