More than 80 percent of men and 60 percent of women aged 40 to 80 surveyed say sex is important. And 57 percent of men and 51 percent of women who have had sex in the past year still have sex at least one to six times a week.

More than 26,000 adults in 28 countries were surveyed as part of the Global Study of Sexual Attitudes and Behaviours.

According to initial findings, almost 90 percent of people in South Korea said that sex was moderately, very or extremely important in their overall life, while only 38 percent in the Hong Kong region said the same.

More than 70 percent of respondents in Italy said they had sex one to six times a week, but only 21 percent of respondents in Japan said the same.

More people from Belgium and Spain report having sex at least once per day.

"It is refreshing to see that there is no clear end to the need for intimacy in later life and that men and women around the world remain sexually active into their 70s," said Edward Laumann, a sociology professor at the University of Chicago.

The survey showed that physical satisfaction in a relationship is higher among those who report they are healthier. Nearly 70 percent of those who described their health as "excellent" also reported that their physical relationship with their partner was very pleasurable in the past year.

A similar trend could also be seen between emotional satisfaction and health.

"The importance of sexual health to overall health is often overlooked by individuals, health care professionals and by society in general, to the detriment of all," said Rosie King, general practitioner and relationship therapist with the Australian Centre for Sexual Health.

Despite the association between reported health and emotional and physical satisfaction, the survey found that people are not necessarily aware of their true health status.

About 30 percent of those surveyed have either not seen a doctor for more than a year or do not remember when they last saw one.

However, even when respondents did have a medical check-up, less than one in 10 report being asked about sexual difficulties in the past three years.

"Physicians must be prepared to initiate a discussion about sexual difficulties because they can be red flags for underlying and potentially life-threatening conditions, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and high cholesterol," King said. "In addition, sexual problems can lead to other issues, such as reduced self-esteem and intimacy avoidance, that can have a very real impact on overall quality of life for an individual and his or her partner."

(China Daily May 10, 2002)