Ammon News - By Khetam Malkawi

AMMAN - Approximately 49.9 per cent of Jordanian men suffer from sexual dysfunction, a rate that increases with age, according to a recent study.

More than 53 per cent of men aged between 40 and 60 suffer from sexual dysfunction, a problem which afflicts 72 per cent over the age of 60 and 89 per cent of men over 70, indicated the study, made available to The Jordan Times.

Conducted by professors from the Jordan University of Science and Technology, the study surveyed 1,000 Jordanian men aged between 18 and 85, using the International Index of Erectile Function scoring system.

Although 32 per cent of the surveyed sample admitted to having erectile dysfunction, the scoring system found that 49.9 per cent suffered from the problem, which increases with age.

Less than 30 per cent of men with sexual dysfunction problems consult a specialist, while around 39 per cent use sexual enhancers, according to the survey.

The study also listed other factors that increase the risk of sexual dysfunction problems, including diabetes, obesity, smoking, lack of exercise, high blood pressure and cardiovascular problems.

Low income might also lead to sexual dysfunction, the study revealed, indicating that financial problems increase stress levels, which are a leading cause of erectile dysfunction among men.

Figures released recently by the Jordan Food and Drug Administration (JFDA) indicated that Jordanians spent JD1.5 million on imported sexual enhancers last year.

But sexual enhancer usage in the Kingdom is much higher, due to the prevalence of locally made and Syrian products on the market, according to health experts.

JFDA statistics revealed that the Kingdom imported some 248,181 packets of sexual enhancers in 2009, around 20,681 packets a month.

But the actual amount of money spent on sexual enhancers in Jordan is five times greater than the JFDA figures, according to National Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Genetics (NCDEG) Director General Kamel Ajlouni.

“The actual amount of money spent on enhancers reaches JD7.5 million, as a majority of Jordanians use either local or Syrian drugs due to lower prices,” Ajlouni told The Jordan Times in a previous interview.

He noted that the price of one tablet of a foreign-manufactured sexual enhancer is sold for around JD7, compared to JD5 for those manufactured locally and JD0.5 for Syrian products that have informally entered the market.

According to experts, diabetes is the leading cause of sexual problems and impotence in Jordan, with a recent study conducted by the NCDEG indicating that 63 per cent of Jordanian males diagnosed with diabetes suffer from erectile dysfunction.

The study also found that 45 per cent of Jordanian women with diabetes have marital issues due to sexual problems.

//Jordan Times//