Think About Sex on Valentine's Day

LONDON, February 8 - It's a fact that men have sex on the brain more than women. Yet,
encouraging men and women to think about sex in a different way is important
for the public's health and wellbeing according to the Sexual Advice
Association*. Launching its Thinking About Sex Day (TASD), an awareness
campaign, on Valentine's Day, the Sexual Advice Association takes its
commitment to raise awareness of physical and psychological issues around
sexual activity to new heights.

Three actors, Alistair McGowan, Miranda Richardson and Ronni Ancona
support TASD with their creation and performance of original comedy sketches.
Why? Simply to help more people open up about sex and talk about some of the
problems that can occur. The Sexual Advice Association (
www.sexualadviceassociation.co.uk) can provide support when people
need it - it is the only national organisation offering a professionally
staffed confidential helpline to deal with questions on male and female
sexual health.

In keeping with its heritage, the charity remains focused on information
and support around male and female sexual problems, but the charity also
takes the TASD opportunity to further its aims with a more positive and less
scientific approach. The Sexual Advice Association was previously the Sexual
Dysfunction Association.

Tricia Barnes, Director of TBA Practice - a multidisciplinary Sexual &
Relationship Therapy Service in London and Trustee of the Sexual Advice
Association says: "The aim of TASD is to generate communication as a result
of people enjoying (and possibly identifying with) the film sketches, which
highlight common sexual difficulties in a lighthearted way. Various studies
and surveys show that up to half of women may experience sexual difficulties
at some point in their life. This often involves problems with loss of sexual
desire or libido, difficulty with becoming sexually aroused or reaching
orgasm, or experiencing discomfort or pain with sex.

Living with sexual problems can be very distressing to the woman and her
partner. But frequently there is also a negative effect on her sense of
wellbeing and on the relationship, with women expressing concerns about the
partner's possible lack of sexual satisfaction, fear of relationship
breakdown, and not being able to talk about such anxieties openly. For those
who do experience distress, and have tried to manage the issues themselves
but without significant change, the Sexual Advice Association can point
individuals in the right direction to obtain professional help," Tricia
continued.

Dr Graham Jackson, Chair of the Sexual Advice Association and Consultant
Cardiologist, London, comments on male sexual problems: "Probably the most
talked about and thought about issues for men are erections and confidence
that they can satisfy their partner's sexual needs and get a hard erection.
Erection problems affect 40 per cent of men over the age of 40. What people
aren't so familiar with is that erection problems can be caused by, or be an
early warning sign, of cardiovascular disease. Men aged 30-40 years
experiencing erection problems have a seven-fold risk of coronary artery
disease as they age over their next 10-15 years.

The risk of experiencing erection problems increases with age, yet age
should not be a barrier to an enjoyable sex life. The Sexual Advice
Association is there to offer support to people of all ages and does not
discriminate either around sexual orientation. We are simply here to help,"
Dr Jackson continued.

Both male and female problems can be caused by a number of factors
including underlying physical, psychological, emotional and cultural
conditions. Staying generally healthy, including psychological health, can
therefore often keep a couple's sex life healthy too.

A wealth of information on male and female sexual problems and how to
seek help is available on the Sexual Advice Association website all year
round. The Sexual Advice Association's helpline is 020 7486 7262. One of the
Trustees also runs a personal email reply service, which is proving a very
popular offering from the Charity.

The first film sketch is already on the Sexual Advice Association website
(www.sexualadviceassociation.co.uk) the second will be posted on TASD
(February 14th) and further sketches will be released later in the year.

The Sexual Advice Association is extremely grateful to Alistair McGowan,
Miranda Richardson and Ronni Ancona for their positive response to the
invitation from the Sexual Advice Association to support the TASD campaign.

The Chair and Trustees are available for interview about TASD and the
workings of the Charity.

TASD activities have been supported financially by the Sexual Advice
Association and unconditional educational grants from Boehringer Ingelheim
and Pfizer Limited.

The Sexual Advice Association was previously the Sexual Dysfunction
Association

    For further information and to organise interviews, please contact:
    Janis Troup, Right Angle Communications: +44(0)20-3142-6491 or
    Laura Glover, Right Angle Communications on +44(0)20-3142-6495.

For further information and to organise interviews, please contact: Janis Troup, Right Angle Communications: +44(0)20-3142-6491 or Laura Glover, Right Angle Communications on +44(0)20-3142-6495.