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Sexual Dysfunction in Women

Leah N Delfinado, MD and Stephen Herre Echsner Jr., MD, MSPH Reviewed 05/2023
 


BASICS

  • Very common: ~40% of women surveyed in the United States have concerns regarding sexual function.

  • May present as a lack of sexual desire, impaired arousal, inability to achieve orgasm or pain wi...

DIAGNOSIS

  • Female Sexual Function Index, Brief Index of Sexual Functioning for Women, Brief Sexual Symptom Checklist, Decreased Sexual Desire Screener

  • The diagnosis requires that the sexual problem be r...

TREATMENT

  • Set realistic goals and expectations (1)[C]. Address underlying medical and psychiatric conditions [C].

  • If SSRIs, consider switching to an antidepressant with fewer sexual adverse effects or...

ONGOING CARE

FOLLOW-UP RECOMMENDATIONS

Lifestyle modifications and medication changes 

DIET

Weight reduction if overweight or obese 

PATIENT EDUCATION

  • American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselor...

REFERENCES

1
Kingsberg  SA, Woodard  T. Female sexual dysfunction: focus on low desire. Obstet Gynecol.  2015;125(2):477–486. [View Abstract on OvidMedline] ...

CODES

ICD10

  • R37 Sexual dysfunction, unspecified

  • F52.0 Hypoactive sexual desire disorder

  • N94.1 Dyspareunia

  • F52.31 Female orgasmic disorder

  • N94.2 Vaginismus

  • F52.6 Dyspareunia not due to a substance or known p...

CLINICAL PEARLS

  • Female sexual dysfunction is a common, complex, multifactorial problem.

  • Usually, patients with sexual dysfunction have a normal physical exam.

  • Symptoms of sexual dysfunction peak during ...

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