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Beauty and Anti-Aging

Sexual Dysfunction and Disorders

26 de enero de 2021

7 min de lectura

Sexual responses are complex and involve a variety of factors, including emotions, physiology, expectations, and relationship dynamics. Any number of issues can disrupt sexual desire, arousal, or satisfaction. At some point in their lives, approximately 43% of women and 31% of men will report some level of sexual dysfunction. Problems are more common after 40 years of age, due to age-related changes; however, it can occur at any age. Because of the complex nature of sexual response, treatment options will need to be matched to the underlying cause.

Many people do not feel comfortable talking about sexuality with their partner or doctor. This article provides a high-level overview of the causes of sexual dysfunction, as well as common treatments. After reading this, we hope you feel empowered and more open to discussing sexuality with your doctor and partner.

Categories of sexual dysfunction

Sexual dysfunction types are classified into 4 main categories of disorders:

Pain
Desire
Arousal
Orgasm

The type of disorder that a person has is determined by evaluating their symptoms.

Symptoms

Sexual dysfunction can manifest in several ways. Both men and women can lack in desire, struggle to become aroused, or have pain during intercourse. In addition, men can experience:

Lack of desire
Inability to become aroused
Erectile dysfunction (not able to achieve or maintain an erection)
Retarded ejaculation (delayed or lacking)
Premature ejaculation (early)

Women can experience:

Low vaginal lubrication
Constricted vaginal muscles that won’t allow intercourse
Inability to achieve orgasm.

Causes of sexual dysfunction

Sexual dysfunction can have single or multiple causes. These can be physical or psychological.

Physical: Chronic medical conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, chronic fatigue syndrome, cancer, diabetes, hormone imbalances (e.g., low testosterone), alcohol/drug abuse, and neurological disorders can all affect the way the body normally functions. These can affect the ability to become aroused as well as the ability for the sex organs to function optimally. In addition, some medications can cause issues with physical functioning and desire.
Antidepressants are the most well known causes of physical symptoms of sexual disorder. They can make it difficult to maintain an erection or to ejaculate.
Antihypertensives (blood pressure control) can decrease blood flow to the genitals and cause erectile dysfunction.
Hormones can cause decreases in sexual desire.
Psychological: Arousal and desire are often highly impacted by anxiety, depression, stress, feelings of guilt about sexuality, past sexual trauma, and poor body image.

Diagnosis and Treatment

Many people recognize when something is not working ideally in their or their partner’s ability to desire or enjoy sex. A health care provider can help assess the cause by taking a history of symptoms, looking over medication history, asking questions about attitudes and belief systems, and conducting a physical exam. Diagnostic tests may be used to rule out medical conditions that could be contributing.

Most cases of sexual dysfunction are treatable. The best treatments address the root cause of the issue for that person.

Medications can be used to treat underlying medical conditions or to restore hormone levels.
Erectile dysfunction medications are widely used to improve blood flow to the penis.
In premenopausal women, medications can be prescribed that improve sexual desire.
Mechanical devices can be used to help men achieve or maintain an errection (e.g., vacuum devices or penile implants), as well as to help correct narrowing of the vagina in women (dilators) or improve sexual enjoyment (vibrators).
Sex therapists can help individuals or couples work through any psychological causes, correct harmful behaviors, and improve their overall sexual relationship.
Therapists can help people address psychological causes, such as guilt, fear, anxiety, and poor body image.

While sexual dysfunction is not something many people are comfortable talking about, it is important to raise any issues with your partner or physician. This can allow a determination of the root cause and lead to the best treatment outcomes. Sexual dysfunction is a common medical concern, so you should not feel uncomfortable bringing it up to your doctor.

Sources

Order Title: Steroids

Title

Steroids

Body

Steroids are natural chemicals made by the human body. The term usually elicits images of body builders injecting themselves with hormones to increase their muscle gains. While that is one use (rather, abuse) of steroids, there are several others, some which are medically helpful. This article provides an overview of the uses, benefits, and risks of steroids.

The natural and unnatural functions of steroids

Steroids are naturally occurring hormones that circulate throughout the body. They must be present in the appropriate amounts, at the correct time, and in the proper location of the body to exert their intended effects. They are responsible for controlling a wide range of biologic activities, including:

growth of babies and children,
development of female and male sex characteristics,
regulation of the immune response,
managing the stress response,
regulating metabolism and hunger,
balancing blood electrolytes,
supporting pregnancy, and
moderating behavior.

These most well known natural hormones include testosterone, estrogen, and glucocorticoids (i.e., cortisol).

Scientists have learned how to use synthetic versions of these natural hormones to treat medical conditions. Like many medications, people have learned how to abuse these medications, which can be dangerous.

Types of synthetic steroid medications

Corticosteroids

The human adrenal glands produce a hormone called cortisol, which prevents the immune system from over reacting and causing too much inflammation. Synthetic medicines called corticosteroids mimic this natural function of cortisol. Examples of corticosteroids include cortisone, dexamethasone, prednisone, prednisolone, and methylprednisone.

Corticosteroids are used to treat a variety of conditions that result from excess inflammation in one or more places of the body. These include asthma, Crohn’s disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD), eczema, lupus, multiple sclerosis, skin rashes, rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis, and some kinds of cancer. Depending on the use, these medications can be taken a low or high doses; orally, by injection, by inhaler, by nasal spray, or topically (applied directly to the skin); and for long-term or short-term use.

The side effect a person may experience depends on how long the medication is taken and the dose level. Short-term side effects can cause acne, changes in blood pressure and blood sugar, difficulty sleeping, a puffy face, nausea, mood changes, skin thinning, excess bodily hair growth, and weight gain. Long-term side effects, particularly when taking high doses of steroids, include slowed growth in children, osteoporosis (weak bones), muscle weakness, increased risk of diabetes, development of cataracts, and adrenal insufficiency (a life-threatening condition in which the body loses its natural ability to regulate glucocorticoids). In addition, because corticosteroids function by inhibiting the immune system, people are more likely to get infections when they are taking them.

Anabolic Steroids

Anabolic steroids are synthetic versions of the naturally occurring male sex hormone, testosterone. “Anabolic” refers to muscle building. They are taken by mouth or by injection into muscle. Doctors prescribe anabolic steroids to treat conditions where the body is not producing enough of this hormone on its own. This includes boys who have not started puberty when expected, adult men with low testosterone, and males and females who have lost muscle mass due to another medical condition.

Like many medications, it is possible abuse them in order to exploit the benefits. Athletes find that performance is enhanced and muscle gains are increased. These abusers of testosterone typically take much higher doses – sometimes as much as 100 times the prescribed dose. While this is able to substantially help athletic performance, it comes with a price. The side effects can be severe.

Short-term, immediate side effects can include:

paranoid or delusional behavior,
extreme irritability and aggressive behavior (“roid rage”), and
poor judgement.

Long-term side effects are even more dangerous and can lead to serious health problems:

kidney damage or failure,
liver damage or cancer,
enlarged heart,
high blood pressure,
increased risk of stroke or blood clots,
shrunken testicles and decreased sperm count,
baldness and thinning hair,
growth excessive facial or body hair (females),
changes in breast size (increases for men and decreases for women),
changes to the menstrual cycle, and
deepened voice.

Teenagers are particularly at risk for stunted growth, which may not be reversible.

Overall, the use of steroids can be positive and offer many health benefits. However, overuse and abuse can be dangerous. Any steroid medication should only be taken when prescribed and monitored by a physician. If you have abused anabolic steroids, a physician should be consulted to help you stop taking it, as the doses need to be safely tappered down to avoid harsh and potentially dangerous withdrawal symptoms. People should not feel embarassed to talk their physician if they are addicted to anabolic steroids, because the phsycian will want to help them safely overcome the addiction.

Sources

Información general, no consejo médico

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En esta página

Categories of sexual dysfunction

Symptoms

Causes of sexual dysfunction

Diagnosis and Treatment

Sources

Order Title: Steroids

Title

Body

The natural and unnatural functions of steroids

Types of synthetic steroid medications