Female Sexual Dysfunction

Female Sexual Dysfunction

Female sexual dysfunction (FSD) is a condition that affects roughly 40% of women, however very little is actually known about this condition. It mostly results in a loss of sexual desire, problems reaching orgasm or becoming aroused, and can affect women at different stages in their lives. Female sexual dysfunction can be as a result of various physical, hormonal or psychological factors, the cause of which will largely determine how you treat it.

Although it can be a distressing and frustrating condition, there are ways it can be treated, whether through prescription treatments or hormone replacement therapy.

Intrinsa is one such female sexual dysfunction treatment that is specifically intended to help women who have the condition due to physical causes, such as a hysterectomy.

What is female sexual dysfunction?

Female sexual dysfunction is a term that describes the sexual problems that cause women to experience a lower than usual desire for sex, difficulty reaching orgasm, pain during sex or problems becoming aroused. Most women will experience some form of sexual dysfunction at some point in their lives, especially as a result of hormonal changes, such as during pregnancy or menopause. Major illnesses such as cancer can also cause sexual problems and many women find that they have problems after major surgery like a hysterectomy.

Although female sexual dysfunction is difficult to define, it’s mostly signified by the following symptoms over a prolonged period of time:

• Lack of sexual desire
• Inability to become aroused
• Lack of orgasm or sexual climax
• Painful intercourse

What causes female sexual dysfunction?

Female sexual dysfunction can be caused by physical, psychological or hormonal factors. Sometimes one factor can cause another.

Physical causes of female sexual dysfunction

• High blood pressure or diabetes
• Surgery like a hysterectomy
• Infections and growths in the vaginal area
• Reactions to contraceptive devices
• Medications for the treatment of high blood pressure, peptic ulcers, depression or anxiety and cancer

Psychological causes of female sexual dysfunction

• Inadequate or ineffective foreplay
• Depression
• Poor self-esteem
• Sexual abuse or incest
• Feelings of shame or guilt about sex
• Fear of pregnancy
• Stress and fatigue

Hormonal causes

• Lower oestrogen
• Hormonal contraceptive
• Menopause
• Childbirth
• Breastfeeding

Finding the right female sexual dysfunction treatment

Finding the right FSD treatment will largely depend on the cause. The available treatments mostly focus on correcting the root cause of the condition and include:

Hormone Replacement Therapy

Hormones play a big part in monitoring the sexual function in women. Most women tend to face a drop in oestrogen levels when they age. Other life events such as menopause, childbirth and breastfeeding can also cause a significant decrease in hormone production. A drop in your body’s ability to produce oestrogen or testosterone can negatively affect your libido and sexual function, and may result in a condition like female sexual dysfunction. To help re-establish the hormone balance, a doctor would normally suggest you start hormone replacement therapy (HRT).

Testosterone plays a very important part in a healthy sex drive, and a drop in testosterone can have a negative effect on your sexual function. Intrinsa patches supplement your body with testosterone through the skin to boost your libido. It is mainly intended for women who have had their womb and ovaries removed (hysterectomy) and are currently undergoing oestrogen replacement therapy.

Psychological counselling

If the causes of this condition aren’t physical, there may be psychological factors influencing how often you want to have sex and how pleasurable you find it. Psychosexual counselling can be helpful in addressing these issues, to allow you to enjoy sex more freely with your partner.

Contraceptive review

Oral contraceptives can also influence your sex drive. If you think that your female sexual dysfunction problems are directly related to the hormonal contraceptive you are taking, then you can speak to your doctor about a change.

Viagra

Recent ongoing research into the uses of Viagra in the treatment of female sexual dysfunction, have lead many doctors to believe that it could be a plausible treatment. Viagra stimulates blood flow to key areas, which can help improve your arousal and desire for sex. However, the research is currently still pending and Viagra is not yet recommended as an FSD treatment.