A healthy sexual function is an important contributor to women’s quality of life. Sexual dysfunction in women is highly prevalent and often a distressing problem that has a negative impact on a woman’s overall life and medical compliance. Female sexual dysfunction includes low sexual desire, trouble becoming aroused, difficulty having an orgasm, and discomfort or pain during sex.
Facts about Female Sexual Dysfunction
Female sexual dysfunction is defined as a sexual dysfunction of women; it is a disorder of sexual desire, arousal, sexual pain, or orgasm that results in personal distress. Some women are not bothered about the condition, but others are as this may upset a woman’s mood and make her unhappy about her sexual health.
Epidemiological data suggest that that the women’s sexual issues are highly prevalent and often underestimated in the general community. Female sexual dysfunction is a multi-factorial, age-related and progressive disease. Data suggests that 40 to 45% of adult women suffer from some form of sexual dysfunction. According to US data, 9.7 million women in America aged 50 to 74 years complains of diminished vaginal lubrication, pain during intercourse, discomfort while having sex, decreased arousal and trouble achieving orgasm.
The topic of female sexual health issues is a challenging one for health specialists as well. Discomfort with the topic like discussing in depth sexual histories and limited treatment options hinders an individual’s desire to address the problem. While erectile dysfunction in men has been extensively researched, very little has been completed on the sexual dysfunction of women.
Factors responsible for causing female sexual dysfunction
Many women develop sexual issues at some stage of their life. Let’s have a look at some female sexual dysfunction and know where to get help if it affects you. Both physical, as well as psychological factors, need to be considered to identify the reasons behind sexual dysfunction in women, along with the relationship with her partner.
- Low sexual desire-Inhibited sexual desire means lack of interest in sex. Many factors can contribute to a low level of desire in women, including hormonal changes, medical conditions, and cancer treatments or chemotherapy. Lack of sex derives affects some women at certain times of life as well such, as during pregnancy, times of stress and anxiety, depression, and fatigue. The boring sexual routine may also contribute to lack of energy for sex. A lack of sexual desire can have a range of physical or psychological causes which includes Hormone disorder, use of certain medications, depression, personal relationship issues, tiredness, excessive alcohol abuse, drug abuse, and previous mental or physical trauma. A decrease in sex drive can also be reported when the level of a woman’s natural testosterone level drop. Testosterone is a hormone that is produced by the ovaries and adrenal glands. So there are possibilities of a drop in the levels if they are removed or not functioning properly.
- Arousal problems-Sometimes, insufficient vaginal lubrication can be the reason behind the inability to become sexually aroused. Lack of sexual arousal also involves anxiety or inadequate stimulation. Moreover, several types of research have been still going on to investigate how insufficient blood flow to genital organs such as the vagina and clitoris can contribute to arousal issues.
- Painful intercourse-Pain during sex can be caused by some problems, including inadequate vaginal lubrication, ovarian cysts, endometriosis, sexually transmitted infection, a pelvic mass, or the presence of scar tissue from a surgery. Pain during sex can also be called as dyspareunia, which can be a result of vaginismus. A condition called vaginismus is defined as an involuntary spasm of the muscles that surround the vaginal entrance.
- Orgasm problems-This means the absence of sexual climax. Various factors are responsible for causing orgasm problems in women. These factors include sexual stimulation, lack of knowledge, inexperience, and other psychological factors such as anxiety, guilt, or past sexual abuse. Us of certain medications and chronic diseases can also contribute to orgasm issues.
Sexual therapy can help women with sexual dysfunction. Talk with your partner about your problem and see a physician together if you can. Don’t feel, embarrassed as many women experience sex-related issues and sexual dysfunction can help you get rid of such female disorders.
