Sexual problems and distress in United States women: prevalence and correlates.
My desire is lower than it used to be but I'm not sure it bothers me that much — how do you decide when low libido is worth treating rather than just noting?
Suggestive but preliminary. Not settled. how we score evidence
Caveat on this rating: This is a one-time self-report survey (the journal graded it Level of Evidence III), so it can measure prevalence and correlation but not cause or direction. The MEDLINE record carries the publication type "Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't", meaning the study had external non-government support that the record does not name; the funding statement itself could not be reached, so funding is recorded UNKNOWN rather than guessed. Prevalence figures from surveys of this kind have been used commercially to size markets for desire drugs, which is a reason to read the distress threshold carefully rather than the headline 43.1%.
In 31,581 US women drawn from a nationally representative panel, 43.1% reported some sexual problem, but only 12.0% reported a sexual problem plus personal distress about it — the combination that actually warrants treatment. Distressing problems peaked in midlife (14.8% at ages 45-64 versus 10.8% younger and 8.9% older), and depression and anxiety were among the correlates. Most low desire is not a disorder; the distress is what makes it one.
Worth asking
My desire is lower than it used to be but I'm not sure it bothers me that much — how do you decide when low libido is worth treating rather than just noting?
What to watch for
Evidence quality tells you whether to trust the finding — not whether the treatment is safe. These are the risks this research reports.
- Sexual side effects
Source
Sexual problems and distress in United States women: prevalence and correlates. — Shifren JL, Monz BU, Russo PA, Segreti A, Johannes CB. (2008)
Reputable peer-reviewed journal
Read the source: https://doi.org/10.1097/AOG.0b013e3181898cdb
DOI: 10.1097/AOG.0b013e3181898cdb
How this was scored
- Study design
- Cross-sectional study / survey
- Funding
- Funding not disclosed
- Published in
- Reputable peer-reviewed journal
- Sample size
- 31,581
- Preregistered
- No
- Conflicts disclosed
- No
- Independent of proponent
- not recorded
- Retracted
- No
Read the full scoring rubric, including what it can't tell you.
Published August 19, 2026.
Where we put this study in context
Questions
How strong is the evidence behind this?
Resolv rates this source "early signal". Suggestive but preliminary. Not settled. It scores 47 out of 100 on our published rubric. One caveat travels with that badge: This is a one-time self-report survey (the journal graded it Level of Evidence III), so it can measure prevalence and correlation but not cause or direction. The MEDLINE record carries the publication type "Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't", meaning the study had external non-government support that the record does not name; the funding statement itself could not be reached, so funding is recorded UNKNOWN rather than guessed. Prevalence figures from surveys of this kind have been used commercially to size markets for desire drugs, which is a reason to read the distress threshold carefully rather than the headline 43.1%. The score is calculated from recorded facts about the source — study design, funding, publication venue, sample size, preregistration — not typed in by an editor.
What is the source for this?
Sexual problems and distress in United States women: prevalence and correlates. — Shifren JL, Monz BU, Russo PA, Segreti A, Johannes CB. (2008). Published in: Reputable peer-reviewed journal. DOI: 10.1097/AOG.0b013e3181898cdb. The full source is linked on this page so you can read it yourself.
Who paid for this research, and does that matter?
Study design: Cross-sectional study / survey. Funding: Funding not disclosed. Independence from the proponent is not recorded. Industry sponsorship is one of the most reliably measured biases in medicine, which is why funding carries real weight in the score rather than sitting in a footnote.
Is this medical advice?
This is information to bring to your prescriber, not medical advice and not a reason to change anything on your own. Nothing here is an instruction to stop or reduce a medication. If you are in crisis, call or text 988.
This is information to bring to your prescriber, not medical advice and not a reason to change anything on your own. Nothing here is an instruction to stop or reduce a medication. If you are in crisis, call or text 988.