What are sexual dysfunctions?

Sexual dysfunction is a difficulty that can be experienced by one person or even a couple at any stage of sexual activity. This can include physical pleasure, desire, arousal, and even climaxing.

Sexual dysfunction requires a person to feel distress or strain for a minimum of six months. It can have a huge affect on the quality of you or your partners sex life. The term sexual disorder can refer to physical sexual dysfunctions, but also to paraphilias as well.

When assessing a sexual dysfunction a thorough assessment of health is required. This is because sexual dysfunctions can arise due to things like anxiety, guilt and stress about different things such as work. These can all have a huge impact on sexual performance and can cause dysfunctions.

Types of Sexual Dysfunctions

There are many different types of sexual dysfunction disorders that can be put into four main categories. These are sexual desire disorders, arousal disorders, orgasm disorders and pain disorders.

Sexual desire disorders

Decreased libido or sexual desire disorders can be characterised by a lack of sexual desire or libido for sexual activity. The condition ranges from a lack of sexual desire to a lack of sexual desire for your current partner. This may not have originally occurred to you, and may be a new feeling, or lack of feeling.

It can be caused by changes in your physical biology, including a decrease in oestrogen or testosterone. Other common causes of this can include ageing, fatigue, pregnancy, medication or mental health problems like depression and anxiety.

Sexual arousal disorders

Sexual arousal disorders are also known as impotence in men, or frigidity in women. These names have now been replaced with less judgemental terms. Sexual arousal disorders can be categorised by lack of desire, lack of arousal, pain during sexual intercourse, and lack of orgasm.

Both men and women can allow these conditions to manifest themselves, leading to avoidance or sexual contract with a partner. In men, there can be complete failure to attain or maintain an erection, and men can even experience lack of sexual excitement and pleasure.

There can be physiological reasons for sexual arousal disorders in men and women. These can be due to decreased blood flow, which can result in impotence in men, or even lack of vaginal lubrication in women.

Erectile dysfunction

Erectile dysfunction is specific to men, and manifests when he is unable to develop or maintain an erection. There can be a variety of different underlying causes, this can include damage to nervi erigentes, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Many of which are reversible with the treatment of medicine.

Diseases are also common causes of ED (erectile dysfunction); especially in men. Diseases like multiple sclerosis, kidney failure, vascular disease, and spinal cord injury can all lead to problems in gaining and maintaining an erect penis.

Due to its embarrassing nature, shame and disappointment felt by sufferers, the subject of erectile dysfunction has been very taboo. However, it is estimated that over 30 million men in the US alone suffer from erectile dysfunction so it needs to become more of a topic of discussion.

Premature ejaculation

Premature ejaculation is when ejaculation occurs before you or your partner reaches orgasm, or a satisfactory amount of time has occurred. There is no exact amount of time to dictate how long or little time of intercourse there has been before labelling it as premature ejaculation.

Historically, a lot of premature ejaculation is associated with psychological causes. New theories suggest that there may be neurobiological causes that lead to premature ejaculation.

Treatment is available, and may include delay sprays or creams that reduce sensitivity.

Orgasm disorders

Orgasm disorders are usually related to an absence of orgasm whilst participating in sexual encounters. This sexual dysfunction can have physical, psychological and pharmacological origins.

Sexual pain disorders

Sexual pain disorders affect women almost exclusively and are also known as dyspareunia or vaginismus.

Dyspareunia may be caused by lack of vaginal lubrication. This can be caused by lack of sexual stimulation, hormonal changes or even menopause. Using personal lubricant can help to increase vaginal lubrication, however this would only be a temporary fix.

It is unclear what causes vaginismus, but it is thought that it is past from sexual trauma.

Post-orgasmic diseases

Post-orgasmic diseases cause symptoms shortly after ejaculation or orgasm. Some people may experience melancholy or anxiety after sexual intercourse.

In men, post-orgasmic illness syndrome causes muscle pain. Symptoms include rapid breathing, palpitations, headaches and nausea. It is unknown what causes this, however it is thought to be a pathology of either the immune system or the nervous system.

Pelvic floor dysfunction

Pelvic floor dysfunction is an umbrella term for a variety of disorders that occur when pelvic floor muscles and ligaments are impaired.

Symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction includes pelvic pain, pain during sex, incontinence, and visible protrusion.

If yo have any other questions about sexual disorders then please feel free to contact us and one of our sexual health experts will give you all the answers you need.