Up to 40 percent of women may report some sexual dysfunction. Hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) is a common condition among women who have other conditions such as diabetes, anxiety, or depression, said sex therapist Blanca Real Peña, who is attending the eighth Neuroscience Meeting 2019 that concludes this Saturday in Jalisco (western Mexico).
“When you look for them (in therapy) and ask them, especially if the woman is depressed, anxious, or has been in a relationship for several years, many report that they have no desire,” said the specialist from the Jalisco Institute of Mental Health.
HSDD is characterized by a lack of or no sexual fantasy or desire, in which the woman does not even have cognitive or psychological enjoyment in the event of having a sexual encounter, the doctor explained before she participates in the Meeting.
Hormonal conditions that are common in women, such as menopause, pregnancy, and breastfeeding, can be triggering factors for HSDD. People with hypertension, multiple sclerosis, and chronic smoking also have a reduced level of genital lubrication due to alterations in blood vessels, a symptom of a lack of desire.
He says there are no reliable statistics on the number of people who suffer from this disorder since until recently science had only been dedicated to researching male sexual dysfunctions.
“The prevalence of sexual dysfunctions in women is not well measured because it seems that it is not that important. In the last two decades, clinical research on women’s sexual desire has increased because it is barely receiving attention,” she said.
He considered that this is due to a sexist conception of sexuality, “because it is not important whether she feels pleasure or not, but rather that she should give him pleasure.”
The disorder can be identified when a woman begins to feel uncomfortable during sexual intercourse, feels less interest in sex, or predisposition to sexual stimuli, compared to what she had felt before.
“The disorder is almost always related to contextual factors related to the couple; that is, how they carry out the relationship, intimacy, and communication with their partner, and the way they treat each other influences desire,” he said.
Other factors have to do with the psycho-emotional state of the woman concerning her self-esteem, how she sees herself, or whether she has had a mastectomy, she added.
Women with HSDD can overcome this dysfunction through sexual education and not necessarily through couples therapy or psychotherapy.
“Dysfunctions are corrected with psychoeducation. When a woman says she does not feel desire, readings, videos, sexual toys or self-exploration can be recommended. Information is power,” she said.
The eighth Neurosciences Meeting 2019, organized by the pharmaceutical company Pfizer, addresses topics of mental disorders and their relationship with other diseases and disciplines.