What are Sexual Dysfunctions?
You can talk about sexual dysfunction when you experience difficulties regarding desire, arousal, orgasm, or resolution during any stage of the sexual act. The appearance of pain at any time of the act is also considered a dysfunction, says sexologist in Dwarka.
When we refer to the sexual response of people, we must know that it normally follows a progression common in all individuals and that it is divided into desire, excitement or plateau, orgasm, and resolution. When problems or disorders occur in one or more stages of this progression, we would be facing sexual dysfunction.
The appearance of sexual dysfunctions can have harmful effects on people who suffer from them since they often experience difficulties in their relationships with their partner and their self-esteem is reduced, explains the best sexologist in Dwarka.
Anyone can occasionally present small abnormalities in their sexual response, although we would be talking about dysfunction when the problem lasts for a certain time, at least three months, and which also occurs persistently.
What is the reason for Sexual Dysfunction?
If we ask ourselves the reason or the possible origin of sexual dysfunctions, we can distinguish three types of main factors:
Predisposing factors, which increase the chances of the appearance of a dysfunction:
- A restrictive religious or moral education
- Living a traumatic experience in childhood
- Presence of parents with problems in their relationship
- Sexual myths
- Feeling insecure with one’s gender
Precipitating factors, which can cause dysfunction:
- Relationship problems
- Sexual dysfunction in the couple
- Adverse situations in the social, work or family environment
- Inappropriate interaction with the partner in the sexual sphere
- Inappropriate sexual experiences
- Pregnancy or childbirth
- Focus on a previous sporadic failure
Maintaining factors, which lead to the dysfunction not disappearing and therefore recurring on other occasions:
- Lack of information on dysfunction
- The anticipation of sexual failure or failure
- Anxiety and/or fear of the sexual act
- Communication problems and/or attraction with the partner
- Feeling of responsibility or guilt with the partner
- Depression
- Substance use (alcoholism)
- Anorexia
- Anxiety
What are the main symptoms of Sexual Dysfunction?
Although the causes of sexual dysfunction can be very varied, its symptoms are common. In general, we find elements such as a lack of interest in sex, little receptivity to sexual activity, or lack of fantasies or sexual thoughts, says sexologist doctor in Dwarka.
We can analyze the symptoms in more detail depending on whether the person suffering from the dysfunction is a man or a woman, which would allow us to make the following classification:
Symptoms in men
- Impossibility of achieving an erection
- Premature ejaculation
- Problems ejaculating, delayed ejaculation or inability to ejaculate
- Difficulty maintaining proper erection and having satisfying sex
Symptoms in women
- Vaginismus, or difficulty achieving painless or uncomfortable penetration, due to involuntary muscle contraction of the vagina
- Lack or insufficiency of vaginal lubrication
- Pain, stinging, or burning sensation in the vulva or vagina while having sex
- Anorgasmia or inability to reach orgasm
Symptoms common to men and women
- Inability to get excited
- Lack of sexual desire or interest
- Pain in sexual relations (more frequent in women than in men)
What types of Sexual Dysfunctions are there?
There are four categories of sexual dysfunction, depending on the factor that is related in each case:
Sexual desire disorders
This disorder is the most frequent and is characterized by the deficiency or absence of sexual appetite, fantasies, or erotic thoughts, as well as lack of receptivity to have sexual relations. It is more frequent in women than in men, since it can affect about a third of women between 18 and 59 years of age, and even close to half of the women once menopause begins.
This type of desire disorder has various causes, both cognitive and biological or affective, so its diagnosis and treatment can be complex, explains b.
- Hypoactive sexual desire disorder: occurs when sexual desire persistently and continuously decreases, lasting at least six months, experiencing a lack of sexual fantasies as well as little or no interest in having erotic relationships. In this type of case, the origin may be associated with factors such as anguish, anxiety, or problems in maintaining interpersonal relationships.
- Sex aversion disorder: Also called sexual rejection, it is characterized by an extreme or irrational fear of sex. It is a relatively rare disorder and occurs in both men and women. It resembles phobias in that the person suffering from this disorder experiences physiological reactions such as sweating, increased heart rate, nausea, etc., when witnessing some type of sexual behaviour or, sometimes, even at the mere thought of it.
Sexual arousal disorders
We speak of disorders of arousal in those cases in which the people who suffer them experience difficulties in the second stage of sexual response, that of excitement or plateau. Traditionally, this type of disorder was known with derogatory names, such as “impotence” or “frigidity”, although nowadays its motives and causes are much better known and are more de-stigmatized.
These types of disorders are usually related to medical or physiological causes, in addition to psychological ones, such as, for example, a lack of blood flow in men or vaginal lubrication problems in women, explains sexologist doctor in Dwarka.
Sexual arousal disorders are more frequent in men than in women, although the latter also experience them.
- Male Erection Disorder: Also known as erectile dysfunction, it consists of the inability to obtain or maintain a satisfactory erection. This entails, therefore, the inability to develop sexual relations, especially those that involve penetration. In order to really be an erection disorder, this problem must be maintained for a minimum of six months, and also must not be caused by other causes, such as substance use (medications, drugs, etc.)
- Disorder of female sexual arousal: it consists of the total or partial failure of vaginal lubrication, and which consequently makes intercourse difficult or impossible. The causes of this type of disorder can be both psychological (depression, low self-esteem, anxiety, stress, etc.) and physical (lack of estrogens, infections, etc.)
Orgasm disorders
Also known as anorgasmia, it is the inability to reach orgasm even when there is great sexual desire or appropriate stimulation is being received. We can speak of orgasm disorders when we find persistent absence or delay of orgasm after having successfully developed the excitement or plateau phase, says the best sexologist in Dwarka.
Although it is more frequent in women, this disorder also occurs in men; in any case, in both cases, the psychological component is of great importance. In addition, this disorder can severely affect the self-esteem of people who suffer from it.
- Male Orgasmic Dysfunction: This disorder consists of the absence or abnormal delay of orgasm in the male. However, it is important to note that this absence of an orgasm does not imply the absence of excitement or pleasure, but only the inability to reach the culmination of the sexual act.
- Female Orgasmic Dysfunction: Like men, women may also experience orgasmic dysfunction disorders; they, to reach orgasm, can experience different types and intensities of stimulation. Despite this, many women have never experienced an orgasm. And there are even some others who have stopped experiencing it after having sexual intercourse normally during a period.
- Premature ejaculation: This is the most frequent sexual disorder in men; however, there is still a certain taboo on this. It consists of the sudden and early expulsion of semen, earlier than desired, and which cannot be controlled. It affects almost a third of men; however, it is estimated that at least 70% of them have experienced it at some point in their lives. It does not imply any risk to the health of those who suffer it, but it can lead to problems related to self-esteem, warns sexologist in Delhi.
Pain disorders
The sexual pain disorders consist of suffering genital pain during intercourse affected person. It is much more frequent in women than in men, although the latter can also suffer from it. Thus, while dyspareunia affects both men and women, vaginismus affects only the latter.
- Dyspareunia: This is a disorder that affects both men and women, although it is much more frequent in these. This disorder can range from simple genital irritation after intercourse, to experiencing deep pain. Dyspareunia is usually defined as discomfort or pain before, during, or after intercourse.
- Vaginismus: Unlike dyspareunia, vaginismus affects only women. This disorder consists of the difficulty to have sexual relations, due to an involuntary muscular contraction of the vagina. Therefore, although vaginismus makes intercourse very difficult or impossible, women who suffer from it can practice other types of games or sexual practices, and even achieve orgasm through them.
How is Sexual Dysfunction treated?
Today the most effective treatment is sex therapy. This has the main objective of creating or restoring the sexual well-being and satisfaction of both members of the couple.
The first objective will always be an evaluation to establish a diagnosis of dysfunction. It is important after the diagnosis that there is adequate information about the dysfunction that is suffered and about sexuality. Then the sex treatment in Delhi will focus on sexual objectives. This part is the most important, where different very effective programs have a place. Finally, prevention and possible relapses will be worked on, suggests sexologist in Delhi.
