11th April 2024

Sexual dysfunction in females

Definition and prevalence

Female sexual dysfunction includes a spectrum of disorders that are often multi-factorial in nature: sexual interest and arousal disorder (SIAD), female orgasmic disorder (FOD) and genito-pelvic penetration pain disorder (GPPPD), which includes dyspareunia and vaginismus. The exact prevalence of female sexual dysfunction is uncertain, as most studies have historically focused on male sexual dysfunction, but it is estimated to be between 11% overall and 41% in premenopausal women. There are 3 criteria for diagnosing a sexual disorder: (1) symptoms present for at least 6 months; (2) symptoms are experienced in ≥75% of sexual encounters; (3) symptoms have caused significant distress.

The aetiology of sexual dysfunction is often multifactorial and involves psychological, contextual, pharmacological and physiological factors. For instance, SIAD is strongly linked to mood disorders, such as depression and anxiety, in addition to PTSD and previous experience of abuse. GPPPD can be predominantly psychological in origin (as in vaginismus) but can also be due to surgical, medical and pharmacological causes (see Table 3).

Table 3. Non-psychological causes of female sexual dysfunction.

References

• UpToDate. Overview of sexual dysfunction in females: Epidemiology, risk factors and evaluation. Last revised May 2022. Available at https://www.uptodate.com/contents/overview-of-sexual-dysfunction-in-females-epidemiology-risk-factors-and-evaluation?search=sexual%20dysfunction%20in%20women&source=search_result&selectedTitle=2~150&usage_type=default&display_rank=2#H12.
• BMJ Best Practice. Sexual dysfunction in women. Last revised December 2022. Available at https://bestpractice.bmj.com/topics/en-gb/352.
• Burri, A., & Spector, T. (2011). Recent and lifelong sexual dysfunction in a female UK population sample: prevalence and risk factors. The journal of sexual medicine, 8(9), 2420–2430. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1743-6109.2011.02341.x.