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Sexual Disorders

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    Definition of Terms

    • SEX: Refers to the physical state of being either male or female, determined by the sex organs.
    • GENDER: Refers to the socially constructed roles, behaviors, expressions, and identities of males and females.
    • Examples of Gender Identities

      • Nonbinary: A term for gender identities that are not exclusively masculine or feminine
      • Cisgender: A term for people whose gender identity matches the sex that they were assigned at birth
      • Genderfluid: A person who does not identify themselves as having a fixed gender
      • Male and Female: Traditional categories of 'man' and 'woman'
      • Transgender: A term for people whose gender identity differs from the sex that they were assigned at birth
      • Gender Neutral: Not identifying with any gender
      • Agender: Without a gender (often used as a synonym for genders like neutrois or null gender)
      • Pangender: A non-binary gender defined as being more than one gender

      It’s important to note that this is not an exhaustive list, and there are many more gender identities and terms that people identify with.

    • SEXUALITY: Defined as one's sexual feelings, thoughts, attractions, and behaviors towards other people.

    Described by Masters and Johnson in 1966.

    1. Desire
    2. Excitement Phase (Arousal Phase)
    3. Plateau Phase
    4. Orgasmic Phase
    5. Resolution Phase

    There are attendant physiologic changes in the male and female bodies through all these stages.

    ICD-11

    • Sexual Dysfunctions
    • Sexual Pain Disorders
    • Gender Incongruence
    • Specifiers: Lifelong, Acquired, Generalised, Situational, Unspecified

    Sexual Dysfunction - ICD-11

    • Hypoactive Sexual Desire Dysfunction
    • Sexual Arousal Dysfunction
    • Male Erectile Dysfunction
    • Orgasmic Dysfunctions
    • Ejaculatory Dysfunctions - Early, Delayed
    • Other Specified Sexual Dysfunctions
    • Sexual Dysfunctions, Unspecified

    Sexual Pain Disorders - ICD-11

    • Sexual Pain-Penetration Disorder
    • Other Specified Sexual Pain Disorders
    • Sexual Pain Disorders, Unspecified
    • Aetiological Considerations in Sexual Dysfunctions and Sexual Pain Disorders

    Gender Incongruence - ICD-11

    • Gender Incongruence of Adolescence or Adulthood
    • Gender Incongruence of Childhood
    • Gender Incongruence, Unspecified

    Other Specified Conditions Related to Sexual Health

    • Conditions Related to Sexual Health, Unspecified

    Sexual Dysfunction

    Is persistent impairments of normal patterns of sexual interest or response that usually manifest as lack or loss of interest/enjoyment of sexual activities, the inability to experience or control orgasm, or a physiological barrier to successful sexual intercourse.

    Individuals may avoid sexual opportunities, feel inadequate, or find it difficult to talk about it.

    Criteria for a Diagnosis of Sexual Dysfunction Include:

    • Inability to participate in a preferred sexual relationship.
    • Presence of the sexual dysfunction on (almost) all occasions.
    • Duration of at least 6 months.
    • Significant stress or interpersonal difficulties.
    • Not accounted for by a physical disorder, drug treatment (or use), or other mental or behavioral disorder.

    Types of Sexual Dysfunctions

    Sexual Desire Disorders

    1. Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder
      • Most commonly diagnosed sexual dysfunction
      • More common in women than men
      • Little or no sexual interest or desire
      • Cause unclear
      • Not secondary to other sexual problems (e.g., dyspareunia or erectile failure)
    2. Sexual Aversion Disorder
      • Strong negative feelings, fear, or anxiety due to the prospect of sexual interaction;
      • Of sufficient intensity to lead to active avoidance of sexual activity
    3. Lack of Sexual Enjoyment
      • Lack of appropriate pleasure, despite normal sexual responses and achievement of orgasm
    4. Excessive Sexual Desire
      • Presenting as a problem for individuals, partners, or carers (when sexual disinhibition occurs)
      • Referred to as nymphomania (women) or satyriasis (men)
      • Could be secondary to a mood disorder (e.g., mania), early stages of dementia, associated with learning disability, secondary to brain injury, or as a side-effect of some drugs

    Sexual Arousal Disorders

    Male Erectile Disorder or Erectile Dysfunction

    • Persistent difficulty achieving or maintaining an erection sufficient to complete sexual activity
    • May occur due to performance anxiety
    • May have an organic cause

    Female Sexual Arousal Disorder

    • Persistent difficulties becoming sufficiently lubricated in response to sexual stimulation
    • May have organic causes
    • Usually has psychological causes, such as anger, resentment, or trauma

    Orgasmic Disorders

    Female Orgasmic Disorder

    Could be anorgasmic or others.

    Male Orgasmic Disorder

    Includes:

    • Delayed Ejaculation
    • Retarded Ejaculation
    • Ejaculatory Incompetence
    • Premature Ejaculation

    Sexual Pain Disorders

    Dyspareunia

    Occurs in both males and females.

    Vaginismus

    Causes

    Psychological

    • Relationship problems
    • Life stressors
    • Anxiety/depression
    • Low self-esteem
    • Sexual performance anxiety
    • Excessive self-monitoring of arousal
    • Feelings of guilt about sex
    • Fear of pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)
    • Lack of knowledge about sexuality/'normal' sexual response
    • Previous significant negative sexual experience (especially rape or childhood sexual abuse issues)

    Environmental

    • Fear of interruptions (e.g., from children, parents)
    • Physical discomfort

    Physical

    • Testosterone deficiency
    • Use of drugs or alcohol
    • Pain or discomfort due to illness
    • Fatigue
    • Recent childbirth
    • Medical conditions like heart disease, diabetes, spinal cord injuries, hormonal problems
    • Surgical complications
    • HIV medications
    • Antihypertensives
    • SSRI (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors)

    Factors Related to the Partner

    • Sexual attractiveness
    • Evidence of disinterest
    • Constant criticism
    • Inconsideration
    • Inability to cope with difficulties (especially sexual)
    • Sexual inexperience/poor technique
    • Preference for sexual activities that are unappealing to the partner

    Treatment

    Psychotherapy - Sex Therapy Approaches

    Common Goals of Sex Therapy
    • Change self-defeating beliefs and attitudes
    • Teach sexual skills
    • Enhance sexual knowledge
    • Improve sexual communication
    • Reduce performance anxiety
    Sensate Focus Exercises - Masters and Johnson Approach

    A series of specific exercises for couples, essentially a form of in vivo 'desensitization' to reduce sexual anxiety. Partners are encouraged to take turns paying increased attention to their own senses.

    The Helen Singer Kaplan Approach

    Combines behavioral and psychoanalytic methods.

    Sexual Desire Disorders Treatment

    Self-Stimulation Exercises combined with Erotic Fantasies

    Techniques aimed at addressing sexual desire issues.

    Enhancing Communication

    Improving communication between partners.

    Expanding Repertoire of Couple’s Sexual Skills

    Introducing new sexual techniques to enhance intimacy.

    Couples Therapy Sensate Focus Exercises

    Utilizing sensate focus exercises within couples therapy to address sexual concerns.

    Medications
    • Testosterone Replacement Therapy
    • Use of Anti-anxiety Medications

    Sexual Arousal Disorders Treatment

    Erectile Disorder

    Sensate focus exercises are used to reduce performance anxiety.

    Biological approaches to the treatment of erectile disorder include:

    • Surgery (i.e., vascular surgery or penile implants)
    • Medication (e.g., Viagra)
    • Vacuum pumps

    Female Sexual Arousal Disorder Treatment

    • Sex Education
    • Working on Problems in the Relationship
    • Artificial Lubricants for Lack of Sufficient Lubrication

    Biological treatments include:

    • A vacuum pump used on the clitoris
    • Medications (currently under investigation)

    Orgasmic Disorders Treatment

    • Sensate Focus Exercises to Reduce Performance Anxiety
    • Use of the Female-Superior Position

    Individual therapy, typically for women, involves directed masturbation programs which include:

    • Education
    • Self-Exploration and Self-Massage
    • Giving Oneself Permission
    • Use of Fantasy
    • Use of a Vibrator
    • Involvement of the Partner

    Premature Ejaculation Treatment

    • Partner Uses the Squeeze Technique
    • Stop-Start Method

    Biological approaches to the treatment of premature ejaculation include the use of psychiatric medications.

    Sexual Pain Disorders Treatment

    Dyspareunia

    Treat causes such as infections.

    Vaginismus
    • Insertion of Vaginal Dilators of Increasing Size to Help Relax the Vaginal Musculature
    • Woman Controls the Pace and Depth of Penetration

    Psychological therapy may also be needed.

    Disorders of Sexual Preference (ICD-10)

    Paraphilias (DSM-IV)

    Are disorders in which an individual is sexually aroused by inappropriate stimuli.

    • Homosexuality was previously included, but this is no longer the case.
    • High comorbidity with anxiety, mood, and substance abuse disorders.

    DSM-IV Criteria:

    • At least 6 months of recurrent, intense sexually arousing fantasies, sexual urges, or behaviors involving a particular inappropriate act or object.
    • These fantasies, urges, or behaviors must cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social functioning.

    ICD-10 Criteria:

    Has less strict and less detailed criteria, referring to the particular object or act as being the most important source of sexual arousal or essential for satisfactory sexual response.

    Classification of Disorders of Sexual Preference - ICD 10

    • Fetishism
    • Fetishistic Transvestism
    • Exhibitionism
    • Voyeurism
    • Paedophilia
    • Sadomasochism
    • Other Disorders of Sexual Preference
    • Multiple Disorders of Sexual Preference
    Paraphilias
    Voyeurism
    • Risk associated with "peeping" is necessary for sexual arousal
    Exhibitionism
    • Element of thrill and risk is necessary for sexual arousal
    Relation Between Sadism and Rape
    • Some rapists are sadists, but most do not show paraphilic patterns of arousal
    • Rapists show sexual arousal to violent sexual and non-sexual material

    Pedophilia

    • Pedophiles: Individuals with a sexual attraction to young children
    • Incest: Sexual attraction to one's own children
    • Both may involve male and/or female children or very young adolescents
    • Pedophilia is rare in females
    • Incestuous males may be aroused to adult women; not true for pedophiles
    • Most rationalize the behavior and engage in other moral compensatory behavior

    Causes of Pedophilia

    • Sexual and social problems and deficits
    • Patterns of inappropriate arousal and fantasy may be learned early in life
    • The role of high sex drive, coupled with suppression of urges

    Psychophysiological Assessment of Pedophilia

    • Assess extent of deviant patterns of sexual arousal
    • Assess extent of desired sexual arousal to adult content
    • Assess social skills and the ability to form relationships

    TREATMENT

    Psychosocial Interventions

    • Most are behavioral and target deviant and inappropriate sexual associations
    • Covert Sensitization – Imaginal procedure involving aversive consequences
    • Orgasmic Reconditioning – Associate masturbation with appropriate stimuli
    • Family/Marital Therapy – Address interpersonal problems
    • Coping and Relapse Prevention – Teaches self-control and coping with risk

    Medications: The Equivalent of Chemical Castration

    • Often used for dangerous sexual offenders

    Types of Available Medications

    • Cyproterone acetate – Anti-androgen, reduces testosterone, sexual urges, and fantasy
    • Medroxyprogesterone acetate – Depo-Provera, also reduces testosterone
    • Triptorelin – A newer and more effective drug that inhibits gonadotropin secretion

    Efficacy of Medication Treatments

    • Drugs work to greatly reduce sexual desire, fantasy, arousal
    • Relapse rates are high with medication discontinuation

    Prognosis

    • About 70% to 100% of cases show improvement
    • Poorest outcomes are for rapists and persons with multiple paraphilias
    • Most pedophilias run a chronic course and relapse rates are high

    Gender Identity Disorder

    • Transexualism
    • Characterized by the desire to live and be accepted as a member of the opposite sex, usually accompanied by a sense of discomfort with one’s anatomical sex.
    • Gender identity develops between 18 months and 3 years of age.
    • Feels trapped in the body of the wrong sex. Most report that their gender dysphoria was present from early childhood. Karyotype and phenotypic development are normal.
    • Transsexual identity should have been present for at least 2 years and must not be a symptom of another mental disorder, such as schizophrenia, or associated with any intersex, genetic, or chromosomal abnormality.
    • TF to FTM ratio is 3–4:1

    Differential Diagnosis

    • Transvestism
    • Fetishistic Transvestism
    • Dual Role Transvestism
    • Dysmorphobia
    • Intersexed Condition
    • Third Sex
    • Schizophrenia

    Treatment

    • Psychological - Supervision of the transition, liaison with the primary care and surgical teams, and psychological support during the inevitable difficulties.
    • Real-Life Test - At least 1 year before consideration of surgery
    • Hormones
    • Sex-Reassignment Surgery
      • 75% report satisfaction with the new identity
      • Female-to-male conversions adjust better than male-to-female

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