What Is Sexual Dysfunction?

Almost half of the adults are likely to experience sexual dysfunction of some sort at some point in their lives. This significantly affects the joy of sex in relationships and could cause needless friction among partners. So, what is sexual dysfunction? Let’s understand more about the condition, and its causes to handle it better.

Sexual dysfunction meaning?

This refers to the condition of men or women experiencing difficulty in performing sexual acts. This also refers to the discomfort or pain experienced either during or after sex. The common types of problems could be one of the answers to the question – what is sexual dysfunction?

What are the different types of female sexual dysfunction?

This is an important part of the question – what is sexual dysfunction? It refers to the different types of sexual health problems faced by women. The top ten types of such disorders are as listed below:

• Female sexual arousal disorder – refers to difficulty in getting aroused.
• Orgasmic disorder in Female – refers to inability to achieve orgasm.
• Female hypoactive sexual desire disorder – refers to low sexual desire.
• Dyspareunia – refers to pain during sexual intercourse.
  Vaginismus – refers to conditions where involuntary muscle spasms make vaginal penetration painful.
• Anorgasmia – refers to the inability to achieve orgasm.
  Sexual aversion disorder – refers to a clear aversion to sexual activity.
• Vaginal dryness – refers to poor lubrication during sex.
  Persistent genital arousal disorder – refers to persistent, uncontrollable arousal.
• Post-coital dysphoria – refers to negative feelings after sexual activity.

What are the different options for sexual dysfunction treatment?

Treatment for sexual dysfunction will depend on the causes. For instance, it could be physical, it could be hormonal, it could psychological or due to the relationship itself.

Common medications for men include:

• PDE5 inhibitors for ED in men. Examples include Sildenafil, Tadalafil, Vardenafil.
• Testosterone replacement therapy. Examples include Alprostadil.
• Premature ejaculation in men is treated with Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) like Paroxetine or Sertraline. Topical applications like Lidocaine or benzocaine creams also help delay ejaculation.

Common treatment options for women include:

• Flibanserin for Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder in premenopausal women.
• Bremelanotide for women with HSDD, works by stimulating the melanocortin receptors.
• Testosterone therapy for women with low sexual desire.

What is male sexual dysfunction?

Male sexual dysfunction refers to the conditions wherein the male is unable to perform or enjoy sex. This could be an inability to perform sexual activities such as penetrative sex. The man may be unable to achieve an erection or sustain it long enough to achieve penetrative sex.

Conditions include Erectile Dysfunction, Premature Ejaculation, Low Sexual Desire, Delayed Ejaculation, Sexual Aversion Disorder, Peyronie’s Disease, Hypogonadism, Anxiety and Ejaculatory Disorder.

The causes include physical factors like diabetes, blood pressure, diseases, hormonal imbalance. It could also be because of the medications you take. This may cause side effects that affect sex life. Lifestyle factors such as liquor consumption, smoking, wrong choice of diet and lack of exercise also cause male sexual dysfunction. Anxiety and depression are also possible reasons.

Why do SSRIs cause sexual dysfunction?

The common sexual dysfunction caused as a result of side effects of SSRIs are as listed below:

• Decreased libido.
  Difficulty in achieving an erection or maintaining one.
  Delayed orgasm.
• Inability to achieve orgasm.
  Premature ejaculation.
  Lesser satisfaction from sex.

The reason for this impact on sexual activities include the following:

• Lesser libido – higher levels of serotonin reduce sexual desire as it affects the brain’s ability to process sexual stimulation.
• Effect on orgasm – SSRIs impact pathways responsible for orgasm. This causes delayed ejaculation in men and difficulty in attaining an orgasm in both sexes.
• Erectile dysfunction – SSRIs affect normal erectile response in men, causing difficulty in achieving or sustaining an erection.

What is sexual dysfunction ICD 10?

Sexual dysfunction ICD-10 is essentially the different classifications of sexual disorders. These are as per the International Classification of Diseases, 10th edition (ICD-10). This is a uniform standard to diagnose and categorize sexual health conditions. ICD-10 codes for sexual dysfunction include the following:

1. Male sexual dysfunction – N48.4 – Erectile dysfunction, F52.2 – Male hypoactive sexual desire disorder, F52.3 – Erectile disorder, F52.4 – premature ejaculation
2. Female sexual dysfunction – F52.0 – Female sexual arousal disorder, F52.1 – Female orgasmic disorder, F52.2 – Female hypoactive sexual desire disorder, F52.3 – Vaginismus, F52.4 – Dyspareunia).

What is the relation between diabetes and sexual dysfunction?

Diabetes impacts sexual health significantly, resulting in sexual dysfunction in men as well as women. The effects of high blood sugar in blood vessels and nerves, on sexual health are as listed below:

1. Blood flow – High blood sugar levels causes damage to blood vessels, restricting blood flow to the reproductive organs. This causes erectile dysfunction in men, and vaginal dryness in women. Diabetes also causes peripheral artery disease, reducing flow of blood to the genitals.
2. Nerve damage – Diabetes affects nerves responsible for sexual arousal. This causes ED in men, while women end up with lesser sexual arousal.
3. Effects on hormones – Diabetes is linked to lower testosterone levels, reducing libido in men and women. Insulin resistance, seen in type 2 diabetes, causes hormonal imbalances, adversely affecting sexual desire.