Sexual Dysfunction Research Papers - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

As a consequence of the impact of Viagra on male sexual dysfunction, considerable attention is now being paid to sexual dysfunctions in women, which might respond to pharmacological treatment. Should women's sexual problems be... more

As a consequence of the impact of Viagra on male sexual dysfunction, considerable attention is now being paid to sexual dysfunctions in women, which might respond to pharmacological treatment. Should women's sexual problems be conceptualized in the same way as men's? The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of distress about sexuality among women, and examine the predictors of such distress, including aspects of the woman's sexual experience, as well as other aspects of her current situation. A telephone survey of women used Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing and Telephone-Audio-Computer-Assisted Self-Interviewing methodology to investigate respondents' sexual experiences in the previous month. A national probability sample was used of 987 White or Black/African American women aged 20–65 years, with English as first language, living for at least 6 months in a heterosexual relationship. The participation rate was 53.1%. Weighting was applied to increase the representativeness of the sample. A total of 24.4% of women reported marked distress about their sexual relationship and/or their own sexuality. The best predictors of sexual distress were markers of general emotional well-being and emotional relationship with the partner during sexual activity. Physical aspects of sexual response in women, including arousal, vaginal lubrication, and orgasm, were poor predictors. In general, the predictors of distress about sex did not fit well with the DSM-IV criteria for the diagnosis of sexual dysfunction in women. These findings are compared with those from other studies involving representative samples of women, and the conceptual issues involved in the use of terms such as “sexual problem” and “sexual dysfunction” are discussed.

Introduction. A significant number of postmenopausal women suffer from distressing problems because of urogenital atrophy secondary to the decline in circulating estrogen levels. Treatment with topical hormones may provide relief in such... more

Introduction. A significant number of postmenopausal women suffer from distressing problems because of urogenital atrophy secondary to the decline in circulating estrogen levels. Treatment with topical hormones may provide relief in such women when used judiciously.Aim. To study the effects of local estrogen with or without local testosterone on urogenital and sexual health in postmenopausal women.Methods. Seventy-five postmenopausal women symptomatic for urogenital atrophy and sexual dysfunction were randomly divided into two study groups and one control group. The women in study group 1 received local estrogen cream; study group 2 received local estrogen and testosterone cream; the control group received nonhormonal lubricant KY gel for 12 weeks. The urogenital and sexuality score, along with the vaginal health index and the vaginal maturation index (VMI), was calculated at the beginning of therapy and 12 weeks later.Main Outcome Measures. Changes in the urogenital and sexuality score along with vaginal health index and VMI.Results. After 12 weeks of therapy, there was a significant improvement in all the four study parameters, which correlated well with the improvement in symptoms of urogenital atrophy and sexual dysfunction in both the study groups as compared with the control group. Improvement in sexuality score was greatest with combined estrogen–androgen therapy. There were no adverse effects and the therapies were well accepted without any compliance issue.Conclusion. Local estrogen either alone or with androgen is highly effective in relieving symptoms of urogenital atrophy and in improving sexual function in symptomatic postmenopausal women. Raghunandan C, Agrawal S, Dubey P, Choudhury M, and Jain A. A comparative study of the effects of local estrogen with or without local testosterone on vulvovaginal and sexual dysfunction in postmenopausal women. J Sex Med 2010;7:1284–1290.

O objectivo principal deste estudo foi a avaliação da prevalência e caracterização das disfunções sexuais, em Portugal Continental, em indivíduos de ambos os sexos, com idades compreendidas entre os 18 e os 75 anos. Mais,... more

O objectivo principal deste estudo foi a avaliação da prevalência e caracterização das disfunções sexuais, em Portugal Continental, em indivíduos de ambos os sexos, com idades compreendidas entre os 18 e os 75 anos. Mais, pretendeu-se a caracterização dos doentes relativamente a dados demográficos, prática clínica e terapêutica.

Sexual dysfunction and depression are very common conditions that are age-related and chronic. In men, epidemiologic studies have confirmed a strong correlation between erectile dysfunction and symptoms of depression. Both conditions have... more

Sexual dysfunction and depression are very common conditions that are age-related and chronic. In men, epidemiologic studies have confirmed a strong correlation between erectile dysfunction and symptoms of depression. Both conditions have a significant negative impact on the quality of life of patients and their partners. Several studies showed that restoration of normal sexual function improves the quality of life of patients and their partners, regardless of treatment method. The literature review and recent observations emphasize the multifactorial nature of sexual dysfunction and, more specifically, erectile dysfunction and underline the importance of the comorbidity and bidirectional relationship between erectile dysfunction and depression. Research is progressing on the possible link between andropause, sexual dysfunction, and depression, thus opening potential new opportunities to address issues of aging-related morbidities.

Background: Fertility loss is considered as a challenging experience. This study was conducted to compare the effectiveness of antidepressant medication and psychological intervention on depression symptoms in women with infertility and... more

Background: Fertility loss is considered as a challenging experience. This study was conducted to compare the effectiveness of antidepressant medication and psychological intervention on depression symptoms in women with infertility and sexual dysfunctions (SD).

This article evaluates the efficacy, effectiveness, and clinical significance of empirically supported couple and family interventions for treating marital distress and individual adult disorders, including anxiety disorders, depression,... more

This article evaluates the efficacy, effectiveness, and clinical significance of empirically supported couple and family interventions for treating marital distress and individual adult disorders, including anxiety disorders, depression, sexual dysfunctions, alcoholism and problem drinking, and schizophrenia. In addition to consideration of different theoretical approaches to treating these disorders, different ways of including a partner or family in treatment are highlighted: (a) partner-family-assisted interventions, (b) disorder-specific partner-family interventions, and (c) more general couple-family therapy. Findings across diagnostic groups and issues involved in applying efficacy criteria to these populations are discussed.

"Introduction. Traditionally, sexual desire is understood to occur spontaneously, but more recent models propose that desire responds to sexual stimuli. Aims. To experimentally assess whether sexual stimuli increased sexual desire; to... more

"Introduction. Traditionally, sexual desire is understood to occur spontaneously, but more recent models propose that desire responds to sexual stimuli.
Aims. To experimentally assess whether sexual stimuli increased sexual desire; to compare how sexual arousal and desire responded to three modalities of sexual stimuli: erotic story, unstructured fantasy, and the Imagined Social Situation Exercise (ISSE).
Methods. In an online study, participants (128 women, 98 men) were randomly assigned to one of four arousal conditions (ISSE, story, fantasy, or neutral), and then completed desire measures. In the ISSE, participants imagined and wrote about a positive sexual encounter with a self-defined attractive person.
Main Outcome Measures. Sexual arousal (perceived genital, psychological, and perceived autonomic), anxiety, positive and negative affect, and state sexual desire via self-report measures pre- and post-condition; “trait” desire via the Sexual Desire Inventory post-condition.
Results. All three sexual conditions significantly increased sexual arousal and positive affect compared with the neutral condition, with trends for higher arousal to unstructured fantasy than the ISSE or story conditions. Sexual conditions significantly increased scores on state measures of sexual desire. In addition, sexual context influenced measurement of “trait” solitary sexual desire in women, such that women reported significantly higher trait desire after the neutral and ISSE conditions vs. fantasy.
Conclusion. Results highlight the responsiveness of sexual desire, problems with measurement of desire as a long-term trait, trade-offs of using the ISSE and other stimuli in sexuality research, and the need to address context in discussions of women’s and men’s desire."

The application of sociological theories in clinical practice introduces a broader dimension to the existing therapeutic approaches available to the mental health practitioner. Rather than deal with a presenting problem or dysfunction by... more

The application of sociological theories in clinical practice introduces a broader dimension to the existing therapeutic approaches available to the mental health practitioner. Rather than deal with a presenting problem or dysfunction by focusing solely on the presenting symptoms, or delving exclusively into a client's internal psyche, applying social theory in a clinical manner adds the element of interpersonal relationships and the connection of the client with his or her social world. This article will describe a therapeutic approach to treating clients and couples in an unconsummated relationship who present with a specific sexual dysfunction or problem that is commonly addressed with sex counseling or sex therapy. Drawing upon sociological micro theories of exchange and symbolic interactionism, this approach combines classic medical, cognitive and behavioral interventions with a process of discovery that leads to an understanding of the social context out of which the problems emerged and are maintained.

Introduction: Human asexuality is defined as a lack of sexual attraction to anyone or anything. Various theories have been proposed to explain how asexuality should best be classified, and some have maintained that asexuality is an... more

Introduction: Human asexuality is defined as a lack of sexual attraction to anyone or anything. Various theories have been proposed to explain how asexuality should best be classified, and some have maintained that asexuality is an extreme variant of hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD)--a sexual dysfunction characterized by a lack of interest in sex and significant distress. To date, this has never been empirically examined. Aim & Method: Using measures of sexual desire and behavior, sex-related distress, personality, and psychopathology, the aim of the current study was to compare individuals scoring above the cut-off for asexuality identification (AIS > 40) (n = 192) to sexual individuals (n = 232). The sexual group was further divided into a control group (n = 122), a HSDD group (n = 50), and a group with symptoms of low desire that were non-distressing (n = 59). Results: Analyses were controlled for age. Individuals in the AIS > 40 group had significantly higher asexuality identification scores, a greater likelihood of never previously engaging in sexual intercourse, fantasies, or kissing and petting than all other groups, and a lower likelihood of experiencing sex-related distress than those with HSDD. For women, those in the HSDD and AIS > 40 group had significantly lower desire than the subclinical HSDD and control groups. For men, those in the AIS > 40 group had significantly lower desire than the other three groups. Symptoms of depression were highest among those with subclinical HSDD and HSDD whereas there were no group differences on alexithymia or desirable responding. A binary logistic regression indicated that relationship status, sexual desire, sex-related distress, and alexithymia scores were the best predictors of group membership (HSDD vs. AIS > 40). Conclusion: Taken together, these results challenge the speculation that asexuality should be classified as a sexual dysfunction of low desire..