Female Sexual dysfunction can manifest itself in various ways like low libido, pain during sex, lack of pleasure from sex, and difficulty getting an orgasm. There can be several factors that are at play here such as relationship issues, hormonal changes, and underlying physical illnesses, among others. These factors can adversely affect mental health or relationships. Treatment for sexual dysfunction among women includes identifying the underlying cause of the medical condition.
4 Types Of Sexual Dysfunction In Women
Sexual dysfunction in women can be divided into 4 categories:
- Desire Disorders: This refers to a lack of interest in sex or sexual desire.
- Pain Disorders: As the name suggests, this pertains to pain during intercourse.
- Arousal Disorders: This pertains to a lack of ability to become physically aroused during sex.
- Female Orgasmic Disorders: This refers to the delay or absence of orgasm.
6 Possible Symptoms Of Sexual Dysfunction In Women
- Lack of interest in having sex.
- Insufficient vaginal lubrication before and during intercourse.
- Inability to relax vaginal muscles enough to allow intercourse.
- Female orgasmic disorder
- Inability to be aroused.
- Painful sex
6 Sexual Dysfunction Causes
1. Relationship Issues
Lack of mental and physical intimacy in a relationship can lead to female sexual arousal disorders. This may include a lack of affection or unfaithfulness in the relationship.
2. Male-Centric Sexual Communication
While your partner may be aware of what turns him on, the same cannot be said about him knowing how to strike up sexual intimacy with you. Your partner needs to know or find out what pleases you, for you to want to get intimate with him.
3. Health Conditions
Physical ailments related to your lady bits or urinary tract infections in you or sexual dysfunctioning in your partner may affect the intimacy between the two of you. Stress and stress-related mental health conditions may also play a part in sexual dysfunction.
4. Marriage Practices
In arranged marriages, people may take time to open up with each other, which may take the shape of sexual dysfunction. Studies have shown that arranged marriage settings witness a higher risk of dysfunction among either or both of you.
5. Abuse
Domestic abuse, both verbal and physical, disrupts the bond between sexual partners, preventing a bond from growing between the two and causing female sexual arousal disorder.
6. Gender Inequity
This often leads to the lack of easy accessibility of women to sexual health services, almost nurturing sexual dysfunction among women rather than addressing female orgasmic disorders actively.
How Is Sexual Dysfunction Diagnosed?
At the first stage, you must have understood that there is something that is disrupting the sexual bond between you and your partner. When you consult a sexologist, the diagnostic procedure is likely to take the following course:
1. Enquire Medical History
The doctor is likely to ask about a complete history of your symptoms. Whether sex is painful for you, whether you’re not able to feel aroused or enjoy an orgasm, erectile dysfunction in women, and others.
2. Recommend Medical Tests
He/she may ask you to undergo a few medical tests to go into the root cause of your health condition. However, medical tests play a limited role in diagnosing the reason behind sexual dysfunction.
3. Evaluation Of Behaviour
The doctor may try to analyse your behaviour towards sex, as in whether you’re afraid, suffer from anxiety, have relationship issues or a past history of trauma, or take certain medications. He/she is also likely to enquire whether you have a history of alcoholism or drug abuse. These will possibly give him/her a cue about what is affecting your sexual relationship and then prescribe treatment accordingly.
5 Sexual Dysfunction Treatment Options
Here are some sexual dysfunction treatments you may want to know about.
1. Treat The Root Cause Of The Medical Condition
Most cases of sexual dysfunction are treated by addressing the underlying physical or psychological cause of it. The primary cause of it is the doctor evaluating the condition during the diagnostic phase and treatment is recommended accordingly.
2. Medication
If an existing medication is the reason behind your sexual dysfunction, stopping it would be a relief. Otherwise, for women, hormonal options like testosterone and oestrogen can be prescribed. If sexual dysfunction has occurred during the pre-menopausal phase, other medications can be prescribed.
3. Mechanical Devices
Introducing a vibrator into your bedroom action may work well in adding some variety to your sexual chemistry. There are a host of vibrators that you can search for one and invest in one, or even a few, to overcome the symptoms of sexual dysfunction.
4. Sex Therapy
Sex therapists double up as excellent marriage counsellors, helping you work on sexual intimacy that is evidently lacking in your relationship. If you are suffering from sexual dysfunction, it’s time that you see a doctor, so you can gel with your partner in the bedroom too.
5. Behavioural Treatments
If fear, sexual abuse, or traumatic sexual history is the cause behind your sexual dysfunction, you need to delve deep into what’s troubling you, you can deal with yourself or consult a sex therapist to help you overcome it.
6. Psychotherapy
A professional counsellor can assist you with a sexual trauma from your past, helping you address it from its core. Feelings of anxiety, fear, negative body image, and other factors that might be playing on your mind and wreaking havoc on your intimate relationship.
Sexual dysfunction is more common than what you probably can imagine. More so because it is kept under wraps out of fear and shame. Hence, they remain undiagnosed and untreated, adversely affecting the sexual chemistry between you and your partner. So, know the cause behind it and get yourself the required female sexual arousal disorder treatment, so you can enjoy a secure and exciting sexual chemistry.
Open up like never before and participate in conversations about beauty, mental health, menstrual & sexual health, and more. Desi women, join our community NOW!
