Female Sexual Dysfunction

Classification

There is still a lot we don't know about female sexual function. While there has been a marked resurgence in research interest in the past few years, we are still at the stage of studying rats and rabbits. One might argue that we really shouldn't even have been classifying female sexual dysfunction into distinct categories. The old Masters and Johnson model is in the process of being replaced by a new model that emphasizes the responsive nature of female sexuality. (see Rosemary Basson's article in the May 2000 SOGC Journal). However Masters and Johnson's model, as modified by Helen Kaplan, is still helpful in categorizing and ruling out physiological causes of sexual dysfunction. This model divides sexual response into 3 phases: desire, arousal and orgasm.

Dysfunctions of the desire phase (as defined in the DSM-IV) include hypoactive sexual desire, and sexual aversion disorder. Dysfunctions of the arousal phase include female sexual arousal disorder as well as dyspareunia and vaginismus. Orgasm phase disorders include female orgasmic disorder. In addition, there are the dysfunctions due to general medical conditions and substance-induced dysfunctions.

Last Modified: September 5, 2006