Female Sexual Dysfunction

female sexual dysfunction includes desire, arousal, orgasmic and sex pain disorders (dyspareunia and vaginismus). Primary care physicians must assume a proactive role in the diagnosis and treatment of female sexual dysfunction disorders. Long-term medical diseases, minor ailments, medications and psychosocial difficulties, including prior physical or sexual abuse, are etiologic factors. Gynecologic maladies and cancers (including breast cancer) are also frequent sources of female sexual dysfunction. Patient education and reassurance, with early diagnosis and intervention, are essential for effective treatment. Patient history and physical examination techniques, normal sexual responses and the factors that influence these responses, and the application of medical and gynecologic treatments to sexual issues are discussed. Basic treatment strategies, which may be successfully provided by primary care physicians for most female sexual dysfunction, are outlined. Referral can be reserved for patients who do not respond to therapy.

Over the last twenty years, significant advances have been made in the cure and treatment of female sexual dysfunction. Less visible progress has been made in understanding and treating female sexual dysfunction, a complex and multi-layered problem. A team of researchers has undertaken a new approach in the lab to understanding how and why Female Sexual Dysfunction occurs in general, and the impact of the vasculature (the vessels in the body that carry blood, such as arteries and veins) in particular.

female sexual dysfunction is the most commonly reported sexual complaint in women, with approximately one third of women reporting lack of interest in sex. Aging and menopause—natural and surgical—are associated with an increased risk of sexual dysfunction, presumably due to declining hormone levels. A persistent deficiency or absence of sexual fantasies, thoughts, and/or desire that results in personal distress or interpersonal difficulty is classified as female sexual dysfunction by the American Foundation of Urologic Disease and the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

A recent survey of American women ages 18-59 found that the most common sexual problem in women is hypoactive sexual desire disorder - HSDD, more commonly referred to as low sex drive or Female Sexual Dysfunction, followed by difficulty with orgasm. Pain during intercourse--which occurs in 14.4 percent of women--was the only condition to show a relationship to age -- it decreases as women get older.

A sexual problem, or female sexual dysfunction, refers to a problem during any phase of the sexual response cycle that prevents the individual or couple from experiencing satisfaction from the sexual activity. The sexual response cycle has four phases: excitement, plateau, orgasm, and resolution. While research suggests that sexual dysfunction is common (43% of women and 31% of men report some degree of difficulty), it is a topic that many people are hesitant to discuss. Fortunately, most cases of sexual dysfunction are treatable, so it is important to share your concerns with your partner and doctor.

female sexual dysfunction can have a physiological basis in the body (something is physically wrong), a psychological basis in the mind, or be the result of both underlying mental and physical problems. It can also be a matter of problems with technique: some women never fully experience sexual arousal and orgasm because they or their partners lack sexual knowledge. They may not understand how female sex organs respond or are stimulated, or don't use appropriate arousal techniques. In these cases, a lack of understanding of the function of the clitoris, the female sex organ producing orgasm, may be at the root of the problem.

Female Sexual Dysfunction

female sexual dysfunction guide

Female Sexual Dysfunction