SEXUAL DYSFUNCTION
Title: SEXUAL DYSFUNCTION , Harvard Women’s Health Watch, 1070910X, Apr99, Vol. 6, Issue 8
Researchers have been gathering information on our sexual behavior for half a century. By now, there are quite a lot of data on what we do, but little indication of the amount of satisfaction we get from doing it. The few studies on the subject have concentrated on men, and the results have indicated that about 30% of American males have some degree of sexual dysfunction. Now, one of the first major studies to include both genders, published in the February 10, 1999 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, suggests that an even greater proportion of women have sex lives that are less than ideal.
Researchers conducting the study interviewed 1,410 men and 1,749 women, 18-59 years old, who constituted a representative sample of the population. People who were sexually inactive for at least a year were excluded. Women were considered to have sexual dysfunction if they told researchers they had any of the following: lack of sexual desire, difficulty in becoming aroused or inadequate lubrication, inability to achieve orgasm, anxiety about sexual performance, reaching orgasm too rapidly, physical pain during intercourse, or failure to derive pleasure from sex. Factors that appeared to be involved included:
- Marital status. Single women had more problems than married women. Significantly higher numbers of women who were divorced, widowed, or had never married reported anxiety over sex and inability to achieve orgasm.
- Education. Sexual dysfunction declined as educational level rose. College graduates were significantly less likely to report a loss of interest in sex, performance anxiety, or ability to achieve orgasm than were women with lower levels of education.
- Ethnicity. Hispanic women were less likely to have sexual problems than either African-American or Caucasian women. African-American women were more likely to report lack of desire and lack of pleasure from sex, while Caucasian women were more likely to report pain during intercourse.
- Health. Both poor physical health and emotional problems were associated with low desire, inadequate arousal, and pain during sex.
- Social status. A decline of more than 20% in household income was associated with low desire, inadequate arousal, and pain during sex.
- Sexual experience. Being forced to have sex earlier in life was associated with low desire and inadequate arousal.
- Partner relationship. Women who rated their physical and/or emotional satisfaction with their partner as “low” or who reported that they were generally unhappy had a 2-4-fold risk of dissatisfaction in all categories.
- Age. Although they had more trouble achieving vaginal lubrication than 18-29-year-olds did, women in their 40s and 50s were significantly less likely to report performance anxiety, pain during sex, or lack of pleasure.
The study did not address other factors that can adversely affect sexual relationships — such as fatigue on the part of either partner, lack of privacy in the household, job or family stresses, or professional commitments that limit a couple’s time together. Presumably, these conditions may limit the opportunities to enjoy sex but don’t result in sexual dysfunction.
Erectile dysfunction is the most common cause of sexual dissatisfaction in men, and there is at least one effective medical approach to that problem. However, women who suffer from sexual dysfunction can’t expect a Viagra-like solution. While testosterone supplementation may rekindle interest in sex, and estrogen or vaginal lubricants may reduce pain during intercourse, such factors are not the major determinants of dissatisfaction. As the study indicates, for most women sexual well-being and emotional well-being are inextricably linked. Sexual dysfunction is usually not an isolated disorder, but a symptom of other conditions for which the pharmacist is likely to have few answers.
Copyright of Harvard Women’s Health Watch is the property of Harvard Medical School Health and its content may not be copied or e-mailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder`s express written permission. However, users may print, download, or e-mail articles for individual use.
Source: Harvard Women’s Health Watch, Apr99, Vol. 6 Issue 8, p1, 1p
