Help-Seeking for Sexual Difficulties Among Australian Men: Analysis of the Ten to Men Longitudinal Study

Background: Sexual dysfunction is prevalent in the Australian population, affecting over half of men regardless of age and sexual identity. It can have significant impacts on men's physical health, mental well-being, and quality of life if left untreated. The present study aimed to examine sexual dysfunction trends and factors associated with sexual help seeking behaviour among a cohort of Australian men. Methods: Four waves of longitudinal data from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Male Health (Ten to Men) were used in the analysis. We included adult men aged 18 years and above who had engaged in vaginal, oral, or anal sex. Our analysis included a total sample size of 12,737 (wave 1), 8,933 (wave 2), 6,991 (wave 3), and 5,804 (wave 4) men. Logistic regression was undertaken to identify factors associated with sexual help seeking behaviour. Results: Across the data waves, there was a significant rise in the prevalence of men experiencing at least one form of sexual difficulty, increasing from 54.1% (95% CI: 52.7, 62.5) in 2013/14 to 64.7% (95% CI: 62.8, 66.7) in 2022. The increase in prevalence of sexual difficulties was most pronounced among men from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds which increased from 42.8% (95% CI: 38.1, 47.5) in 2013/14 to 61.5% (95% CI: 55.6, 67.1) in 2022. Around 17.6% of men sought assistance for their sexual health concerns in 2022, with no significant change over the study period. Number of sexual difficulties, age, sexual identity, relationship status, conformity to masculine norms, depression, and number of financial hardships were factors significantly associated with sexual health seeking behaviour.Conclusions: Despite the burden of sexual dysfunction increasing among Australian men, few have sought assistance, suggesting a significant level of unmet sexual health need. This underscores the necessity for co-designed sexual health services, informed by an intersectional approach, to better engage men from a range of communities and meet their distinct sexual health needs and preferences.