52% Of Women Have Poor Sexual Health, compared to Just 17% Of Men

If sexuality is one dimension of our ability to live passionately, then in cutting off our sexual feelings we diminish our overall power to feel, know and value deeply.

Judith Plaskow

An interesting little article from Grazia Magazine!

We're all aware of the gender pay gap, and increasingly we're talking about the gender sleep gap. Now there’s another one to be worried about: the sexual health gap. New research from the University of Glasgow has found that only 48% of women have good levels of sexual health - compared to 83% of men!

Before you panic, that doesn’t mean that the majority of women have untreated STIs. The concept of sexual health in this context includes STIs but also unplanned pregnancies, sexual function and satisfaction (or lack thereof!). It's a way of looking at the more generalised sexual experiences of men and women.

While it’s not new news that straight women are having less satisfactory sex than everyone else (a 2017 study found that 20% of women never orgasm, compared to 2% of men), this research is the first to consider sexual satisfaction to be part of sexual health, and as such the statistics make for shocking reading.

It’s also unfortunately true that STIs are sexist. STIs are sexist for two main reasons: because you’re more likely to catch one if you’re a woman, and because you’re more likely to suffer complications to your health as a result of an STI if you’re a woman.

Other health complications outside of STIs are also more prevalent in women, such as pain during sex. While painful sex is unusual for men, 75% of women will experience it during the years that they are sexually active. Stress, vaginismus, endometriosis, trauma, dryness - there is a litany of reasons why sex might be uncomfortable, unpleasant or even unbearable, all of which are specific to women.

So, how do we tackle this gap, which is more of a chasm?

First, women need to be aware that sex should not be unpleasant or painful. If sex regularly hurts, and including lubricant in your sex life doesn’t fix that, then you should see a doctor. You’re totally within your rights to request a female GP if that makes you feel more comfortable.

Female sexual health is often ignored, and research suggests that we have a tendency to assume that any vaginal ill health is just a touch of thrush which will clear up on its own. This can lead mean that STIs go untreated for long periods of time, at which point they can have a significant impact on your wider health.

In other countries, such as the USA, it’s normal for women to have a semi-regular appointment with a gynaecologist. While in the UK we don’t tend to follow that practice however, you’re fully entitled to request to see a gynaecologist, via your GP.

Second, we need to change the expectation around sex for women. Orgasms shouldn’t be a bonus, they should be an expectation. While the majority of women (around 78%) cannot climax from penetration alone, foreplay, after-play or the inclusion of sex toys to the main event should offset that. Sex doesn’t just mean P in V, after all.

Apps such as OMGYes can be a useful resource to educate your sexual partner(s).

Dr Alison Parkes of the University of Glasgow, who co-authored the research, said: “We think [the wider range of problems in women] may boil down to women’s general lesser agency when it comes to negotiating more pleasurable as well as safer sex with their partners.”

Ultimately the only person who can take responsibility for your sexual wellness is you. Don’t have sex with people who don’t care whether or not you come. See a doctor if something feels wrong. Get comfortable with your own body, ask your sexual partner for what you need - and refuse to bow down to the kind of shame which got us into this mess.

What’s on this week?