Assessment of male sexual function by the Brief Sexual Function Inventory

To present normative data from Norway using the Brief Male Sexual Function Inventory (BSFI, the first patient self-administered questionnaire to assess male sexuality, and used in the USA) in men aged 20-79 years, examine the psychometric properties of the BSFI, explore the impact of sexual function and other variables on overall sexual satisfaction, and compare American and Norwegian normative data.

From public official address lists 3500 men aged 20-79 years were invited to take part in an anonymous questionnaire study, including the BSFI. Altogether 1185 (34%) responded, and the response rates varied with age.

There was increasingly reduced sexual function concerning drive, erection, ejaculation, and problem assessment with age, and most of the age-effect started at >50 years old. Overall sexual satisfaction followed the same trend, but with a weaker association with age. Analyses of factor structure and internal consistency of the BSFI supported a one-factor solution with good internal consistency. Drive, erection, ejaculation, and problem assessment explained 28% of the variance in overall sexual satisfaction. Being younger and having a sexual partner were also associated with high scores of overall sexual satisfaction. American and Norwegian normative data in the BSFI dimensions were markedly similar.

The BSFI is a short and discrete screening tool for sexual function, and for most clinical and research purposes we recommend using the BSFI as a one-dimensional scale.