What is female sexual dysfunction, and how can women overcome it?
Do you suffer from female sexual dysfunction (FSD)? Find out what can cause it, and how you can overcome it.
A survey of 500 UK adult women by LloydsPharmacy Online Doctor found that 85% of women have struggled to achieve orgasm. As many as 25% struggle often, and 47% say they don’t enjoy sex as much as they think they should.
Of these women, 67% also confessed that they don’t know whether Viagra is safe for them to use and 13% wrongly believe that Viagra is safe, which could have some serious health consequences.
FSD affects around 40% of women. You may experience a loss of libido, have difficulty reaching orgasm, or find sex is uncomfortable or painful. The term FSD is usually used when these issues have occurred for over six months.
FSD can be triggered by illness, life experiences (during pregnancy, after having a baby, stress), hormonal changes like menopause, medication side-effects, cancer treatment, chronic illness or depression. It can also ‘sneak up on you’ for no apparent or obvious reason.
What are the symptoms of female sexual dysfunction?
If you’re experiencing FSD you may have one or more physical and psychological symptoms. According to LloydsPharmacy Online Doctor GP, Dr Bhavini Shah, common symptoms include the following.
1. Low sex drive
Having low libido means you have little or no desire for sex and you may not respond to sexual stimulation. You could have reduced erotic thoughts or fantasies and no interest in masturbation.
2. Problems with orgasm
You may find that you don’t or can’t orgasm. You could be unable to orgasm even with ongoing stimulation and arousal. You may also find your orgasms are delayed or the intensity of your orgasms is reduced.
3. Pain during sex
You may experience pain during vaginal penetration, your pelvic floor muscles may tighten preventing penetration when you try. Many women experience fear or anxiety of the pain before, during or after penetrative sex.
What are the treatments for FSD?
FSD may not occur in every situation (and with every partner), or only in some situations or with some partners. It may resolve by itself, or it may need help.
To find the reasons for sexual dysfunction you may need to look at physical, psychological and relationship factors.
If you think you might have FSD, try and identify the aspects of sex that are difficult for you and/or are causing distress in your relationship. Is it a lack of libido? Do you find it difficult to orgasm or do you experience pain when having sex?
Being clear about what the issues are will help talking to your GP. Research has found that 45% of midlife women have sexual problems, and 15% have a sexual problem that causes significant personal distress, suggesting that this is a more common issue than many may first think.
Treatments for FSD include:
- Speaking to a counsellor or therapist
- Seeking couples’ counselling
- Reducing the amount of alcohol you drink
- Pelvic floor exercises
- Changing medication e.g. antidepressant can cause loss of sex drive
- Changing hormonal contraceptives
- Changing how you have sex to focus on non-penetrative sex
- Hormone replacement therapy (HRT)
You can also make lifestyle changes to try to combat your FSD. One surprising change you can make in your life to reduce FSD and improve your libido is to stop smoking. Studies have suggested that female smokers are 48% more susceptible to FSD than non-smokers.
Studies have also suggested that obesity can be a contributing factor to FSD and that exercise can have a positive effect, implying that healthy lifestyles play an important part in sexual satisfaction.
Does Viagra work for women?
It’s thought (or hoped) by some, that Viagra may increase sexual pleasure in women. In women it’s thought that Viagra could increase blood flow to the female genital area, increasing lubrication and aiding orgasm.
However, the medical trials to date have failed to produce significant evidence that Viagra works for women. Viagra has been shown to be ineffective in women who have sexual difficulties.
