The one of the most commonly encountered women’s sexual health problem is the sexual arousal disorder. It is a condition wherein there is decreased, insufficient, or no lubrication in women during sexual activities and sexual contact. It commonly leads to loss of interest in sex, more commonly in women the farther along they age and when they approach menopause.
Symptoms of arousal disorder may vary with different women. Some may have difficulty getting or staying aroused, some may have problems reaching an orgasm. Some may experience pain during sex or orgasm, and this may interfere with her desire for intercourse. But what causes arousal disorders?
Studies show that a lot of factors contribute to female sexual arousal disorder and female orgasmic disorder. These factors are mainly:
· Psychological factors. Sexual arousal disorders may have rooted from traumatic events that have happened during a woman’s childhood and adolescent years. Stress, fatigue, and anxiety may also cause the body to be unresponsive to sexual stimulation. Some women who’ve recently had uterine and breast operations may develop a poor sexual self-image and also end up “drying up” during sex. Also, women who feel guilty about having sexual pleasure, have an extreme fear of intimacy may have problems enjoying the sexual act and therefore produce no lubrication in the process.
· Physical factors. Medical conditions related to the female reproductive system such as endometriosis (growth of endometrial tissue outside the uterus), cystitis (inflammation or infection of the lining of the urinary bladder), or vaginitis (inflammation of the vaginal wall) may become a cause for an arousal disorder. Other diseases like diabetes, endocrine or hormone problems, and neurologic disorders can also cause a woman to dry up during sex. Prescription medications like oral contraceptives, tranquilizers, antidepressants, and anti-hypertensives can have side effects that affect a woman’s response to sexual stimulation. Substance abuse such as alcoholism and drug addiction can make a woman lose sexual desire and drive.
There are a lot of ways to treat the female sexual arousal disorder. If there is an underlying medical condition that causes the disorder, treating it may solve the arousal problem. Sometimes, hormonal treatments using estrogen and low doses of testosterone may raise a woman’s sex drive and correct her body’s response to sexual stimulation. Ridding yourself of the psychological causes may also improve a woman’s sexual response. Counseling and psychotherapy can help resolve underlying psychological issues. Relaxation exercises may also relieve the stress that’s causing the arousal problem. If medications are causing the dryness, consult your doctor and tell them of what you’re experiencing so that they can adjust your medications or change it so that it doesn’t interfere with your sex life. For women who do not have problems with sexual arousal but rather only with inadequate lubrication, the use of lubricants and similar products may help. Longer foreplay may also prove beneficial.
