Genitals
Lisa Jean Moore, Monica J. Casper in The Body, 2014
Like Fishman, journalist Ray Moynihan (2003) has suggested that researchers directly linked to pharmaceutical companies created the term “female sexual dysfunction” based on limited research as a means of constructing new markets for diagnosis and treatment of emerging “disorders.” Related terms include, for example, “female sexual arousal disorder” and “hypoactive sexual desire disorder.” This process is known as disease mongering, or the creation of pathological descriptions of normal bodily functioning for pharmaceutical profit (Payer 1992), which is related to biomedicalization (Clarke et al. 2009).
Dyspareunia and other psychosexual problems
David M. Luesley, Mark D. Kilby in Obstetrics & Gynaecology, 2016
It is difficult to separate sexual arousal disorder from sexual desire disorder and female orgasm disorder due to the close relationship of the three conditions in women. Causes of lack of arousal are numerous. They can be psychological (distractions, childhood loss, low self-esteem), endocrine (lack of oestrogen), neurological (e.g. multiple sclerosis) or drug induced (e.g. antihistamines). Additionally, the widespread use of vaginal lubricants/vaginal oestrogens may mask or alleviate the disorder.
Cardiovascular and Related Complications of Diabetes
Robert Fried, Richard M. Carlton in Type 2 Diabetes, 2018
Because of the analogous blood flow–dependent characteristics of vaginal engorgement and penile erection, it has been proposed that sildenafil citrate (Viagra® Pfizer, New York, New York), indicated for the treatment of erectile dysfunction in men, may be effective in treatment of estrogen-deficient women with sexual dysfunction that included female sexual arousal disorder (Basson, McInnes, Smith et al. 2004).
What Does Sexual Arousal Mean to You? Women With and Without Sexual Arousal Concerns Describe Their Experiences
Published in The Journal of Sex Research, 2019
Ariel B. Handy, Amelia M. Stanton, Cindy M. Meston
There is also a clinical need to explore women’s experiences of sexual arousal, as it is important for clinicians to know how to describe the various components of arousal in ways that will resonate with their clients. This is particularly relevant given the recent elimination of hypoactive sexual desire disorder and female sexual arousal disorder (FSAD) and creation of a single diagnosis (female sexual interest/arousal disorder [FSIAD]) in the newest edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). While there were many reasons for this diagnostic change, one is that researchers, clinicians, and clients may define sexual desire differently (e.g., Brotto, 2010). Language selection clearly has real-world implications, and it is critical that clinicians know when it is appropriate to diagnose a sexual disorder based on their clients’ self-reported concerns.
Re-Analyzing Phase III Bremelanotide Trials for “Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder” in Women
Published in The Journal of Sex Research, 2021
Glen I. Spielmans
The fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) was released in 1994 (American Psychiatric Association, 1994). In the late 1990s, when pharmacological treatments to enhance female sexual desire and arousal were in development, the DSM-IV contained the list of “sexual dysfunctions” which could be targeted by such treatments, of which hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) and female sexual arousal disorder (FSAD) were the most relevant. Drug firms funded the development of measurements for the severity of such “sexual dysfunctions” so that the success of their products could be gauged (Moynihan, 2003). In the DSM-5, published in 2013, HSDD and FSAD were both removed (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). They were replaced by a combined condition of female sexual interest/arousal disorder (FSIAD), a disorder including reduced sexual desire, lack of response to sexual stimuli, and lack of pleasure during sexual activity, impacting at least 75% of sexual encounters and causing significant personal distress over a period of at least six months.
Effects of a Mindfulness Task on Women’s Sexual Response
Published in The Journal of Sex Research, 2018
Julia Velten, Jürgen Margraf, Meredith L. Chivers, Lori A. Brotto
When women encounter an effective sexual stimulus (e.g., an attractive sexual partner), subjective and genital sexual arousal are usually triggered to prepare her for sexual activity (Singer & Toates, 1987; Toates, 2009). A sexual response will, however, be triggered only when women pay attention to an erotic stimulus and are not distracted by, for example, nonsexual thoughts or other diversions. One potential means of affecting those attentional mechanisms relevant for erotic stimulation is mindfulness (Chivers & Brotto, 2017), an ancient Eastern practice with roots in Buddhist meditation, defined as present-moment, nonjudgmental awareness (Hanh, 1976). Within the past 10 years, mindfulness-based interventions have been found effective for the treatment of various female sexual difficulties, including genital pain (Brotto et al., 2014), sexual arousal disorder (Brotto, Seal, & Rellini, 2012) and low sexual desire (Brotto & Basson, 2014; Paterson, Handy, & Brotto, 2017). However, the mechanisms by which mindfulness leads to improvements in women’s sexual concerns are not clear (Arora & Brotto, 2017). It has been hypothesized that mindfulness increases sexual function by reducing spectatoring—defined by Masters and Johnson (1970) as the process of watching oneself during sexual activity from a third-person perspective—thereby decreasing distraction by nonsexual thoughts, increasing acceptance and nonjudgment with respect to a sexual experience, and/or directly influencing the different levels of women’s sexual arousal response (Both, Laan, & Everaerd, 2011; Brotto et al., 2016). Preliminary data also suggest that increases in women’s ability to attend to the present moment may mediate the effects of mindfulness on sexual desire (Paterson et al., 2017).
Related Knowledge Centers
- Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
- Emotion
- Female Sexual Arousal Disorder
- Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder
- Tumescence
- Nipple
- Erectile Dysfunction
- Sexual Arousal
- Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
- Signs & Symptoms
- Psychology