Nordic European countries, which have attracted a reputation for their chilliness and reserve, have more sex therapists than their warmer more southerly neighbors, according to a new survey.
The Euro-Sexo survey, carried out by sociologist Alain Giami from the French medical research institute Inserm, found startling differences in the number of sex therapists in seven European countries.
Finland registered the highest with 109 for every million habitants, although that figure included sex education teachers, Mr Giami said.
France came in lowest with just 13 per million people, and in contrast to the other countries most French sex therapists tend to be men and doctors.
"Britain has more sex therapists who are not doctors, but they also prescribe more medication for erectile dysfunctions than in France," Mr Giami said.
Denmark came in second place with 40 sex therapists per million people, Norway third with 30 and Sweden had 22. Britain followed with 19, with Italy in second to last place with 14.
Most sex therapists are women who have worked in other branches of the health services such as nurses, midwives or marriage counsellors.
Most sex therapists are women who have worked in other branches of the health services such as nurses, midwives or marriage counsellors.
More than two thirds of sex therapists, especially those who have no medical background, have undergone some kind of training.
"In Denmark, Finland and France that figure rises to 90 per cent," said Mr Giami.
But use of the title "sex therapist" has still not been regularised in the seven countries surveyed, or across Europe more generally, although France and the Nordic countries have set up a system to ensure proper training standards.
In the meantime, sex therapy "is a profession in flux" according to the survey, published in Sexologies, the European magazine of sexual health.
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