Are our definitions of women's desire, arousal and sexual pain disorders too broad and our definition of orgasmic disorder too narrow?
Since each individual female sexual dysfunction is complex, it is necessary to subtype them in addition to dividing them into life-long or acquired disorder. The complexity of women's sexual arousal necessitates appreciation of a number of different types of arousal disorders that vary not only in etiology but also in management. The coexistence of sexual arousal and sexual desire, which develops during a sexual experience, explains the frequent comorbidity of arousal and desire disorders. Subtyping of hypoactive sexual desire disorder allows analysis of lack of receptivity and of any marked loss of the traditional markers of sexual desire over and beyond a normative lessening with relationship duration. Dyspareunia and vaginismus require further analysis prior to any definitive therapy. The definition of orgasmic disorder needs to include loss of orgasmic intensity and the possibility of coincident arousal disorder.
Basson
Rosemary
R
UBC Departments of Psychiatry and Obstetrics & Gynecology, British Columbia Centre for Sexuality, Echelon Building, 5th Floor, 855 W. 12th Avenue, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1M9, Canada. sexmed@interchange.ubc.ca
D000339:Affect; D004414:Dyspareunia / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D020018:Sexual Dysfunctions, Psychological / Q000209:etiology*