Seeking help for sexual function complaints: what gynecologists need to know about the female patient's experience.
OBJECTIVE
To further explore the patient experience of seeking help for a sexual function complaint.


METHODS
Survey administered on a Web-based instrument.


METHODS
Healthy volunteers visiting an online Website.


METHODS
The majority of participants were married (73%), Caucasian (88%), and premenopausal (67%). Most commonly reported sexual complaints included low desire (77%), low arousal (62%), and difficulty achieving orgasm (56%).


METHODS
None.


METHODS
Patient experience survey on a women's sexual health website.


RESULTS
Although 40% of the women reported that they did not seek help from a physician for sexual function complaints, 54% reported that they would like to. Although only a minority of the women internalized their experience with extremely negative emotions like shame, devaluation, or disgust, the experience was not a particularly emotionally positive one along the lines of relief, optimism, or confidence, and a great deal of frustration and anxiety about treatment was reported.


CONCLUSIONS
The extent to which health professionals currently receive exposure to training in human sexuality as well as the way in which female sexual complaints are handled in the medical setting remain ambiguous. The inflow of patients with sexual function complaints only will increase, and it is time for physicians to start to acknowledge women's sexuality with the same importance their patients do.
Berman
Laura
L
Department of Urology and Psychiatry, University of California, Los Angeles School of Medicine, USA. drberman@bermancenter.com
Berman
Jennifer
J
Felder
Stan
S
Pollets
Dan
D
Chhabra
Sachin
S
Miles
Marie
M
Powell
Jennifer Ann
JA
D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006176:Gynecology / Q000193:education; D006801:Humans; D007989:Libido; D009948:Orgasm; D012735:Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D020018:Sexual Dysfunctions, Psychological; D019529:Sexuality; D014623:Vaginal Diseases