Sexual Dysfunction (SD) is not limited to male Erectile Dysfunction (ED).

‘If a woman’s hand, which is the best of all remedies, is not good enough to cure the flabbiness of a man’s penis, the other remedies will do little’ (Vennette, 1984).

Sexuality is a complex process and a multidimensional phenomenon that incorporates biological, psychological, interpersonal and behavioural dimensions (Toone, 1983). Also, next to thirst, starvation and sleep, the sexual urge is the most powerful biological drive (Tharakan and Manyam, 2005).

Sexual dysfunction (SD) is an important public health problem that compromises the overall quality of life of people and their sexual partners. Marthol and Hilz (2004), defined sexual dysfunction as the disturbances in sexual desire and the psycho-physiological changes that characterize the sexual response and cause marked distress and interpersonal difficulty.

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is defined as the persistent inability of the male to attain and/or maintain erection of the penis sufficient to permit satisfactory sexual intercourse (NIH, 1993). However, sexual complaints not included in this definition frequently include a loss of firmness after vaginal intromission and hasty or premature ejaculation. Indeed, there is yet to be known a condition more devastating to man’s ego than impotence, it annihilates his very essence of masculinity.

The seemingly overlapping definitions of SD and ED frequently leads to the misconception that these terms can be used interchangeably. This may not be entirely incorrect, however to be more precise, ED may be termed as SD but the reverse isn’t always true. This leads to the question “Is sexual dysfunction limited to only male erectile dysfunction.” The answer to this question is a big NO. Indeed, SD is not limited to only males as females also suffer various forms of SD.

SD is a mixture of problems that has both biologic and psychosocial components and is multi-factorial in terms of aetiology. Some studies report that SD is more prevalent in women than in men. So, what does SD entail? In men, SD could take the form of Impotence (or Erectile Dysfunction) and Premature Ejaculation (PE) whiles in women it could be in the form of Anorgasmia and Vaginismus. However, in both genders, Avoidance, Non-Satisfaction, Non-Communication, Dissatisfaction and Infrequency are also considered forms of SD.

My next post will delve into the various forms of SD and their possible causes. Keep up as I help you understand that “Sexual Dysfunction is not limited to male Erectile Dysfunction.”