The 8 most common sexual problems and how to treat them

What are the most common disorders and dysfunctions among the Western population?

Both men and women can experience a wide variety of sexual dysfunctions.. Some of these disorders involve pain, difficulty reaching orgasm or difficulty maintaining sexual arousal.

Suffering from sexual problems is a complex experience, because many times this situation not only affects the person who suffers from it, but also his or her partner. Although sex therapy psychologists deal daily with patients who come to their offices for this type of disorders, many individuals find it difficult to take the step and seek professional help, mainly because of the embarrassment they feel.

Main sexual problems

What are the main sexual problems suffered by both men and women? What disorders affect the sexual well-being of a person or a couple?

In the following lines you can find a list of the most common sexual problems and how to treat them.

1. Sexual desire disorder

Lack of interest in sex, or lack of sexual desire, is a common problem in both sexes.However, it is more common among women. In fact, it is considered the most common sexual dysfunction in the female sex, reaching an incidence of 33% between the ages of 18 and 59 and up to 45% at menopause. This apathy not only includes disinterest in sex, but also in all sexual behavior, such as masturbation.

The causes can be both physical and psychological. Regarding the latter, the following stand out: relationship problems, other sexual dysfunctions (vaginismus, erectile dysfunction, etc.), mood disorders, anxiety and stress, fatigue or monotony.

2. Erectile Dysfunction

Erectile dysfunction is the inability of a man to achieve and/or maintain an erection of the penis and, therefore, to have satisfactory intercourse. and, therefore, to have satisfactory intercourse. It is one of the most feared sexual problems among men, and can have a severe impact on the affected person's life, especially on his self-esteem and interpersonal relationships.

It occurs for different reasons, although performance anxiety is one of the psychological origins that can cause this sexual limitation and that turns this problem into a vicious circle from which it is difficult to escape.

• If you want to know more about this disorder, you can read the article written by the Mensalus Psychology Center: "Erectile dysfunction (impotence): what it is and how to treat it".

3. Sexual arousal disorder in women

Arousal disorder in women refers to the inability to experience physiological changes during sexual arousal, such as vaginal lubrication, accelerated heartbeat and muscle tension, a situation that lasts throughout sexual activity.such as vaginal lubrication, accelerated heartbeat and muscle tension; a situation that lasts for the duration of sexual activity. As with erectile dysfunction, arousal disorder in women has a high incidence.

The psychological factors that are most important in the appearance of this sexual problem are the anticipated fear of having a new sexual failure and the anxiety that this fear provokes.

4. Vaginismus

Vaginismus is a female sexual dysfunction characterized by the impossibility of achieving vaginal penetration due to contraction of the vaginal muscles. due to the contraction of the muscles surrounding the entrance of the vagina. It occurs due to a reflex spasm that causes the muscles in this area to contract, thus causing the vaginal opening to close.

The cause is usually found in the fact that some women associate penetration with the sensation of danger. The anxiety that derives from this situation causes a tension response that makes it impossible to relax the vaginal musculature.

5. Premature ejaculation

Premature ejaculation is a disorder of the male orgasm in which the male expels semen prematurely, without his desiring to do so, in an unwanted way.It is recurrent and unwanted, in response to sexual stimulation either before, during or after penetration. It can arise from a variety of causes, with psychological factors being predominant.

Psychological causes include: low self-esteem, performance anxiety, depression, anxiety and nervousness.

6. Anorgasmia

Anorgasmia is another type of orgasm disorder that affects both men and women.However, it is more frequent in the case of the latter (female anargosmia). It is defined as an absence or delay of orgasm during normal sexual activity, and as in the previous case, psychological factors usually predominate over organic ones.

• If you want to go deeper into the causes and consequences of this disorder, you can read our article: "Female anorgasmia (inability to reach orgasm): causes and treatment".

7. Pain disorder

Dyspareunia is persistent and recurrent pain in the pelvic area during or shortly after penetration, erection or ejaculation.It can be experienced by both men and women, although it is more common in women (female dyspareunia). Scientific studies conclude that approximately 12% of women suffer from it. Female dyspareunia usually appears associated with vaginismus problems.

8. Sex aversion disorder

People suffering from this disorder, also called sexual rejection, actively and passively avoid all genital contact.. The cause usually lies in extreme anxiety and panic before the sexual act. It tends to occur more frequently in women.

How to deal with sexual problems

Talking about sexual problems can be difficult, largely because people in this situation may feel ashamed, guilty, failed and defeated both in life and in front of their partners. This circumstance only fuels the disorder, as the individual enters a vicious cycle that is difficult to escape from.

Therefore, the best option is to seek professional help, either in person or remotely.. In the majority of occasions the sexual disorders have a psychological origin, and therefore the sexual psychotherapy is an effective way to treat these problems and in this way to overcome the suffering and to improve the well-being.

Some therapeutic procedures

This is a summary of the most common forms of therapeutic intervention to help people with affective-sexual problems of totally or partially psychological causes.

Cognitive restructuring

Many times, the inability to fully enjoy sexuality has to do with dysfunctional beliefs that lead to repression, especially those that maintain a low level of self-esteem, complexes about one's own body, etc.

In therapy, we help to get rid of these beliefs through procedures such as Socratic dialogue or the ascending arrow technique, associated with an intervention known as cognitive restructuring, which, as its name suggests, is based on modifying schemes of thought and interpretation of reality.

2. Pleasure training

This is a particularly useful technique in sexual relations in the context of the couple. It is based on de-genitalizing relationships and making intimate moments based on other forms of interaction.

3. Semans Stop and Start Technique

This is a technique specifically designed to treat premature ejaculation problems. It helps to improve "stamina" through progressive training of increasing difficulty.

4. Counseling and psychoeducation

In the sexological intervention sessions we also Theoretical and practical aspects related to sexuality are informed to people, something very necessary considering the lack of information in this area, partly due to the taboo with everything related to sex.This is very necessary considering the lack of information in this area, partly due to the taboo on everything related to sex.

5. Stimulus exposure techniques

This type of procedure is very useful to solve sexual dysfunctions based on anxiety and reactions associated with stress, such as vaginismus. It consists of generating habituation to anxiogenic situations, allowing to lose the fear of them..

Bibliographical references:

• Bancroft, J. (2009). Human Sexuality and Its Problems. Edinburgh: Elsevier.
• Eden, K.J.; Wylie K.R. (2009). Quality of sexual life and menopause. Women's Health. 5(4): pp. 385 - 396.
• Kaplan, H.S. (1974). The New Sex Therapy: Active Treatment Of Sexual Dysfunctions, New York: Brunner/Mazel.
• Masters, W.H. & Johnson, V.E. (1996). Human sexual response. Buenos Aires: Inter-médica.
• Michetti, P.M; Rossi, R.; Bonanno, D.; Tiesi, A.; Simonelli, C. (2005). Male sexuality and regulation of emotions: a study on the association between alexithymia and Erectile Dysfunction (ED). International Journal of Impotence Research. 18(2): pp. 170 - 174.
• Wright, J.J.; O'Connor, K.M. (May 2015). Female sexual dysfunction. The Medical Clinics of North America. 99(3): pp. 607 - 628.