Home > Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine > Sexual Dysfunction

Definition

Sexual dysfunction is broadly defined as the inability to fully enjoy sexual intercourse. Specifically, sexual dysfunction is a group of disorders that interfere with a full sexual responsiveness. These disorders make it difficult for a person to enjoy or to have sexual intercourse. While sexual dysfunction rarely threatens physical health, it can take a heavy psychological toll, bringing on depression, anxiety, and debilitating feelings of inadequacy.

Description

Sexual dysfunction takes different forms in men and women. A dysfunction can be lifelong and always present, or it can be temporary and sporadic. It can be situational or generalized. In either gender, symptoms of a sexual problem include the lack or loss of sexual desire, anxiety during intercourse, pain during intercourse, or the inability to achieve orgasm. In...