ADULTS RATE SEX, FAMILY ABOVE JOB, SURVEY FINDS.

Byline: Paul Recer Associated Press 

Sexual satisfaction is more important than job satisfaction but less important than family, money and religion, according to a survey of adult Americans to be released today.

The survey, designed to assess the attitudes of Americans toward sexual health, found that 82 percent of 500 adults ranked a satisfying sex life as important or very important.

``Loving family relationships'' was ranked as important or very important by 99 percent of those surveyed, while financial security was a point behind at 98 percent. In third place was religion and spiritual life at 86 percent.

Job satisfaction was last in the survey, rated as important or very important by only 79 percent.

Results of the telephone survey ``show the importance the vast majority of American adults place on sexual health and relationships,'' said Marianne J. Legato, a professor of medicine at Columbia University.

``This survey is a `snapshot' in time that looks at how American adults view issues related to sexuality and sexual problems as a whole,'' she said in a statement.

The survey results are to be released at a symposium on gender and human sexuality co-sponsored by Columbia University and the National Institutes of Health. The survey is based on opinions from 500 adult Americans, age 25 and older, selected by random-digit telephone dialing, and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points. The genders were equally represented in the poll.

Age was not considered a factor in the importance attached to sex, the results show. The survey found that 94 percent, almost equally divided between men and women, agreed with the statement: ``Enjoyable sexual relations add to a person's quality of life, even when they grow older.''

Sex problems were frequent for 6 percent of those surveyed, occasional for 16 percent and rare for 30 percent. Forty-six percent said they never have sexual problems, while 2 percent refused to answer.

When there are sex problems between partners, 47 percent agreed with the statement that the woman would be blamed more often than the man, while 42 percent disagreed. Among women in the survey, 57 percent thought women would be blamed more often for sex problems, while only 37 percent of the men said that.

There was widespread concern among respondents about what might happen if they went to a doctor about sex problems. Seventy-six percent said they were concerned there would be no medical help for their problems; 71 percent feared their doctor would dismiss the problem, saying it was in the patient's head, and 68 percent were concerned that their physician ``would be uncomfortable'' talking about the problem.

Among women, 81 percent feared the doctor would blame sex troubles on a ``head'' problem. This concerned only 60 percent of the men.

Charlotte A. Gaydos, a professor of public health at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, said the survey shows people expect to continue sexual happiness ``right into the golden years.''

``As America ages, it is going to be more important that older people have some place to go to get help,'' said Gaydos.

Yet, she said, the survey shows ``there is no place that people feel comfortable in seeking help for sexual problems'' because the respondents feared a doctor would think they had an emotional or psychological problem. ``We need more education about where people who are having sexual problems can find help.''

The survey found Americans believe other problems in life can be linked to sexual difficulties. Depression, extramarital affairs and divorce can all be caused by poor sex, said 91 percent of the respondents, while 93 percent thought sexual problems could cause emotional stress.

With whom would they discuss sex problems, such as impotence, pain during intercourse or lack of interest? Fifty-three percent said they would talk to their spouse or partner, and 30 percent would go to a doctor, while 5 percent said they would talk to a friend and 5 percent wouldn't discuss it with anyone.