Dr Dulcy gives sex advice
HEALTH: THESE CAN OCCUR AT ANY STAGE OF LIFE Women with sexual concerns often benefit from a combined treatment approach.
Women with sexual concerns often benefit from a combined treatment approach. Sexual dysfunction in females is described as persistent, recurrent problems with sexual response, desire, orgasm or pain that lead to distress strain your relationship with your partner.
Many women experience problems with sexual function at some point. Female sexual dysfunction can occur at any stage of life. It can be lifelong or be acquired later in life. It can occur only in certain sexual situations or in all sexual situations.
Sexual response involves physiology, emotions, experiences, beliefs, lifestyle and relationships. Disruption of any component can affect sexual desire, arousal or satisfaction, and treatment often involves more than one approach.
If you have ongoing sexual difficulties that distress you, make an appointment with your doctor. It is very important that you do that even if you feel slightly embarrassed because a satisfying sex life is important to a woman’s well-being at every age.
You might have a treatable, underlying condition, or you might benefit from lifestyle changes, therapy or a combination of treatments.
Your primary doctor will either diagnose and treat the problem or refer you to a specialist. If sexual problems affect your relationship or worry you, make an appointment with your doctor. Depression or anxiety Heart and blood vessel disease Neurological conditions, such as spinal cord injury or multiple sclerosis Liver or kidney failure Certain medications, such as antidepressants or high blood pressure medications
Emotional or psychological stress, especially with regard to your relationship with your partner
A history of sexual abuse
SYMPTOMS
Your symptoms will depend on the type of female sexual dysfunction you have:
Low sexual desire. This most common of female sexual dysfunctions involves a lack of sexual interest and willingness to be sexual.
Sexual arousal disorder. Your desire for sex might be intact, but you have difficulty with arousal or are unable to become aroused or maintain arousal during sexual activity.
Orgasmic disorder. You have persistent or recurrent difficulty in achieving orgasm after sufficient sexual arousal and ongoing stimulation.
Sexual pain disorder. You have pain associated with sexual stimulation or vaginal contact.
CAUSES
Sexual problems often develop when you have an imbalance of your hormones, such as after having a baby or during menopause.
Major illness, such as cancer, diabetes, or heart and blood vessel (cardiovascular) disease, can also contribute to sexual dysfunction.
Factors, often interrelated, that contribute to sexual dissatisfaction or dysfunction include:
Physical. Any number of medical conditions, including cancer, kidney failure, multiple sclerosis, heart disease and bladder problems, can lead to sexual dysfunction.
Certain medications, including some antidepressants, blood pressure medications, antihistamines and chemotherapy drugs, can decrease your sexual desire and your body’s ability to experience orgasm.
Hormonal. Lower oestrogen levels after menopause may lead to changes in your genital tissues and sexual responsiveness. A decrease in oestrogen leads to decreased blood flow to the pelvic region, which can result in needing more time to build arousal and reach orgasm, as well as less genital sensation.
The vaginal lining also becomes thinner and less elastic, particularly if you’re not sexually active. These factors can lead to painful intercourse (dyspareunia).
Sexual desire also decreases when hormonal levels decrease. Your body’s hormone levels also shift after giving birth and during