The comparative analysis of sexual habits covered several countries around the world, including Serbia, Croatia , Israel and Turkey. The great majority of people in all countries said they considered sex as a key element in a romantic relationship. Although 69 percent of Serbs thought sex is an important part of their lives, 54 percent thought sex is still a taboo, and 72 percent thought people should be paying more attention to the issue. Serbs noted the lowest level of sexual activity compared with other countries in the survey, with only 34 percent of men and 31 percent of women saying they have sex more than twice a week.
In Turkey the number was the highest, with some 53 percent of men and 48 percent women saying they had sex two or three times weekly. Israel was the only country where women appeared to be more sexually active than men, with 50 percent of women reporting sex more than twice a week, versus 43 percent of men. Physical exhaustion, stress and health problems were the main reasons blamed for an unsatisfactory sex life, but 51 percent of respondents in Serbia said they were not doing anything to improve their lot.
Asked whether they discuss sexual problems, 23 percent said they had never addressed any sex-related problem in their relationship. The majority of people said impotence or erectile dysfunction was the main reason for unsatisfying sexual life, mainly caused by physical tiredness and stress. Nine percent of men said lack of money lay at the root of their problem. Although every third Serb man said he suffered from erectile dysfunction at least once a year, two percent of respondents said it happened to them each time they had sex.
Experts in charge of the survey cautioned that open communication was key to getting over the problem, while hiding it could cause both partners to suffer frustration, disappointment, shame and anger, guilt and depression. Serbs and Croats feel they are not having enough sex and think that cheating on their long-term partners could have a positive impact in reviving a relationship, showed a survey by the Bayer Schering pharmaceutical company.
Reporting by Ljilja Cvekic. Follow us. Published by BIRN.
