Almost half of millennial women do not get enough enjoyment from sex, Public Health England report reveals

Report: More than 40% of millenial women said they do not enjoy sex
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Chloe Chaplain26 June 2018

Almost half of young women do not get enough enjoyment from sex, a ground-breaking report into female reproductive health has revealed.

Around 42 per cent of 25 to 34-year-olds suffer from a “lack of sexual enjoyment”, compared with less than a third of those aged from 55 to 64.

The report, published by Public Health England, questioned 7,300 women on their reproductive and sexual health and found that scores are not seeking help for issues due to fear of judgement or embarrassment.

It revealed that 81 per cent had experienced a severe reproductive health symptom in the past year – which range for a lack of sexual enjoyment to heavy menstrual bleeding and period pain.

Report: More than 80% of women have experienced a reproductive health issue in the last year
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Experts behind the study said that the results highlight the “extent of the impact these issues have on women’s ability to go about their daily lives” and warned the “stigma” associated with them left many suffering in silence.

“Our data show that sexual enjoyment is a key part of good reproductive health and that while many women are reporting sexual dysfunction, many are not seeking help,” Sue Mann, public health consultant in reproductive health at PHE said.

Women are scared to speak out about their symptoms, the report revealed
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Jane Dickson, of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, added that there "much stigma and embarrassment when it comes to sexual function - especially when we are talking about women’s sexual pleasure".

“Society still relegates women’s sexual pleasure to the background in comparison to the importance assigned to the gendered roles that women carry such as that of being mothers," she said.

“If women lack sexual enjoyment they should know that they can talk to a specialist and get support from psychosexual services in sexual and reproductive healthcare clinics.”

The survey among women aged 16 to 64 found that, while reproductive symptoms – for example severe pains, hormonal changes or bleeding - often affect women's ability to carry out their daily activities, many conceal them from colleagues.

Women are suffering in silence with pains and other symptoms
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"There was often a perception that symptoms were normal and should be endured, and, consequently, women feared they might not be being taken seriously or that they would be judged negatively for needing help," they wrote.

Dr Mann, said: "We encourage women to seek support from their workplace, and for workplace management to be aware of how reproductive health symptoms can affect women's daily life."

Commenting on the report, Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard, chairwoman of the Royal College of GPs, added that the research "highlights the urgent need to encourage more public conversations around women's health matters to assure women that they will be taken seriously, and that they should never feel ashamed to talk openly about their health concerns whether that be their periods, miscarriage, infertility, menopause or something else."