Some of the revised definitions are "based on theoretical constructs that we have yet to prove," Anita Clayton, M.D., told PT. Clayton is David C. Wilson professor of psychiatric medicine at the University of Virginia and was a participant in the Clinical Evaluation and Management Strategies Committee. "We need to study these in order to see if they are really going to help us better define sexual dysfunction in women, and therefore be better able to help women seeking treatment."
At the B.C. Centre for Sexual Medicine in Vancouver, which is directed by Basson, some clinicians are diagnosing sexual dysfunction in women using both the revised definitions and the DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for female sexual arousal disorder, hypoactive sexual desire disorder and female orgasmic disorder to help determine which definitions are of benefit in guiding further research and therapy.
For women, the prevalence of manifest low levels of sexual interest varies with age (Lewis et al., 2004). Approximately 10% of women up to age 49 have a low level of desire, but the percentage climbs to 47% among 66- to 74-year-olds. Manifest lubrication disability is prevalent in 8% to 15% of women, although three studies reported prevalence of 21% to 28% in sexually active women. Manifest orgasmic dysfunction is prevalent in one-fourth of women ages 18 to 74, based on studies in the United States, Australia, England and Sweden. Vaginismus is prevalent in 6% of women, as reported in studies of two widely divergent cultures: Morocco and Sweden. The prevalence of manifest dyspareunia, according to different studies, ranges from 2% in elderly women to 20% in adult women generally (Lewis et al., 2004).
Disorders of sexual function in men include erectile dysfunction (ED), orgasm/ejaculation disorders, priapism and Peyronie's disease (Lue et al., 2004b). The prevalence of ED increases with age. In men age 40 and younger, the prevalence of ED is 1% to 9% (Lewis et al., 2004). The prevalence climbs to 20% to 40% in most men ages 60 to 69 and is 50% to 75% in men in their 70s and 80s. Prevalence rates for ejaculatory disturbances range from 9% to 31%.
Comprehensive AssessmentsEvaluation and treatment of sexual dysfunction problems in men and women need to include patient-physician dialogue, history taking (sexual, medical and psychosocial), focused physical examination, specific laboratory tests (as needed), specialist consultation and referral (as needed), shared decision making and treatment planning, and follow-up (Hatzichristou et al., 2004).
They warned, "Careful attention should always be paid to the presence of significant comorbidities or underlying etiologies." Potential etiologies for sexual dysfunction include a wide range of organic/medical factors, such as cardiovascular disease, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, and hypogonadism and/or psychiatric disorders, such as anxiety and depression. Additionally, organic and psychogenic factors may coexist. In some disorders, such as ED, diagnostic tests and procedures can be used to separate organically based cases from psychogenic cases. Medications that can cause problems in sexual functioning include antidepressants, conventional antipsychotics, benzodiazepines, antihypertensive drugs and even some medications for treating stomach acid and ulcers, Clayton noted to PT.
When treating patients with psychiatric disorders, Clayton said clinicians should also consider the presence of sexual dysfunction.
"If you look at depression, the most common complaint is a diminished libido associated with other symptoms of depression," she said. "Sometimes people have arousal problems as well. Orgasmic dysfunction with depression is usually related to the medications, not to the condition itself."
