Sexual dysfunction is a disorder that prevents a person from enjoying sexual activity. The trouble is that most people who have this problem are embarrassed to talk about it even with a doctor. Often, patients who decide to see a doctor make an appointment not with a sexologist, but with a gynecologist, urologist or therapist.
Recently, a survey was conducted in Israel, during which it turned out that only 10% of men and 2% of women turn to a sexologist for sexual dysfunction. Meanwhile, cases of sexual dysfunction are on the rise.
Many patients are simply embarrassed to contact a sexologist of the opposite sex: women do not want to go to see male sexologists, respectively, men consider it indecent to talk about their problems to female sexologists. And since there are few sexologists in general (they are far from being in every locality), patients silently endure discomfort. Some prefer hidden forms of communication on the Internet, often ask questions about sexual dysfunction in a “personal” to sexologists.
Causes of sexual dysfunction
Sexual dysfunction can have several causes at once, the elimination of which requires an integrated approach.
There are 3 groups of causes of sexual dysfunction:
1. Biological (organic) – due to the disease of any organs. These can be gynecological diseases: uterine fibroids, endometriosis, genital injuries, including postpartum, the consequences of a caesarean section. The second group of biological causes is hormonal imbalance due to endocrine diseases: pathologies of the thyroid gland, adrenal glands, pituitary gland. The third group of biological causes is brain damage after injuries, as well as due to alcohol abuse, the use of psychotropic substances, antidepressants, antipsychotics. the fact is that antidepressants, reducing the overall activity of the body, inevitably suppress libido.
2. Mental illnesses: schizophrenia of varying severity, epilepsy. Sometimes there is a latent form of epilepsy, the presence of which the patient does not even suspect. It can lead to encephalopathy and decreased libido. Vascular lesions of the brain, some types of tumors negatively affect libido. Although there are tumors that, on the contrary, cause pathological sexual activity.
3. Social factors: building a career, running a business, making money take time and effort. In big cities, the cause of depression is sometimes the need to spend a significant part of the time in transport, to stand in traffic jams. In young mothers, a depressive state develops due to chronic fatigue: if a woman sleeps 3 hours a day, there is no need to talk about any libido. Neither a gynecologist nor a test for the level of hormonal levels will help here.
The easiest way to eliminate the biological causes of sexual dysfunction, since most of the diseases are treatable. More difficult to deal with mental causes. The elimination of social factors largely depends on the willpower of the patient, as it involves a change in lifestyle.
There are special tables that allow you to identify the factors that caused sexual dysfunction. The sexologist conducts testing according to the tables professionally. But the patient can independently answer questions in order to roughly understand what caused the problem.
Not always in a person who does not have sexual relations, sexual dysfunction is found. There are people who fundamentally refuse sexual intercourse: this is their choice, and it does not cause them discomfort. The condition is called normal physiological asexuality. The libido of such patients is only slightly suppressed, but as soon as they change their mind and find a suitable partner, sexual function will be restored without any medical intervention.
Forms of sexual dysfunction
Sexual dysfunction has several forms:
– Decreased or loss of sexual desire.
– Sexual disgust or sexual dissatisfaction , and the patient usually blames the partner for his negative feelings.
– Decreased genital response, painful intercourse. Sometimes accompanied by vaginismus (patients are afraid of direct contact with the genitals).
Before making a diagnosis, a sexologist first makes sure that there are no organic and mental factors . Since there are usually several factors for the occurrence of sexual dysfunction, after treatment by a gynecologist, endocrinologist or other specialist, the patient should still contact a sexologist .
For example, with endometriosis of the ovaries, women experience pain in the interval between menstruation. Coition during this period is painful for the patient. A woman tries to refuse sexual contacts, without explaining the reason to her partner. There is a secondary decrease in libido against the background of a gynecological disease.
With lesions of the cervix, polyps in the uterine cavity or cervical canal, women experience spotting after intercourse. As a result, the patient is afraid of intercourse and does not get pleasure, there is no orgasm. Libido gradually decreases. Naturally, you first need to contact a gynecologist to undergo treatment, and then a sexologist will help you find a way out of the situation.
Often sexual dysfunction appears after childbirth as a result of perineal tears, scarring, slow resorption of sutures. Sometimes women are embarrassed that the vagina is stretched after childbirth. In women over 40 years of age, painful intercourse may be due to prolapse of the anterior wall of the vagina or cervix, vaginal dryness due to hormonal changes during menopause. These are all gynecological problems, they should not be ashamed. The sooner the patient sees a doctor, the easier it will be to restore libido and restore harmony in sexual relations .
After eliminating the physiological and mental factors, the doctor finds out whether the patient had a libido and how quickly it decreased. Causes of sexual dysfunction can be:
– improper upbringing of a girl in the family, a taboo on the manifestation of sexuality. Growing up, a woman is embarrassed to feel liberated, afraid of sexual contacts;
– too early first sexual contact, after which the partner behaved rudely. Subsequently, the woman does not trust men, subconsciously forbids herself to be liberated;
– rape, incest.
– personal relationships when a woman is suddenly abandoned by her husband or partner.
In all these cases, you should not withdraw into yourself, but turn to a sexologist. In almost all cases, the problem will be solved by one or a group of specialists.
If you feel something is wrong in this regard and are embarrassed to ask your doctor, or you need a second opinion in this regard, planning the regulation of possible sexual dysfunction, we will be happy to help you cope with this volume of problems with the necessary medical support of a doctor on our free coaching -programs.
