世論 What Japan Thinks

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The answer to headline is “not very much, quite frankly. And just 17 times a year.”

The Japanese division of the drug company Bayer recently published the results of a survey into Japanese married couples’ bedroom life. They interviewed 103 men and 103 women, all currently married, from each decade of life from their thirties to their sixties, excepting men in their forties, where they only had 102 people, making 823 people in total. The fieldwork was conducted between the 9th and 12th of June this year, by means of an internet questionnaire. No information is available on how the respondents were chosen.

Surprisingly, I feel, almost a third in some degree of a sexless marriage felt that sex was just too much of pain in the bum (figuratively, not literally!), much higher than the percentage who thought love had faded on either or both sides of the relationship.

Note also in Q12 and Q13 the difference between how people with experience of ED reacted versus the good intentions of those who had not.

Q11-1: What do you think is the cause of your sexless marriage? (Sample size=402, multiple answer)

Too much of a bother	33.1%
Change in family situation (children born, leaving home, parents moving in, etc)	26.9%
Too busy to have time for it	19.2%
Got stuck in a rut	18.7%
Love for spouse faded	13.2%
Spouse’s love for me faded	12.4%
Male side couldn’t get it up (ED)	10.9%
No confidence I can satisfy spouse	5.0%
Spouse is being unfaithful	1.7%
I am being unfaithful	1.0%
Other	14.4%

Q11-2: Have you or your spouse experienced ED? (Sample size=402, those in sexless marriages)

Been to the doctor about it	0.7%
Not been to the doctor, but think I have/he has it	5.0%
I/He could have it	19.2%
I don’t/He doesn’t have it	75.1%

Q12-1: Do you think you would go to a doctor for treatment for ED? (Sample size=408, men only)

	Yes	No
Think have ED N=76	23.1%	76.9%
Don’t think have ED N=330	62.1%	37.9%

Q12-2: When you had (or thought you had) ED, what sort of things did you do? (Sample size=81, up to two answers)

Tried eating foods or supplements	21.0%
Directed my feelings towards something else	18.5%
Got depressed not knowing what to do	9.9%
Got medicine from a dispensing chemist	7.4%
Had sympathy for my spouse, became unable to connect with her	7.4%
Talked to my spouse	6.2%
Talked to a medical expert	4.9%
Went to the hospital by myself	0.0%
Talked to friends or family	0.0%
Went to the hospital with spouse	0.0%
Other	6.2%
Nothing in particular	45.7%

I wonder if the “other” included buying dodgy products from dodgy spam mail?

Q12-3: If you were to get ED, what sort of things would you do? (Sample size=330, up to two answers)

Talk to my spouse	31.8%
Talk to a medical expert	23.9%
Go to the hospital by myself	16.1%
Try eating foods or supplements	13.0%
Direct my feelings towards something else	12.4%
Get medicine from a dispensing chemist	12.1%
Get depressed not knowing what to do	10.0%
Go to the hospital with spouse	6.7%
Talk to friends or family	1.2%
Have sympathy for my spouse, become unable to connect with her	0.6%
Other	0.9%
Nothing in particular	20.6%

Q13-1: When your spouse had or thought he had ED, what sort of things did you do? (Sample size=69, up to two answers)

Not knowing what to do, did nothing	10.1%
Changed the subject	10.1%
Talked to my spouse, but got too emotional	5.6%
Talked calmly with my spouse	5.6%
Talked to a medical expert	2.9%
Talked to family or friends	1.4%
Said we should go to the hospital together	1.4%
Recommended he go to hospital for treatment	1.4%
Recommended he get medicine from a dispensing chemist	0.0%
Other	2.9%
Nothing in particular	68.1%

Q13-2: If your spouse were to talk to you about ED, what sort of things would you do? (Sample size=343, up to two answers)

Talk calmly with my spouse	26.0%
Recommend he go to hospital for treatment	21.0%
Say we should go to the hospital together	14.6%
Change the subject	12.8%
Talk to a medical expert	9.3%
Not knowing what to do, do nothing	6.0%
Recommend he get medicine from a dispensing chemist	6.0%
Talk to family or friends	0.9%
Talk to my spouse, but get too emotional	0.0%
Other	2.6%
Nothing in particular	33.8%

Q14-1: In order to make it easier to get ED treatment, what sort of environment should be established? (Sample size=78, up to three answers)

Make easy to get ED information from various sources	44.4%
Get sympathy and empathy from my spouse	43.2%
Availability of advice from medical specialists	30.9%
Understanding of ED by society and removing prejudice	23.5%
Correct understanding of ED by spouse	21.0%
Correct understanding of ED treatment by spouse	17.3%
Other	2.5%

Q14-2: If your spouse had ED, how would you want to be involved? (Sample size=412)

	Strongly agree	Somewhat agree	Don’t really agree	Don’t agree at all
Want straight discussion of ED	24.8%	44.9%	21.6%	8.7%
Want to get treatment from hospital	15.8%	37.9%	34.7%	11.7%
Want to go together to hospital	9.7%	26.2%	48.1%	16.0%
Want to know about drugs for treatment	11.7%	35.4%	38.6%	14.3%
Want the chance to discuss ED with men	11.7%	42.7%	33.7%	11.9%
Want to find out about and understand woman’s worries too	12.9%	44.9%	31.8%	10.4%

[part 1] [part 2] [part 3]