What Are the Different Types of Sexual Dysfunction & Disorders?

Sexual dysfunction is a commonly occurring problem that affects both men and women. With various causes, it can vary from case to case. Stemming from physical conditions, medical problems, and even psychological ailments, sexual dysfunction, and disorders can be difficult for the everyday person to understand. There are four main categories of sexual dysfunction, which helps us explain and narrow down the exact cause of a specific condition. Understanding these dysfunctions can be crucial, especially when it comes to the patient’s self-confidence and psyche. Let us shed some light on what these different dysfunctions and disorders can mean.

Desire Disorders

Desire disorders are those that affect desires and overall sex drive. Characterized by a lack of interest in sex, desire disorders are also known as libido disorders or just low libido. In men, it can be caused by a low level of testosterone. In women, a low level of estrogen can affect the libido. It can also be caused by various different medical and physical conditions including:

• Hormone Fluctuation
• Diabetes and Heart Disease
• Fatigue
• Depression and Anxiety
• Relationship Problems

There are other factors to consider, both psychological and physical, but these are the leading issues for these libido-based sexual disorders. While these may be trickier to diagnose, your specialist will be able to sit down with you and discuss what may be causing the sexual desire disorder and recommend a course of urological treatment options.

Arousal Disorders

Arousal disorders can affect both men and women equally. These sexual dysfunctions make it exceedingly difficult, in many cases even impossible, for the patient to become aroused during sexual activity. It’s not the lack of desire for sexual activity, rather it is the inability to feel any physical pleasure from it. This can occur from depression, anger, drug use, medical conditions, and reduced regional blood flow amongst other things. The most common and well-known arousal disorder is erectile dysfunction, which is characterized by a man unable to achieve an erection during sexual activity. There are several treatments for erectile dysfunction, including therapy and prescription based treatments.

Orgasm Disorders

More common in women, orgasm disorders can still exist in both men and women. This is a sexual dysfunction in which somebody is unable to reach orgasm or it is severely delayed during sexual activity. It can also be attributed to experiencing pain during such experiences. Some of the causes include stress, fatigue, hormone fluctuation, and low libido.

Pain Disorders

Pain disorders exist in those who experience a certain amount of pain during any sexual intercourse. For women, this can be caused by various different afflictions such as vaginismus, vaginal dryness, and UTIs. In men, these sexual disorders can be caused by UTIs, prostatitis, skin conditions, STDs, Peyronie’s Disease, and other causes. The pain from these disorders can also lead to the sexual disorders discussed above such as orgasm and/or arousal disorders.

Receive Treatment for Sexual Dysfunction Today

Sexual dysfunction can be painful, both physically and mentally. As a confusing and often an issue left out of discussion, our goal is to let you know that you are not alone. We at Somerset Urological Associates can help you every step of the way, from diagnosis to treatment and beyond. If you’re experiencing any of symptoms of potential dysfunction, contact us today to set up an appointment. Let us help you get your sex life, relationship, and confidence back on track.