Over time, the transition was made from the idea that the woman only has a passive role during the sexual act, to the current perception that depicts a modern woman, self-confident, informed, able to value herself, to have the ability and skills to conquer and rejects, to have healthy relationships not only psychologically, but also sexually.
Types of sexual dysfunctions in women
Sexual dysfunctions in women are classified into:
- Variations in sexual desire, from the decrease or even absence, to the excess of sexual desire
- Dysfunctions of the arousal phase when the woman fails to lubricate or obtains lubrication and then loses it during sexual intercourse
- Vaginismus - pain when trying to penetrate the penis, penetration not being possible due to the vulvo-vaginal hypersensitivity, leading to pain and involuntary contracture of the vulvo-perineal muscles
- Dyspareunia representing pain during sexual intercourse, penetration being possible
- Orgasm dysfunction with the impossibility of having an orgasm - frigidity or anorgasmia.
Female sexual dysfunctions can most often be temporary , appearing after a period of sexual functioning within normal or permanent limits , in the case of congenital malformations or in the case of traumatic or postoperative anomalies. They can vary depending on the partner or the environment in which the sexual act takes place, the psychogenic factors being the ones involved in these situations.
In the etiology of these dysfunctions, multiple factors are involved, both biological and psychological, but they can also appear secondary to certain effects of substances. Most of the time, there are a number of factors that determine sexual dysfunctions, emotional distress always accompanying the physical, psychological or sexual state of health.
Organic / biological factors in sexual dysfunctions in women
The organic / biological factors most frequently involved in the occurrence of sexual dysfunctions in women are represented by:
- Gynecological conditions - from the normal phases of the menstrual cycle that influence both the desire and the vaginal sensitivity of the woman, to gynecological conditions that can cause pain and discomfort that in time lead to the avoidance of sexual acts or to acceptance for the sake of the partner and to sexual acts PAINFUL
- Endocrinological conditions such as diabetes, thyroiditis
- Physiological hormonal changes that can reach real hormonal storms to which the woman is subjected from adolescence and until after passing through menopause
- Vaginal dryness due to hormonal changes, with discomfort, pain, stinging and sexual avoidance behavior
- Neurological diseases of the medullary or peripheral nerves
- Psychiatric conditions that lead to decreased sexual desire, social withdrawal, low self-esteem
- Infections both of the urogenital system, but also at the level of other organs, cancer
- Cardiovascular, renal or liver diseases.
There are certain substances that cause female sexual disorders, this category includes:
- Medication that leads to increased sexual desire, the most frequently involved being certain psychotropics, antihypertensives and contraceptives
- Excessive alcohol and tobacco, drug use.
Psychological factors in sexual dysfunctions in women
The psychological factors involved in the occurrence of sexual dysfunctions in women are:
- Traumatic factors , physical or sexual abuse (rape/incest), early sexual life
- Conjugal pathology - lack of experience of the partners, partner with sexual dysfunction, feelings of guilt due to the existence of extramarital relationships
- Fear of losing control by reaching orgasm, culpable fantasies
- Conflicts between partners, lack of communication, fear of abandonment
- Physiological stages of women , which determine both physical changes in appearance through weight gain, changes in sensitivity, excitability and sexual desire up to psychological fluctuations: premenstrual and menstrual period, pregnancy, birth and postpartum period, breastfeeding and up to menopause and postmenopause
- Increased stress , overwork, physical and mental exhaustion, disorganized lifestyle
- Lack of confidence, low self-esteem , childhood trauma, history of toxic relationships
- Lack of information , sexual education and the role in a relationship, there are dramatic situations when the woman never had an orgasm or sexual pleasure.
Treatment of sexual dysfunctions in women
The treatment alternatives are multiple and address the underlying causes of the sexual disorder, under specialized medical guidance:
- Surgical treatment of various pathologies where appropriate - there is a diagnosis and the doctor recommends surgical intervention
- Infectious or hormonal treatment, as the case may be, depending on the medical condition the woman in question suffers from
- Psychiatric treatment in the case of mental disorders that lead to sexual dysfunctions
- Psychotherapeutic intervention and sexological counseling.
The objectives of sexological counseling/applied sex therapy are:
- Providing a warm, relaxing and supportive environment that ensures easy communication with the sexologist
- Identifying the factors that determine emotional and sexual distress or irrational thoughts
- Correct information about the anatomy and physiology of female sexuality
- Revealing and dispelling erroneous sexual myths
- Encouraging an open attitude towards diversifying the sexual repertoire
- Improving the ability to communicate sexual preferences to the partner, discovering new ones
- Establishing objectives in a limited number of sessions that ensure a predictable and tangible result, determining trust in the therapeutic act
- The proposal of individual or couple therapy is made according to the case.
The right to a healthy life necessarily implies a healthy sex life, which must offer not only pleasure, but also confidence, emotional balance, physical and mental well-being, being a natural antidepressant, a regulator of sleep and the body's capacity to function in stressful conditions.
Both women and men must learn to communicate directly, openly and honestly what their desires, expectations, fears and dislikes are. And when medical, relational or psychological problems arise, individual or couple, to ask for the help of a medical staff with special training in this field of sexual health.
