Female Sexuality Information - Female Sexuality Facts
Sex experts disagree on how to define and treat women's sexual problems. Philadelphia sex therapist Julian Slowinski, PsyD, sees a range of women with sexual concerns--from middle-aged women worried their sexual desire has decreased to young women "dragged in" to therapy by husbands who are upset their wives don't have orgasms.
Female Sexuality And Female Sexual Problems Overview
Long considered a taboo subject, women's sexuality is now openly discussed and portrayed on television, in magazines, and on the internet. Most importantly, women themselves are becoming increasingly aware of their sexuality and their sexual health. Women of all ages are learning more about their sexuality.
Female Sexuality And Female Sexual Dysfunction Frequently Asked Questions
Can women ever expect sex to be the same again after a hysterectomy? Absolutely. A recent, large study found that hysterectomy (removal of the uterus) did not interfere with sexual function.
Living and Loving with Low Libido
The Illusion of Sexual Individuality. Sexually, we like to think that we have it together, that we are more sophisticated and sexually aware now than at any other time in history. Yet, as we have seen, the current stereotype of normal, desirable sex is still quite narrow and rigid.
Inhibited sexual desire in women
Definition: Inhibited sexual desire (ISD) refers to a low level of sexual interest. The person with ISD fails to initiate or respond to their partner's desire for sexual activity. ISD may be primary (where the person has never felt much sexual desire or interest), or secondary (where the person used to possess sexual desire, but no longer does).
You've enjoyed a healthy, satisfying sex life during most of your adulthood. But lately, intimate moments with your partner are less satisfying than they once were. You might feel as though your sexual desire has waned. Or perhaps things that once brought you pleasure now seem painful. You're concerned about your sexual health.
The difference between sexual arousal and sexual desire? In most women who are not experiencing sexual problems, libido and arousal are closely related and difficult to separate. Libido refers to a baseline interest in sex and might be redefined as sexual appetite. Arousal refers to the physiological response to sexual stimuli.
Sexual dysfunction includes desire, arousal, orgasmic and sex pain disorders (dyspareunia and vaginismus). Primary care physicians must assume a proactive role in the diagnosis and treatment of these disorders. Long-term medical diseases, minor ailments, medications and psychosocial difficulties, including prior physical or sexual abuse, are etiologic factors.
In Western society we are bombarded with messages about sexuality from the popular media, and yet it can be embarrassing to talk about our personal sexuality, especially any sexual concerns we may have. Sexual problems can have a ripple effect on many other areas of our lives including intimate relationships with a partner, the family, and work, and our general well being.
Female sexual dysfunction can be subdivided into desire, arousal, orgasmic and sexual pain disorders. Sexual pain disorders include dyspareunia and vaginismus. Estimates of the number of women who have sexual dysfunction range from 19 to 50 percent in "normal" outpatient populations and increase to 68 to 75 percent when sexual dissatisfaction or problems (not dysfunctional in nature) are included.
Each patient should undergo a thorough examination, with the gynecologic examination individually guided by and tailored to patient comfort. The goal of the examination is detection of disease; however, the examination also provides an opportunity to educate the patient about normal anatomy and sexual function, and to reproduce and localize pain encountered during sexual activity.
Women with disorders of desire are difficult to treat. Occasionally, decreased desire in patients is secondary to boredom with sexual routines. Suggesting changes in positions or venues, or the addition of erotic materials is helpful.
Dyspareunia : Painful Sex for Women
Dyspareunia (say: "dis-par-oon-ya") is painful sexual intercourse for women. It can have many causes. It is important to talk to your doctor if you have this problem because there are effective treatments for many of the causes.
When a woman feels pain while having sexual intercourse, it is called dyspareunia. Painful sex is fairly common. Nearly two out of three women have it at some time during their lives. The pain can range from very mild to severe.
Anorgasmia is quite responsive to therapy. This condition is caused by sexual inexperience or the lack of sufficient stimulation and is common in women who have never experienced orgasm. Orgasmic disorders may also be psychologic ("involuntary inhibition" of the orgasmic reflex) or caused by medications or chronic disease.
Dyspareunia can be divided into three types of pain: superficial, vaginal and deep. Superficial dyspareunia occurs with attempted penetration, usually secondary to anatomic or irritative conditions, or vaginismus. Vaginal dyspareunia is pain related to friction (i.e., lubrication problems), including arousal disorders.
When your vagina isn't properly lubricated, it can feel itchy and irritated. This condition, vaginal dryness, can make daily activities uncomfortable and sexual intercourse less pleasurable. In fact, during menopause, it's the most common cause of painful sex
Vulvar Problems Which Cause Female Sexual Dysfunction
Certain health problems can affect the vulva (the outer part of the female genital area). Some problems are minor. Others are more serious. Finding and treating changes early can help prevent more serious problems. You can help find problems by doing a vulvar self-exam.
The term vulvodynia is derived from "vulva" and the Greek word "odynia" meaning pain (pronounced vul-vo-DIN-ee-ah). There are two basic subtypes of vulvodynia, and they are not always easy to distinguish from each other:
Kegel Exercises Facts And Information
A kegel is the name of a pelvic floor exercise, named after Dr. Kegel who discovered the exercise. These muscles are attached to the pelvic bone and act like a hammock, holding in your pelvic organs. To isolate these muscles try stopping and starting the flow of urine. Involuntary leakage of urine (urinary incontinence) is the bane of many of us who've reached our 40's - and often affects younger women, too
Testosterone appears to have a direct role in sexual desire.20 However, because studies evaluate mostly testosterone-deficient, oophorectomized women or women who develop supraphysiologic levels secondary to testosterone treatment, clinical applications are limited.