Washington: Most males want to project themselves as honourable, self-reliant and respected, rather than being perceived as attractive, sexually active or as lady killers.
These findings, based on a large international study, busted prevailing myths about male stereotypes, stemming from alleged virility or a macho outlook.
"Many meanings, positive and negative, are attached to the term, 'masculinity'," says director of The Kinsey Institute at Indiana University and co-author, Julia Heiman.
"To ask a large sample of men what comprises their own sense of masculinity is very useful for both the media and for research. These results suggest we should pay attention and ask rather than presume we know," she adds.
The study interviewed more than 27,000 randomly selected males from Germany, US, UK, Spain, Brazil, Mexico, Italy and France, with about 16 percent of them admitting erectile problems.
Regardless of age or nationality, the men more frequently ranked good health, harmonious family life and good relationships with their wife or partner as more important to their quality of life than material, self-fulfilling or purely sexual concerns.
There was no significant difference in rankings of masculinity and quality of life characteristics between men who experienced erectile dysfunction and those who did not.
The study, part of the Men's Attitudes to Life Events and Sexuality (MALES) project, aimed to determine characteristics of masculinity and quality of life in men with and without erectile dysfunction, and how those ideas of masculinity might affect seeking help and treatment.
The study was published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine.
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