Men's top sex query is about erections

WINCHESTER, England, Sept. 22 (UPI) -- More than two-thirds of men who contacted a British non-profit group for sexual advice said they had erection problems, officials say.

The association's Web site attracted more than 200,000 visitors from many countries during the study period, from as far afield as Afghanistan and Zimbabwe, the researchers said.

Lead author and family doctor John Tomlinson, who ran a hospital-based men's health clinic for nine years and now works with the Sexual Advice Association, said the study looked at the 5,531 telephone calls and 2,160 e-mails from men received during 2009 and 2010.

More than 673 e-mails required a more in-depth reply from a doctor specializing in male sexual dysfunction, Tomlinson said.

Analysis of the 673 e-mails found:

-- 69 percent of the problems were erection problems, 17 percent complained at a loss of sex drive, 12 percent had premature ejaculation, 10 percent had masturbation problems and 12 percent has genital problems.

-- Erection problems increased with age and the age groups most concerned with premature ejaculation and lack of sex drive were 31 to 40 years and 41 to 50 years respectively.

-- Premature ejaculation and masturbation worries were more commonly reported by men from outside Britain, particularly from the Indian subcontinent. These included concerns that excessive masturbation in adolescence had caused their current sexual problems.

-- 70 percent of the men who expressed concerns about the size of their penis or a bend in their erection were under age 40.

The findings are scheduled to be published in the October issue of the International Journal of Clinical Practice.