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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2022 Dec 16.
Published in final edited form as: J Sex Res. 2021 Oct 11;59(2):135–149. doi: 10.1080/00224499.2021.1968327

Table 2. Associations between mean Sal-T and sexual behaviors and sexual function among women.

Denominators
% of sample [Wt] 95% CI Mean Sal-T pmol/L SE Crude ratios* 95% CI adjusted ratios* 1 95% CI adjusted ratios* 2 95% C.I adjusted ratios* 3 95% CI unwt wt
All women 100% 37.1 0.86 2123 1899
Sexual function
Uncomfortably dry vagina for at least 3 months in past yr^
No 86.0 [84.0, 87.8] 38.8 0.99 1.00 - 1.00 - 1.00 - 1.00 - 1310 1252
Yes 14.0 [12.2, 16.0] 32.6 1.71 0.87 [0.78, 0.97] 0.93 [0.84, 1.04] 0.92 [0.83, 1.03] 0.92 [0.84, 1.03] 230 204
p =.0115 p =.189 p =.147 p =.154
Lacked interest in having sex for at least 3 months in past yr^
No 66.6 [63.8, 69.2] 40.0 1.21 1.00 - 1.00 - 1.00 - 1.00 - 1029 969
Yes 33.4 [30.8, 36.2] 33.8 1.13 0.88 [0.81, 0.97] 0.91 [0.83, 0.99] 0.92 [0.84, 1.00] 0.92 [0.84, 1.00] 511 487
p =.0070 p =.0312 p =.0554 p =.0592
Lacked enjoyment when having sex for at least 3 months in past yr^
No 87.6 [85.5, 89.4] 38.3 0.97 1.00 - 1.00 - 1.00 - 1.00 - 1339 1275
Yes 12.4 [10.6, 14.5] 35.0 1.83 0.95 [0.85, 1.06] 0.95 [0.86. 1.06] 0.95 [0.86, 1.06] 0.95 [0.86, 1.06] 201 181
p =.337 P =.383 p =.373 p =.390
Distressed or worried about sex life: agree strongly/agree
No 88.7 [86.7, 90.4] 37.1 0.91 1.00 - 1.00 - 1.00 - 1.00 - 1858 1622
Yes 11.3 [9.6, 13.3] 40.6 2.95 1.05 [0.91, 1.22] 1.02 [0.89, 1.16] 1.02 [0.89, 1.17] 1.02 [0.90, 1.17] 210 207
p =.505 p =.810 p =.787 P =.747
Overall sexual function^
Normal 79.0 [76.6, 81.3] 38.4 1.04 1.00 - 1.00 - 1.00 - 1.00 - 1209 1156
Low 21.0 [18.7, 23.4] 36.2 1.66 0.92 [0.83, 1.02] 0.96 [0.87, 1.06] 0.95 [0.87, 1.05] 0.95 [0.87, 1.05] 336 306
p =.132 p =.398 p =.334 p =.353
Sexual behavior
Masturbation
Last occasion of masturbation
In last 7 days 17.2 [15.2, 19.5] 45.3 2.55 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 362 318
Between 7 days and 4 weeks 19.2 [17.2, 21.5] 39.5 1.91 0.92 [0.81, 1.04] 0.93 [0.82, 1.05] 0.93 [0.83, 1.05] 0.93 [0.93, 1.05] 396 355
Between 4 weeks and 1 year 21.6 [19.5, 23.8] 34.6 1.38 0.79 [0.70, 0.89] 0.84 [0.74, 0.94] 0.84 [0.75, 0.95] 0.84 [0.75, 0.95] 460 398
Longer than 1 year ago/never 41.9 [39.2, 44.7] 34.2 1.49 0.74 [0.66, 0.83] 0.82 [0.73, 0.92] 0.83 [0.74, 0.93] 0.83 [0.74, 0.93] 862 774
p <.0001 p =.0030 p =.0062 p =.0077
Number of occasions of masturbation in past 7 days
0 83.1 [81.0, 85.1] 35.5 0.91 0.91 [0.79, 1.04] 0.96 [0.85, 1.09] 0.97 [0.85, 1.10] 0.97 [0.86, 1.10] 1718 1526
1 8.8 [7.5, 10.2] 40.5 3.26 1.00 - 1.00 - 1.00 - 1.00 - 186 161
2+ 8.1 [6.8, 9.7] 48.4 3.48 1.28 [1.07, 1.52] 1.23 [1.04, 1.46] 1.24 [1.05, 1.46] 1.24 [1.05, 1.46] 172 149
p <.0001 p =.0005 p =.0008 p =.0009
Sexual behavior in the past 4 weeks
Number of occasions of sex#
0−2 59.2 [56.5, 61.8] 35.7 1.20 1.00 - 1.00 - 1.00 - 1.00 - 1258 1048
3−4 15.8 [14.0, 17.9] 36.6 2.13 1.04 [0.93, 1.17] 0.97 [0.87, 1.09] 0.97 [0.86, 1.08] 0.96 [0.86−1.08] 286 281
5+ 25.0 [22.5, 27.7] 39.3 1.50 1.18 [1.08, 1.28] 1.03 [0.94, 1.13] 1.03 [0.93, 1.13] 1.02 [0.92−1.13] 440 443
p =.0011 p =.6410 p =.600 p =.602
Vaginal sex
No 41.3 [38.9, 43.7] 36.2 1.45 1.00 - 1.00 - 1.00 - 1.00 - 974 766
Yes 58.7 [56.3, 61.1] 37.7 1.05 1.07 [1.00, 1.16] 0.96 [0.89, 1.04] 0.95 [0.87, 1.03] 0.94 [0.86, 1.03] 1120 1089
p =.0597 p =.304 p =.211 p =.200
Received oral sex#
No 68.2 [65.7, 70.5] 35.1 1.07 1.00 - 1.00 - 1.00 - 1.00 - 1463 1262
Yes 31.8 [29.5, 34.3] 41.5 1.40 1.20 [1.11, 1.30] 1.07 [0.99, 1.16] 1.07 [0.99, 1.17] 1.07 [0.99, 1.16] 628 589
p <.0001 p =.0937 p =.0905 p =.0995
Gave oral sex#
No 66.2 [63.8, 68.6] 35.1 1.07 1.00 - 1.00 - 1.00 - 1.00 - 1421 1226
Yes 33.8 [31.4, 36.2] 41.0 1.35 1.20 [1.11, 1.30] 1.07 [0.99, 1.16] 1.07 [0.99, 1.16] 1.07 [0.99, 1.16] 671 625
p <.0001 p =.0777 p =.0927 p =.101
Anal sex#
No 96.7 [95.6, 97.6] 36.8 0.86 1.00 - 1.00 - 1.00 - 1.00 - 2037 1792
Yes 3.3 [2.4, 4.4] 46.7 5.00 1.24 [0.98, 1.58] 1.18 [0.94, 1.49] 1.17 [0.92, 1.48] 1.16 [0.91−1.48] 55 61
p =.0773 p =.163 p =.199 p =.209
Genital contact without intercourse#
No 58.5 [55.9, 61.0] 35.8 1.11 1.00 - 1.00 - 1.00 - 1.00 - 1306 1088
Yes 41.5 [39.0, 44.1] 39.5 1.44 1.15 [1.06, 1.24] 1.03 [0.95, 1.11] 1.02 [0.94, 1.11] 1.02 [0.93−1.11] 789 772
p =.0007 p =.529 p =.626 p =.663
Sexual behavior in the past 5 years
Number of sexual partners#
0 13.1 [11.6, 14.7] 36.0 3.01 1.00 - 1.00 - 1.00 - 1.00 - 361 239
1 61.6 [59.2, 64.0] 35.8 0.98 1.14 [1.02, 1.28] 0.99 [0.89, 1.11] 1.00 [0.88, 1.14] 1.00 [0.88, 1.14] 1177 1129
2 10.4 [9.0, 12.0] 39.2 2.43 1.28 [1.10, 1.48] 0.98 [0.84, 1.15] 0.97 [0.83, 1.14] 0.97 [0.83, 1.14] 222 190
3−4 7.7 [6.4, 9.3] 38.0 2.24 1.26 [1.10, 1.46] 0.92 [0.78, 1.07] 0.93 [0.79, 1.09] 0.92 [0.79, 1.08] 157 142
5+ 7.2 [5.9, 8.6] 48.4 3.44 1.51 [1.25, 1.83] 1.05 [0.86, 1.29] 1.04 [0.84, 1.27] 1.03 [0.84, 1.27] 161 131
p =.0001 p =.677 p =.719 p =.731
Concurrency&
No 92.0 [90.5, 93.2] 36.9 0.89 1.00 - 1.00 - 1.00 - 1.00 - 1906 1685
Yes 8.0 [6.8, 9.5] 41.1 2.73 1.12 [0.98, 1.29] 0.97 [0.84, 1.11] 0.96 [0.84, 1.10] 0.96 [0.84, 1.09] 173 147
p =.0873 p =.620 p =.548 p =.535
Same-sex partner[s]
No 97.2 [96.4, 97.9] 36.7 0.87 1.00 - 1.00 - 1.00 - 1.00 - 2055 1846
Yes 2.8 [2.1, 3.6] 50.9 5.50 1.35 [1.11, 1.65] 1.24 [1.03, 1.49] 1.20 [0.99, 1.44] 1.20 [1.00, 1.45] 67 52
p =.0027 p =.0257 p =.0581 p =.0540
Sexual behavior, lifetime
Number of sexual partners#
0/1 23.6 [21.3, 26.0] 37.9 2.46 1.00 - 1.00 - 1.00 - 1.00 - 439 429
2 11.7 [10.1, 13.5] 40.0 2.63 1.00 [0.86, 1.17] 1.02 [0.88, 1.17] 1.02 [0.89, 1.17] 1.02 [0.89, 1.17] 234 213
3−4 19.3 [17.3, 21.4] 34.2 1.62 0.91 [0.80, 1.02] 0.89 [0.79, 1.00] 0.89 [0.79, 0.99] 0.89 [0.79, 0.99] 378 351
5−9 25.0 [22.8, 27.3] 38.0 1.31 1.06 [0.96, 1.18] 0.99 [0.89, 1.09] 0.98 [0.89, 1.08] 0.98 [0.89, 1.08] 516 455
10+ 20.4 [18.6, 22.3] 36.8 1.68 0.98 [0.87, 1.10] 0.91 [0.82, 1.01] 0.91 [0.81, 1.01] 0.90 [0.81, 1.01] 498 371
p =.0546 p =.107 p =.111 p =.106
Ever had same sex experience with genital contact
No 94.4 [93.3, 95.4] 36.6 0.89 1.00 - 1.00 - 1.00 - 1.00 - 1983 1793
Yes 5.6 [4.6, 6.7] 44.6 3.18 1.22 [1.06, 1.39] 1.15 [1.01, 1.32] 1.15 [1.00, 1.31] 1.15 [1.01, 1.31] 140 106
p =.0054 p =.0325 p =.0424 p =.0378
Sexual attraction
Ever felt sexually attracted to:
Opposite sex only 88.1 [86.5, 89.6] 36.2 0.92 1.00 - 1.00 - 1.00 - 1.00 - 1826 1663
Any same-sex attraction 11.9 [10.4, 13.5] 42.6 2.33 1.15 [1.04, 1.27] 1.04 [0.94, 1.14] 1.03 [0.93, 1.14] 1.03 [0.93, 1.14] 285 224
p =.0063 p =.477 p =.569 p =.530
Attitudes
One night stands
Other 90.5 [89.0, 91.8] 36.8 0.92 1.00 1.00 - 1.00 - 1.00 - 1909 1718
‘Not wrong at all’ 9.5 [8.2, 11.0] 40.3 2.21 1.11 [0.99, 1.25] 1.08 [0.97−1.20] 1.04 [0.93, 1.17] 1.04 [0.93, 1.16] 214 181
p =.0692 p =.152 p =.453 p =.485
Non-exclusivity in marriage
Other 38.5 [36.0, 41.1] 34.9 1.13 1.00 1.00 - 1.00 - 1.00 - 856 731
‘Always wrong’ 61.5 [58.9, 64.0] 38.4 1.22 1.05 [0.97, 1.14] 1.00 [0.93, 1.08] 1.00 [0.93, 1.07] 1.00 [0.93, 1.08] 1266 1167
p =.203 p =.970 p =.970 p =.930
‘Men have a naturally higher sex drive than women’
Other 86.7 [84.7, 88.5] 36.8 0.82 1.00 1.00 - 1.00 - 1.00 - 1864 1647
Strongly agree 13.3 [11.5, 15.3] 39.0 3.07 1.04 [0.93, 1.16] 1.04 [0.94, 1.15] 1.04 [0.94, 1.15] 1.04 [0.94, 1.15] 259 252
p =.488 p =.485 p =.464 p =.451
‘It is natural for people to want sex less as they get older’
Other 93.1 [91.8, 94.2] 37.6 0.91 1.00 1.00 - 1.00 - 1.00 - 1972 1768
Strongly agree 6.9 [5.8, 8.2] 30.5 2.15 0.82 [0.72, 0.94] 0.89 [0.78, 1.01] 0.90 [0.79, 1.03] 0.90 [0.79, 1.03] 151 131
p =.0051 p =.0824 p =.120 p =.128

unwt = unweighted denominators, wt = weighted denominators. SE = standard error of mean. Denominator is: all women excluding those taking medication for epilepsy, received treatment for an ovarian or pituitary condition or polycystic ovaries in the past year, women currently receiving HRT, or who had ever received HRT and reported a hysterectomy (to approximate oophorectomy), or who were pregnant at the time of interview.

*

Ratio of geometric means, obtained from exponentiated age-adjusted linear regression coefficients of log-transformed data for women. Adjusted ratio 1 = adjusted for age and age-squared; adjusted ratio 2 = adjusted for age, age-squared, season, and relationship status; adjusted ratio 3 = adjusted for age, age-squared, season, relationship status, BMI, and self-reported general health,

#

opposite- and/or same-sex

^

Only asked of those who had sex in the past year, those who did not have sex in the past year were excluded from the denominator. &Overlap between any partners in past 5 years.