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Sexual Dysfunction
in Women & Men
Thirty-one percent of men and 43 percent of women regularly
suffer from some form of sexual dysfunction, warranting
recognition as a significant public health concern,
according to a new comprehensive U.S. sex study. In
both women and men, sexual dysfunction is related to
emotional and stress problems including poor health,
poor quality of life and prior traumatic sexual
experiences.
It is estimated that approximately forty percent of women have some form of
sexual dysfunction. Sexual behavior and response requires
the complicated intertwining of environmental, physical
(both anatomical and hormonal) and psychological factors.
And if you have a problem
with sex, you’re not alone. About 66 percent
of all women have sexual concerns, including lack of
desire and complete lack of orgasm.
Lack of sex drive (lack of libido) is extremely common
in women – but quite rare in men. Our estimate
is that at any one time, several hundred thousand women
in Britain are troubled by lack of libido. It's important
to stress that many of these women have no problems
with having orgasms. However, they have no real desire
to have sex, and their minds are not turned on by the
prospect of lovemaking.
In women, some experts believe that one cause of weak
sexual desire is, ironically, low testosterone levels.
Normally associated with brawny, deep-voiced men, testosterone
is a hormone with a definite masculine identity. But
women also make small amounts of it in their ovaries,
and it plays an important role in their sexual lives.
Without a healthy level of testosterone in the blood,
some researchers believe, women are unable to properly
respond to sexual stimuli. Furthermore, there is anecdotal
evidence that testosterone supplements can restore the
sex drive in women.
No desire for sex in women can be of either physical
(due to anemia, alcoholism, drug abuse, generalized
disorders, such as diabetes, hyperprolactinaemia etc)
or psychological origin (due to depression, stress and
overwork, anxiety, hang-ups from childhood, past sexual
abuse or rape, latent lesbianism, serious relationship
problems with the husband/partner and difficult living
conditions). Drugs like sildenafil (Viagra), Cialis,
Levitra have still (2005) not been shown to help women
with lack of desire, though there is some evidence that
they may have a beneficial 'local' effect in increasing
blood flow to the vagina and clitoris for a few hours.
They may also increase lubrication in some women.
A very good alternative is to go to a woman doctor
at a family planning clinic, since these practitioners
deal with this particular problem every day of the week
and are used to sorting it out. Men with abnormal pituitary
glands can overproduce the hormone prolactin, which
usually turns off the sex drive. Men with no physical
abnormalities almost invariably have nightly erections
during sleep.
Researchers find that the risk factors for impotence
are essentially the same as for heart disease. High
cholesterol levels and high
blood pressure cause plaques to form in the arteries
to the genitals, too.
There are many factors that can cause impotence. Certain
medications and drugs, such as alcohol, cigarettes,
antidepressants, antihistamines, antihypertentives,
blood pressure medication, chemotherapy, diuretics,
narcotics, nicotine, sedatives, steroids (if abused),
stomach acid inhibitors and ulcer medications, can all
interfere with normal erectile function.
The good news is that while there is no "cure"
for male impotence, there are number of very effective
treatments now widely available. Since Viagra, the original
impotence pill, burst on to the market in 1998, over
16 million men worldwide have been treated successfully
and have been able to resume an active sex life.
Now that Viagra patents have expired, the pharmaceutical
market has expanded to include new, similar prescription
drugs. These new drugs, called PDE-5 inhibitors, include
Cialis and Levitra. Researchers believe that the market
for impotency drugs is going to expand rapidly over
the next five to ten years.
The above article of “Sexual
Health of Men and Women” is only for educational
and informational purpose. We suggest you consult your
healthcare professional if you have any questions or
concerns.
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