Diagnostic features

Sexual dysfunction can cause marked distress and interpersonal difficulty. Common sexual disorders presenting in women are:

• lack or loss of sexual desire, sexual aversion
• sexual arousal disorder (inability to attain/maintain an adequate physiological response to sexual excitement)
  
  
• sexual pain disorders:
  - vaginismus (involuntary spasm of vaginal muscles on attempted penetration accompanied by a fear or phobia - the phobia can rarely occur without the spasm)
  - dyspareunia (recurrent genital pain associated with sexual intercourse - superficial vulval, vaginal or deep pelvic)
  
  
• orgasmic disorder (delay in, or absence of, orgasm or climax).

Distinguish between lifelong versus acquired, generalized versus situational, psychological versus combined factors.

Last edited: 4/2/2004

PREVIOUS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 NEXT
(Page 2 of 10 in this chapter).