No aspect of your health can be left ignored and this also includes your sexual well-being. Meri Saheli povides a low-down on the sexual diseases and disorders you need to be aware of and stay away from for a healthy sexual life
Are you sexually healthy? Are you aware of the various sexual diseases that you could unknowingly contract or of the sexual disorders that you may be going through but are clueless about? If this is so, it’s time you raise your sexual health quotient and take the first step towards a blissful sex life.
Do you have female sexual dysfunction?
Many a time, sexual dysfunction among females has an underlying psychological cause to it. Being sexually healthy includes knowing the various sexual disorders you may be unwittingly suffering from.
Dr Deepak Jumani, Consultant Sexual Health Physician and Counsellor, reiterates, “Sexual problems in females are very prevalent and commonly associated with physiological concerns and the quality of life. Female Sexual Dysfunction (FSD) is estimated to affect 40 per cent women in our country and its prevalence increases with age. Women never complain about their sexual issues due to religious orthodoxy, or cultural inhibitions or continued myths, ignorance, fear, guilt and shame.” He explains the emotional link between these various disorders and answers your most perplexing sex questions.
“Should I be worried that I have never fantasised about anyone sexually and neither feel the impulse to do so?”
“This condition falls under the category of sexual desire disorders. Here, the person may mostly be suffering from hypoactive sexual desire disorder i.e. persistent or recurrently deficient (or absent) sexual fantasies and desire for sexual activity. Another type of sexual desire disorder is called sexual aversion disorder where there is persistent or recurrent extreme aversion to, and avoidance of, all (or almost all) genital sexual contact with a sexual partner. This disturbance results in further distress and interpersonal difficulty.”
“I didn’t think it would be much of a problem but I am now getting concerned over the fact that I do not get wet enough during the act. Is there something wrong with me?”
“This is a cause for concern and is often not given much importance. It is a type of FSD and is known as sexual arousal disorder where there is persistent or recurrent inability to attain, or to maintain until completion of the sexual activity, an adequate lubrication-swelling response of sexual excitement.”
“I am just fed up of the fact that I cannot reach orgasm! It is creating many problems not only in my sexual life but everyday, normal life as well.”
“This problem is prevalent among quite a few women and is an FSD disorder as well. It is a condition where there is persistent or recurrent delay in, or absence of, orgasm following a normal sexual excitement phase.” He adds, “Women exhibit wide variability in the type or intensity of stimulation that triggers orgasm. The diagnosis of female orgasmic disorder then should be based on the clinician's judgment that the woman's orgasmic capacity is less than would be reasonable for her age, sexual experience, and the adequacy of sexual stimulation she receives.”
“Is painful intercourse a sexual disorder?”
“Yes, painful intercourse falls under the sexual pain disorder category and the person may experience either one of the two conditions of dyspareunia or vaginismus. In dyspareunia, there is recurrent or persistent genital pain in either male or female during intercourse while vaginismus refers to the recurrent or persistent involuntary spasm of the musculature of the outer third of the vagina that interferes with sexual intercourse.”
The psychological connect
Dr Jumani states that as with any other disorder, female sexual dysfunction can be caused and aggravated by psychological causes, problems women deal with every day. Only, they are unaware that these issues could wreak havoc with their sexual system as well.
The five main psychological causes of FSD
Sexual or emotional abuse: This can include child abuse, domestic violence, rape, and sexual exploitation. These can lead to long term sexual dysfunction due to problems such as overall trust issues or desensitization.
Depression: Most women, when grieving, experience a loss of sexual desire. Depression
can be a double-edged sword for some, due to the increase of sexual dysfunction caused
by anti-depressants.
Relationship issues: A healthy relationship is based on trust, intimacy, and communication. A study in the last five years found that sexual dysfunction is highly associated with negative experiences in sexual relationships and overall well-being. Other factors that can affect the sexual health of a relationship are conflicts about cultural, social or religious beliefs. These can invoke feelings of guilt during sexual activity and affect the ability of women to be aroused, obtain an orgasm, or have any desire to have sex.
Stress: Today most people are too busy or too stressed or too exhausted to have sex. High stress factors include workplace stress, social or financial crises. Couples who are infertile and who are undergoing invitro fertilisation will often experience a decrease in desire associated with the stress of having to perform.
Self-esteem: To have a healthy response to sex, a woman must have high self-esteem. If she does not feel comfortable in her own body, she will not feel comfortable experiencing sex.
