Sex Survey Findings Reveal Some Surprises.

When it comes to men and sex, we think we have most of the answers. A new survey by the National Institutes of Health has however come up with findings that range from common knowledge to extremely surprising.

The survey which covered men ranging in age from 57 to 85 has been widely reported in the media, with different publications giving importance to different findings. One of the findings that have created the most buzz is the one that states that a healthy and satisfying sex life is possible even in persons in their seventies and eighties. According to the findings of the survey which have been studied by eminent sexual health scientists, it's not ageing that causes an increase in erectile dysfunction. Rather, it's the way the person ages. This has once again given credence to the belief that good overall health is highly conducive to sexual health, regardless of the age of the person. An elderly person who is free from medical conditions like diabetes or high blood pressure, and is under no medication is very likely to report a highly satisfying sex life, the survey says.

Another finding that came out in the survey seems to indicate that men who have less frequent sexual intercourse are likely to report less amount of satisfaction from their encounters. In the case of men who had sex only once a month, the findings were 2.4 times more likely to indicate less pleasurable encounters. They were also at least 4.3 times likely to report a lack of interest in sex, as well as erectile dysfunction and performance anxiety. This seems to support the theory that frequent sex leads to better overall sexual health, and lesser incidence of erectile dysfunction.

Other very obvious findings of the survey seem to point to the relationship between a man's state of satisfaction with his relationship, and the incidence of erectile dysfunction. Men who reported being emotionally satisfied with their relationship were more likely to have an increased desire for sex.

Also supporting the theory that the man's overall health leads to enhanced sexual health is the finding that men who reported some sort of STD were at least 5.4 times likely to report dissatisfaction with their sexual life. For instance, men who suffer from urinary tract syndrome were more likely to report erectile dysfunction. A man's mental state of mind is also key to sexual satisfaction, the study reports. Men who suffered from depression were at least 1.5 times more likely to report an inability to climax, or an inability to maintain an erection. This could be traced to the effect than anti depressant medication tends to have on a man's sexual health. Any erectile dysfunction problems resulting from the use of anti depressant drugs could also quickly translate into diminished desire.

Some findings of the study, whose findings have been published in "The Journal of Sexual Medicine" have been more than a little surprising. For instance, the study reveals that erectile dysfunction problems were more than twice as likely to occur in black men as in white men. These erectile dysfunction problems in black men range from lack of interest in sex and premature ejaculation to lack of pleasure. No explanation has been provided for this intriguing finding. Another interesting finding that the survey throws up is the connection between a man's level of education and the incidence, if any of erectile dysfunction. A higher level of education, according to the study seems to be linked to enhanced sexual health. Men who were college educated were more like to report satisfaction with sex and ability to climax easily, than men who had not received a complete high school education. No explanation has been attributed to this finding either, but there could be a link between the higher income that a college education can lead to as well as the greater leisure time that a high paying job will provide, and better sex.

Also men who had had sexual encounters with the other men were more likely to report dissatisfaction with sex. The reasons for this could be traced to some form of repression in men, even those who have had sexual encounters with members of their sex. There is a tendency among many heterosexual men to believe that homosexuality is immoral or a sin and this could possibly lead to conflicting feelings about sex, thereby causing disinterest.

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