Men's sexual health in Saudi Arabia is hindered by cultural stigma, misinformation, and limited access to care, requiring a coordinated, culturally sensitive strategy integrating education, regulation, and open dialog for meaningful progress.
Key Findings
Background
Open conversations about sexual health in Saudi Arabia are obstructed by taboos and misinformation despite Islamic teachings that encourage marital intimacy.
Islam encourages marital intimacy, yet cultural traditions and stigma create barriers to sexual health discussions
The paper is based on clinical opinion and cultural insights of experts from Saudi Arabia
An unstructured literature search was conducted on PubMed, Google Scholar, and Cochrane Library without date restrictions
Initial literature search was conducted in January 2025 with a subsequent search in August 2025
Results
Misconceptions about erectile dysfunction, penile size, masturbation effects, and sexual performance are prevalent and fueled by pornography, uncontrolled social media, and limited education.
These misconceptions result in poor health-seeking behaviors and incorrect use of medications
Pornography and uncontrolled social media were identified as specific drivers of misinformation
Limited sexual education was identified as a contributing factor to the persistence of these myths
Expert clinical opinion and a supporting literature review were used to identify and characterize these misconceptions
Results
Multiple barriers to men's sexual health care were identified in Saudi Arabia, including limited premarital counseling, preference for non-Arab physicians, gender-specific stigma, and unrealistic expectations.
Patients were noted to prefer non-Arab physicians, suggesting culturally-rooted shame in discussing sexual health with Arab-speaking providers
Gender-specific stigma was highlighted as a distinct barrier affecting men's willingness to seek care
Limited premarital counseling was identified as a missed opportunity for early sexual health education
Unrealistic expectations regarding sexual performance were cited as a contributing challenge
Results
Experts recommended integrating sexual health into medical training and religious teachings, launching culturally destigmatizing education programs, and establishing virtual sexology clinics.
Integration of sexual health into medical training was proposed as a systemic solution
Religious teachings were identified as a potential vehicle for normalizing sexual health discussions within an Islamic framework
Virtual sexology clinics were proposed as a means to improve access while reducing stigma
Culturally destigmatizing education programs were recommended to address misinformation at a population level
Results
Experts emphasized emotional planning and promoting the concept of planning for intimacy rather than just intercourse to help couples connect and reduce anxiety.
The concept was framed as 'planning for intimacy, not just intercourse'
This approach was intended to permit couples to connect and reduce anxiety
The recommendation reflects an effort to address psychological and relational dimensions of sexual health, not just physical function
This recommendation was derived from expert clinical opinion rather than experimental data
Discussion
Bridging Islamic values with modern medical practice was identified as a key strategy for Saudi healthcare providers to normalize sexual health discussions, improve adherence, and promote marital harmony.
Collaboration among healthcare professionals, educators, religious scholars, and policymakers was described as essential
Sexual health was framed as a 'national health priority' in the Saudi context
The approach of aligning medical recommendations with Islamic values was viewed as necessary for cultural acceptability and patient adherence
This finding reflects expert consensus rather than empirical trial data
What This Means
This research suggests that men's sexual health in Saudi Arabia faces significant barriers rooted in cultural stigma, religious misinterpretation, and misinformation spread through social media and pornography. A panel of experts from Saudi Arabia, supported by a broad review of published literature, identified common myths around topics like erectile dysfunction, penis size, and masturbation as drivers of poor healthcare-seeking behavior and misuse of medications. Notably, even though Islamic teachings support marital intimacy, cultural taboos prevent open discussion of sexual health in clinical and community settings.
The research suggests that specific structural barriers—such as patients preferring non-Arab physicians out of shame, lack of premarital counseling, and the absence of sexual health content in medical education—compound the problem. Experts propose that virtual sexology clinics could reduce the stigma of seeking in-person help, while incorporating sexual health topics into both medical training and religious instruction could normalize these conversations within a culturally appropriate framework.
This research matters because it highlights that addressing men's sexual health in conservative cultural contexts requires more than just medical solutions—it requires coordinated efforts from healthcare providers, educators, religious leaders, and policymakers. The experts' recommendation to shift focus from intercourse-centered to intimacy-centered thinking reflects a broader understanding that anxiety and relationship quality are central to sexual well-being. These findings could inform public health strategies in Saudi Arabia and other countries with similar cultural dynamics.
Mulhall J, Baazeem A, Al-Bakri A, Moazin M, Assari S, Campos-Sañudo J, et al.. (2026). Myths, challenges, and misconceptions around men's sexual health in Saudi Arabia.. Sexual medicine reviews. https://doi.org/10.1093/sxmrev/qeaf066