RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Medicated sex in Britain: evidence from the third National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles
JF Sexually Transmitted Infections
JO Sex Transm Infect
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd
SP 32
OP 38
DO 10.1136/sextrans-2015-052094
VO 92
IS 1
A1 Kirstin R Mitchell
A1 Philip Prah
A1 Catherine H Mercer
A1 Jessica Datta
A1 Clare Tanton
A1 Wendy Macdowall
A1 Andrew J Copas
A1 Soazig Clifton
A1 Pam Sonnenberg
A1 Nigel Field
A1 Anne M Johnson
A1 Kaye Wellings
YR 2016
UL http://sti.bmj.com/content/92/1/32.abstract
AB Objectives To describe the prevalence of medication use to assist sexual performance in Britain and to identify associated factors.Methods Cross-sectional probability sample, undertaken in 2010–2012, of 15 162 people aged 16–74 years, resident in Britain, of whom, 5617 men and 8095 women reported sexual experience (ever) and 4817 men were sexually-active (reported sex in the last year).Results Ever use of medication to assist sexual performance (medicated sex) was more commonly reported by men than women (12.9% (95% CI 11.9% to 13.9%) vs 1.9% (95% CI 1.7% to 2.3%)) and associated with older age in men and younger age in women. It was associated with reporting smoking, and use of alcohol and recreational drugs, as well as unsafe sex (≥2 partners and no condom use in the last year) in both men and women. Among men, the proportion reporting medicated sex in the last year was higher among those reporting erectile difficulties (ED) than those not doing so (28.4% (95% CI 24.4% to 32.8%) vs 4.1% (95% CI 3.4% to 4.9%)). In all men, medicated sex was associated with more frequent sexual activity, meeting a partner on the internet, unsafe sex and recent sexually transmitted infections diagnosis; associations that persisted after adjusting for same-sex behaviour and ED. However, there were significant interactions with reporting ED, indicating that among men with ED, medicated sex is not associated with same-sex behaviour and ever use of recreational drugs.Conclusions A substantial minority of people in Britain report medicated sex, and the association between medicated sex and risky sexual behaviour is not confined to high-risk groups.