Introduction
A Sexual Dysfunction is characterized by a disturbance in the processes that characterize the sexual response cycle or by pain associated with sexual intercourse. The sexual response cycle can be divided into the following phases:
1. Desire: This phase consists of fantasies about sexual activity and the desire to have sexual activity.
2. Excitement: This phase consists of a subjective sense of sexual pleasure and accompanying physiological changes. The major changes in the male consist of penile tumescence and erection. The major changes in the female consist of vasocongestion in the pelvis, vaginal lubrication and expansion, and swelling of the external genitalia.
3. Orgasm: This phase consists of a peaking of sexual pleasure, with release of sexual tension and rhythmic contraction of the perineal muscles and reproductive organs. In the male, there is the sensation of ejaculatory inevitability, which is followed by ejaculation of semen. In the female, there are contractions (not always subjectively experienced as such) of the wall of the outer third of the vagina. In both genders, the anal sphincter rhythmically contracts.
4. Resolution: This phase consists of a sense of muscular relaxation and general well-being. During this phase, males are physiologically refractory to further erection and orgasm for a variable period of time. In contrast, females may be able to respond to additional stimulation almost immediately.
Disorders of sexual response may occur at one or more of these phases. Whenever more than one Sexual Dysfunction is present, all are recorded. No attempt is made in the criteria sets to specify a minimum frequency or range of settings, activities, or types of sexual encounters in which the dysfunction must occur. This judgment must be made by the clinician, taking into account such factors as the age and experience of the individual, frequency and chronicity of the symptom, subjective distress, and effect on other areas of functioning. The words “persistent or recurrent” in the diagnostic criteria indicate the need for such a clinical judgment. If sexual stimulation is inadequate in either focus, intensity, or duration, the diagnosis of Sexual Dysfunction involving excitement or orgasm is not made.
Subtypes
Subtypes are provided to indicate the onset, context, and etiological factors associated with the Sexual Dysfunctions. If multiple Sexual Dysfunctions are present, the appropriate subtypes for each may be noted. These subtypes do not apply to a diagnosis of Sexual Dysfunction Due to a General Medical Condition or Substance-Induced Sexual Dysfunction.
One of the following subtypes may be used to indicate the nature of the onset of the Sexual Dysfunction:
Lifelong Type. This subtype applies if the sexual dysfunction has been present since the onset of sexual functioning.
Acquired Type. This subtype applies if the sexual dysfunction develops only after a period of normal functioning.
One of the following subtypes may be used to indicate the context in which the Sexual Dysfunction occurs:
Generalized Type. This subtype applies if the sexual dysfunction is not limited to certain types of stimulation, situations, or partners.
Situational Type. This subtype applies if the sexual dysfunction is limited to certain types of stimulation, situations, or partners. The specific situational pattern of the dysfunction may aid in the differential diagnosis. For example, normal masturbatory function in the presence of impaired partner relational functioning would suggest that a chief complaint of erectile dysfunction is more likely due to an interpersonal or intrapsychic problem rather than attributable to a general medical condition or a substance.
One of the following subtypes may be used to indicate etiological factors associated with the Sexual Dysfunction:
Due to Psychological Factors. This subtype applies when psychological factors are judged to have the major role in the onset, severity, exacerbation, or maintenance of the Sexual Dysfunction, and general medical conditions and substances play no role in the etiology of the Sexual Dysfunction.
Due to Combined Factors. This subtype applies when 1) psychological factors are judged to have a role in the onset, severity, exacerbation, or maintenance of the Sexual Dysfunction; and 2) a general medical condition or substance use is also judged to be contributory but is not sufficient to account for the Sexual Dysfunction. If a general medical condition or substance use (including medication side effects) is sufficient to account for the Sexual Dysfunction, Sexual Dysfunction Due to a General Medical Condition and/or Substance-Induced Sexual Dysfunction is diagnosed.
Associated Disorders
Sexual dysfunction may be associated with Mood Disorders and Anxiety Disorders (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Panic Disorder With Agoraphobia, and Specific Phobia).
Specific Culture, Age, and Gender Features
Clinical judgments about the presence of a Sexual Dysfunction should take into account the individual’s ethnic, cultural, religious, and social background, which may influence sexual desire, expectations, and attitudes about performance. For example, in some societies, sexual desires on the part of the female are given less relevance (especially when fertility is the primary concern). Aging may be associated with a lowering of sexual interest and functioning (especially in males), but there are wide individual differences in age effects.
Prevalence
There are few systematic epidemiological data regarding the prevalence of the various sexual dysfunctions, and these show extremely wide variability, probably reflecting differences in assessment methods, definitions used, and characteristics of sampled populations. The most comprehensive survey to date, conducted on a representative sample of the U.S. population between ages 18 and 59, suggests the following prevalence estimates for various sexual complaints: 3% for male dyspareunia, 15% for female dyspareunia, 10% for male orgasm problems, 25% for female orgasm problems, 33% for female hypoactive sexual desire, 27% for premature ejaculation, 20% for female arousal problems, and 10% for male erectile difficulties. Male erectile problems also increase in prevalence after age 50. It is unclear whether these sexual complaints would have met diagnostic criteria for a DSM-IV Sexual Disorder. Estimates of prevalence rates for sexual aversion, vaginismus, sexual dysfunctions due to a general medical condition, and substance-induced sexual dysfunctions are not available.
Differential Diagnosis
If the Sexual Dysfunction is judged to be caused exclusively by the physiological effects of a specified general medical condition, the diagnosis is Sexual Dysfunction Due to a General Medical Condition. This determination is based on history, laboratory findings, or physical examination. If the Sexual Dysfunction is judged to be caused exclusively by the physiological effects of a drug of abuse, a medication, or toxin exposure, the diagnosis is Substance-Induced Sexual Dysfunction. The clinician should inquire carefully about the nature and extent of substance use, including medications. Symptoms that occur during or shortly after (i.e., within 4 weeks of) Substance Intoxication or after medication use may be especially indicative of a Substance-Induced Sexual Dysfunction, depending on the type or amount of the substance used or the duration of use.
If the clinician has ascertained that the sexual dysfunction is due to both a general medical condition and substance use, both diagnoses (i.e., Sexual Dysfunction Due to a General Medical Condition and Substance-Induced Sexual Dysfunction) can be given. A primary Sexual Dysfunction diagnosis with the subtype Due to Combined Factors is made if a combination of psychological factors and either a general medical condition or a substance is judged to have an etiological role, but no one etiology is sufficient to account for the dysfunction. If the clinician cannot determine the etiological roles of psychological factors, a general medical condition, and substance use, Sexual Dysfunction Not Otherwise Specified is diagnosed.
The diagnosis of a Sexual Dysfunction is also not made if the dysfunction is better accounted for by another Axis I disorder (e.g., if diminished sexual desire occurs only in the context of a Major Depressive Episode). However, if the disturbance in sexual functioning antedates the Axis I disorder or is a focus of independent clinical attention, an additional diagnosis of Sexual Dysfunction can also be made. Commonly, if one Sexual Dysfunction is present (e.g., a Sexual Arousal Disorder), additional Sexual Dysfunctions will also be present (e.g., Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder). In such cases, all should be diagnosed. A Personality Disorder may coexist with a Sexual Dysfunction. In such cases, the Sexual Dysfunction should be recorded on Axis I and the Personality Disorder should be recorded on Axis II. If another clinical condition, such as a Relational Problem, is associated with the disturbance in sexual functioning, the Sexual Dysfunction should be diagnosed and the other clinical condition is also noted on Axis I. Occasional problems with sexual desire, arousal, or orgasm that are not persistent or recurrent or are not accompanied by marked distress or interpersonal difficulty are not considered to be Sexual Dysfunctions.
