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Help-seeking behaviors of people with sexual problems

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Abstract

Help-seeking activities associated with the sexual problems of community respondents (N = 503) were studied. Major findings include (i) a majority of respondents reported some form of social help-seeking from predominantly informal rather than professional helpers; (ii) a significant increase over early adulthood in the likelihood of reporting a dyadic sexual problem was evidenced, however there was no parallel change in help-seeking behaviors with age; (iii) help-seeking from intimates was associated with obtaining help from other informal contacts; (iv) help-seeking from extrafamilial, but not familial, supports was found to covary with income, and (v) a “normative” sequence to help-seeking behaviors was identified. Also discussed is the present work's relevance to research on human immunodeficency virus transmisssion.

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This research was supported im part by NIMH Grant No. MH39553, NIMH/NIDA Center Grant No. MH42459, and a University of California Patent Fund Grant.

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Catania, J.A., Pollack, L., McDermott, L.J. et al. Help-seeking behaviors of people with sexual problems. Arch Sex Behav 19, 235–250 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01541549

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