1. Sexual Disorders and Sex Therapy
Chapter 19
Sexual Disorders and Sex Therapy
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2. Sexual Disorders
Sexual disorder - a problem with sexual response that causes a person mental distress
The term sexual dysfunction is also used
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3. Kinds of Sexual Disorders
Erectile disorder - the inability to have an erection or maintain one
Primary erectile disorder - man has never had an erection sufficient to have intercourse
Secondary erectile disorder - man at one time was able to have satisfactory erections but now no longer is
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4. Kinds of Sexual Disorders
Premature ejaculation - sexual disorder in which the man ejaculates too soon and he feels he cannot control when he ejaculates
Male orgasmic disorder - male cannot have an orgasm, even though he is highly aroused
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5. Kinds of Sexual Disorders
Female orgasmic disorder - inability to have an orgasm
Primary orgasmic disorder - woman has never experienced an orgasm
Secondary orgasmic disorder - woman had orgasms at some time in her life but no longer does so
Situational orgasmic disorder - woman has orgasms in some situations but not others
Female sexual arousal disorder - lack of response to sexual stimulation
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6. Painful Intercourse Dyspareunia - pain experienced during intercourse
Vaginismus - spastic contraction of the muscles surrounding the entrance to the vagina, sometimes so severe that it makes intercourse impossible
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7. Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc
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8. Disorders of Sexual Desire
Sexual desire or libido - interest in sexual activity
Hypoactive sexual desire - inhibited or low sexual desire
Discrepancy of sexual desire - partners have considerably different levels of sexual desire
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9. What Causes Sexual Disorders?
Physical causes
Psychological causes
Interpersonal Factors
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10. Physical Causes Organic factors
Drugs; alcohol, illicit or recreational drugs, prescription drugs
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11. Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc
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12. Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc
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13. Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc
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14. Psychological Causes
Prior learning - the things that people have learned earlier
Immediate causes - various things that happen in the act of lovemaking itself that inhibit the sexual response
Anxieties such as fear of failure
Cognitive interference - thoughts that distract person from focusing on erotic experience
Failure of the partners to communicate
Failure to engage in effective, sexually stimulating behavior
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15. Interpersonal Factors
Disturbances in a couple’s relationship
Anger or resentment toward one’s partner
Intimacy problems in the relationship
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16. Therapies for Sexual Disorders
Behavior therapy - eliminates goal-oriented sexual performance
Cognitive behavior therapy - combines behavior therapy and restructuring of negative thought patterns
Couple therapy
Biomedical therapy
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17. Specific Treatment for Specific Problems
The stop-start technique
Masturbation
Kegel exercises
Bibliotherapy
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18. Biomedical Therapies Drug treatments
Viagra - treats erectile disorder
Intracavernosal injection - treats erectile disorder; injects a vasodilator drug into the corpora cavernosa of the penis
Suction devices - treats erectile disorders
Surgical therapy - the inflatable penis - implants a prosthesis into the penis
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19. Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc
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20. Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc
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21. Critiques of Sex Therapy
Masters and Johnson never clearly defined “successful treatment”
Lack of carefully controlled studies
Possible harmful effects of therapy on patients
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22. Sex Therapy in the AIDS Era
Encouraging the use of condoms
Communication skills training
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23. Some Practical Advice
Principles that emerge from sex therapists’ work:
Communicate with your partner
Don’t be a spectator
Don’t set up goals of sexual performance
Be choosy about the situations in which you have sex
Failures will occur
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24. Choosing a Sex Therapist
There is no licensing for sex therapists
Your local medical association or psychological association can provide a list of psychiatrists or psychologists
Professional organizations of sex therapists
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