Chinese couples have sex more often but are less satisfied with their sex lives than people in other nations of the Asia/Pacific region, according to a survey endorsed by the International Society of Sexual Medicine (ISSM).
Chinese respondents had sex nine times a month on average while the frequency was 7.7 times across the entire Asia-Pacific region, according to responses of over 3,500 people aged 18 to 45. The 2013 Asia-Pacific Sexual Behaviors and Satisfaction Survey solicited responses in nine nations, including Australia, China, S. Korea and Singapore, with 1,002 coming from mainland China.
The percentage of Chinese respondents who expressed general dissatisfaction with their sex live was roughly the same as those throughout the region at 52%. However, the percentage of Chinese females who expressed desire for more prolonged sexual intercourse was 96%, much higher than the 63% among all women in the region.
One possible reason may be less awareness among Chinese men of their partners’ satisfaction levels. Only 30% of Chinese men said they were concerned about the issue while across the entire region 38% of men expressed concern.
Erectile dysfunction wasn’t considered in the survey but 32% of men said they suffered from premature ejaculation (PE). The condition appears related to about 84% of concerns of expressed by respondents.
PE involves aspects of length of time, control of ejaculation and related negative feelings like distress, said Chris McMachon, president of ISSM. Couples spend an average of to 5.4 minutes per session of sexual intercourse according to international studies, he noted.
Risk factors for PE include genetic predisposition and poor nerve conduction, with mental factors contributing to nearly 20% of all PE cases, added McMachon. Less educated men are also more likely to be afflicted with the condition.
Prostate disease is another possible factor behind PE, said Jiang Hui, president-elect of the Chinese Society of Andriatrics under the Chinese Medical Association. He added that in most cases it has no impact on pregnancy.
Chinese PE sufferers were far less likely to seek help for the condition because it usually isn’t considered a medical condition in China where only 30% seek medical treatment compared with 55% throughout the region.
A combination of drugs and physiological counseling works well to address the condition, according to McMachon. He added that the female partner can be the key to overcoming the condition.
“Usually we say that it is the couple, not just the man, who suffers from or fights PE,” he said.
He said the goal of the sexual satisfaction survey is to spot factors impairing sexual satisfaction and help improve sexual health.
