What Medical science says about sexual problems in women? Top
Sexual disorders in women are classified under two broad categories of
  1. Painful intercourse:
    2.  The main reasons for this are more physical then psychological. For example:
    • Dryness or lack of adequate lubrication of the vagina can be a major cause of painful intercourse.
    • Improper relaxation of vaginal muscles can lead to painful intercourse.
    • Dyspareunia is genital pain experienced during sexual intercourse. Pain may be so severe that intercourse may be impossible.
    • Vaginismus is the recurrent or persistent involuntary spasm or contraction of the muscles that surround the outer part of the vaginal canal when the entry of the penis is attempted during an intercourse.

  2. Lack of desire for sex:
    3. This is most of the times related to psychological or physical trauma related to sex in childhood or in the past.
    These are further classified in -
    • Hypoactive sexual desire disorder:
      • It is diagnosed on the basis of internal markers of sexual desire such as sexual fantasies and thoughts accompanied by physical response marked by vaginal lubrication.
    • Sexual aversion disorder:
      • It is more common among women and is accompanied by anxiety or disgust due to improper knowledge about sex.

  3. Orgasmic Disorder
    4. in women:     Female sexual arousal disorder is more difficult to diagnose and assess than male erectile disorder. In women, arousal difficulties may be reported despite adequate physiologic markers of arousal.
    Main causes for orgasmic disorder are:
    • Inappropriate lubrication of vagina
    • Difficulties with vaginal engorgement due to abnormal / inadequate blood circulation in the vagina or clitoris during sexual stimulation. This might be due to atherosclerotic vascular disease.
It is observed that often, women who are unable to achieve orgasm during sexual intercourse have a satisfying orgasm when stimulated manually, orally, or by self-stimulation. This problem is known as situational anorgasmia and might not be labeled as sexual dysfunction, and can be solved by giving more importance and time to foreplay. Other important factors might be time duration between penile-vaginal insertion and ejaculation or number of intravaginal thrusts before ejaculation.
Physiology of sexual the act in women Top
The sexual act is a very complex action, which demands healthy inputs both on the physical as well as the psychological levels.
The female genitalia are supplied with the same type of parasympathetic nerves, which supply to the penis in males. These nerve endings are present abundantly around the vaginal opening and in the clitoris, which is responsible for achieving orgasm in women.
Stages of the female sexual act:
  1. Psychological impulses bombard the nerves supplying to the vagina and clitoris
  2. Bartholin glands situated near the vaginal opening secrete mucus
  3. Vaginal muscles are engorged with increased blood supply and they relax in anticipation of receiving the penis
  4. As psychological inputs reach a certain height, the clitoris is stimulated giving rise to an orgasm.
  5. The massaging action of the penis plays an important role in achieving orgasm both for the male as well as the female partner.
The sexual act also stimulates the uterus, which undergoes contractions to receive sperms, which lasts for as much as 30 minutes after the act is over.
Risk Factors for sexual dysfunction in women Top
Risk Factors for sexual dysfunction in women Similar to men, many physiological as well as pathological factors make women more prone to sexual dysfunction.
A number of biological factors, including gender, age, hormone levels, depression, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, alcohol abuse, medications, and general poor health, serve as predictors of sexual dysfunction.
  • Age: Age is a risk factor for both sexes; most sexual difficulties are progressive and age-related. This is particularly true for the female sexual arousal disorder.
  • Endocrine Factors: Circulating levels of estrogen and androgens affect sexual function in both sexes. For women, this occurs primarily at menopause, when there is a marked drop in estrogen production and complaints of dyspareunia increase. Estrogen deprivation causes changes in genital tissues and reduced lubrication. Whereas some women remain unaffected by these changes, particularly if they have maintained a regular pattern of sexual exchange, many peri- and postmenopausal women report increased sexual discomfort, leading to an avoidance of or an aversion to sexual contact. Although lack of estrogen is clearly implicated in vaginal atrophy and lubrication inadequacy, testosterone is primarily responsible for libido in both men and women. There is increasing evidence that testosterone therapy increases both the libido and erotic sensitivity in women as well.13-15 Testosterone deficiency in women is associated with a variety of complaints, including diminished or absent sexual interest; reduced clitoral, vaginal, and nipple sensitivity; milder orgasms; and diminished vitality and energy. Hormone replacement therapy can also contribute to some extent to decreased libido.
  • Depression: Depression has long been known to diminish sexual desire. The history of depression is associated with hypoactive sexual desire, especially in women. Moreover, the effect of many antidepressant medications, particularly the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), on desire and orgasmic delay has been well documented.
  • General Health: Women in poor health are at a significantly greater risk for sexual pain disorders and, in particular, a history of urinary tract symptoms, increases by several fold the odds ratio of experiencing both arousal and sexual pain disorders. A past history of sexually transmitted diseases also increases the risk of low desire for women.
  • Psychosocial Risk Factors : A variety of psychosocial factors can serve as predictors of sexual dysfunction. These factors include emotional and stress-related problems, a history of sexual abuse, and relationship conflict.
  • Emotional or Stress-Related Problems: Women who experience emotional stress are more likely to experience all categories of sexual dysfunction. Having these problems increases the odds of both low desire and arousal disorder. Relationship conflict is a significant risk factor for loss of desire in both men and women.
  • Sexual Abuse: Sexual abuse is a significant risk factor for desire and arousal disorders in women. Early sexual trauma appears to induce lasting effects on sexual function, especially when the abuse occurs before puberty.
Sexual Problems and Dysfunction in women: How common is it? Top
For both men and women, satisfactory sexual function is a complex phenomenon involving motivational, cognitive, behavioral, affective, and biological factors. Women, however, are at a greater risk than men for developing sexual desire and sexual performance problems. Risk factors for both sexes include a host of biological and psychological variables. For women especially, societal constraints and gender-role socialization are significant risk factors for the development of sexual dysfunction and lack of sexual satisfaction.

Much importance has been given to the male sexual problem and it is also much talked about to the extent that there are specific medications for the same.

What about the female sexual dysfunction? Do doctors take the complaints of distressed females seriously enough?

Though it might not be much talked about, the fact is that the sexual difficulties are as prevalent among women as among men, occurring in about 40% of women. They are associated with a number of biological, medical, and psychological risk factors and increase markedly with aging. Sexual problems are either a cause of relationship dissatisfaction or inversely, emotional dissatisfaction in an intimate relationship might affect the sexual experience for women.

Although the commonest remedy to these kind of problems is considered to be a constant bombardment with erotic references, pictures, articles, etc., the problem of sexual discomfort often continues, and actual sexual comfort and effortless and joyful sexual performance tends to be rare.

According to one recent survey held in the USA (which included around 1755 women in the age range of 18 and 59), 43% of American women complained of some type of sexual problem. In fact, the percentage of women complaining about sexual difficulties was much more a that of men.

Most troubling were the findings that around 33% of women said that they were simply uninterested in sex and that sex provided little pleasure (compared with one out of every 10 men).

Of those women having some or the other complaint about their sexual life, the following were the main causes and percentage:
  • 1.39% of the women reported anxiety / inhibition during sexual activity
  • 2.17% reported lack of sexual pleasure
  • 3.15% reported difficulty in achieving orgasm.
  • 4.29% reported painful intercourse, of which 14% complained of inadequate vaginal lubrication
In this scenario, it is very important to know, to understand the “mystery” of the sexual act, to know what exactly happens on both the physical as well as the emotional planes and what are the contributing factors in sexual problems in women.
Our Product Range
Esgipity
Andropower
Memorite
Kolez
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Disclaimer