Sexual disorders in women, also known as frigidity, can have numerous causes and must be treated, as in many cases they do not get better on their own, but get worse. There are many reasons for sexual dysfunction.
What are sexual disorders (frigidity)?
The term frigidity refers to all disorders related to women’s sexuality. Frigidity actually refers to a woman’s emotional coldness and can express itself in a blockage of sexual desire or in an insignificance of sexual sensitivity.
Specifically, this is the reduction in libido, a disturbance in sexual arousal and a limited ability to have an orgasm. Pain during sexual intercourse often occurs with frigidity. For hernia in dictionary, please visit dictionaryforall.com.
In the rarest of cases, these are physical disorders. Sexual disorders are common in women, although exact numbers are not yet known.
Causes
Frigidity is when problems with sexual intercourse persist over a long period of time. Causes can be hormonal disorders, mental illnesses such as post-traumatic stress disorders or depression.
Drug side effects can also be the cause. The reasons why women have never had positive sexual experiences in their lives can lie in early childhood, in sexual abuse or in an upbringing that was hostile to sex. Rejection of one’s own body and fears often arise.
Sometimes women suffer from sexual disorders after childbirth, which are based on a change in life situation or hormonal changes. This is almost always temporary frigidity. Problems from everyday life can carry over into the sexual relationship, lack of communication regarding sexual needs, monotony in the relationship, and lack of tenderness can have a negative impact.
When women come to terms with their partner’s lack of empathy, sexual dysfunction can develop. When a partner has a sexual disorder, both partners are always involved. This realization is the first step towards change.
Symptoms, Ailments & Signs
Frigidity includes organic sexual dysfunction and psychological sexual dysfunction. The symptoms are correspondingly diverse. Thus, in the case of constant sexual displeasure, we speak of appetence. Affected women hardly have any sexual needs or fantasies. Attempts to get close by potential sexual partners are warded off and avoidance behavior develops.
The feelings of the affected women are very different and range from disgust to fear of failure. Sexual dysfunction can also occur as a symptom of frigidity. A lack of physical arousal despite the presence of sexual stimuli is possible. This leads to poor or no lubrication of the vagina and sometimes to pain during the act. This also promotes sexual reluctance.
Also, the woman’s sexual disorder can only show up in the act itself. For example, it is possible that a vaginal spasm will occur. Such a vaginismus can be very painful. Unexplained pain after intercourse is also possible.
Symptoms can also directly affect a woman’s sexual experience. It can happen that sexual stimuli are not perceived as pleasant or not at all. A reduced or absent ability to experience an orgasm is also possible. Sometimes an orgasm can be experienced but not enjoyed.
Diagnosis & History
At the beginning of the diagnosis of a sexual disorder there is a therapeutic discussion. The spontaneous statements about the feelings of the woman are particularly important. Existing conflicts can be seen from this. After the conversation, the distinction is made as to whether it is a pathological disorder or whether the expectations of the partners are too high.
If the woman reports pain during sexual intercourse, a physical examination is carried out to rule out organic causes. In some cases, a sexual disorder resolves itself with increased sexual experience or meeting a new partner.
If the course is chronic, sexual trauma or other physical causes should be investigated. In most cases, couples therapy improves the situation.
Complications
Sexual disorders in women can lead to various complications and complaints. First and foremost, this usually leads to a lack of sexual desire and thus possibly to tension and problems in the relationship with one’s partner. These disorders can also lead to psychological problems, depression or general irritability.
Furthermore, in many cases the woman can suffer from pain during sexual intercourse, so that she cannot reach orgasm either. Although women’s sexual disorders do not have a particularly negative effect on their health, they can significantly reduce and limit the patient’s psychological stability and zest for life.
The treatment of sexual disorders in women depends largely on their causes. Medication or creams can also be used to relieve the pain significantly. However, in many cases psychological treatments or couples therapy are also necessary to combat these disorders.
It is usually not possible to predict whether the course of the disease will be completely positive. In the case of traumatic disorders in particular, it can take a long time for the woman’s sexual disorders to be treated. The patient’s life expectancy is usually not reduced or otherwise affected by the disorder.
When should you go to the doctor?
Sexual disorders in women are the reason for a doctor’s visit from the moment when the affected woman feels uncomfortable and affects her sex life. Of course, the partner is often the reason for a medical examination, because in the case of sexual disorders, it is usually the partner with a normal sex drive who suffers from the problem. The right contact person for sexual disorders in women is the gynecologist ; the family doctor can also be consulted, but he will refer you to a specialist.
The gynecologist will first ask in what form the sexual disorders occur, i.e. whether it is, for example, listlessness, fear of pain or another trigger. He will then carry out investigations to rule out that the cause is organic. In women who use hormonal contraception for a long time, a side effect of the contraceptive must also be considered.
If a physical cause is identified, the gynecologist can either treat it himself or refer the patient to a suitable specialist who specializes in the problem – the sexual disorders then improve when the cause is treated. If the gynecologist comes to the conclusion that there is no underlying physical disease, he can refer the affected patient to a psychologist if necessary, who will explore the causes of the problem with her and develop a solution.
Treatment & Therapy
If the physical examination by a gynecologist does not bring any results, psychotherapy or couple therapy must be carried out to get to the bottom of the causes in the emotional and partnership area. Therapy focuses on the causes on the part of the woman. Counseling sessions on the subject of sexuality provide basic information about sexual intercourse, break down inhibitions and correct misconceptions.
Furthermore, the perception of one’s own body is changed, erroneous sexual behavior patterns are changed. In most cases, both partners are treated, even if only one partner has a mental disorder. Sexual desires and ideas are discussed, wrong expectations corrected.
On a physical level, there is the possibility of using hormone preparations to influence the amount of vaginal fluid if there is pain during sexual intercourse. If the disorder is based on traumatic experiences such as abuse in childhood, it is often treated in individual therapy.
Prevention
A general prevention of sexual disorders does not exist. If you have the feeling that something is wrong in your sexuality, you should seek a conversation with your partner at an early stage. Those who remain silent about unfulfilled needs risk fears of expectation that further block sexuality. If you deal intensively and without shame with your own body and its needs, you can counteract sexual disorders.
Aftercare
In the case of sexual disorders in women, several aftercare measures are necessary in most cases. The decisive factors here are the primary disease on which the frigidity is based and the respective therapeutic approach. Irrespective of the diagnosed organic causes, long-term marital or couple therapy is advisable if the sexual disorder puts a strain on the partnership. This can last for several years.
In the case of mental disorders or trauma, intensive psychotherapy is also necessary. The woman in question should see a therapist at least weekly for a period of several years. The intervals between sessions vary according to need and progress. In some cases, inpatient hospital stays are required. However, sexual disorders in women often have organic causes.
In these cases, intensive follow-up examinations are usually necessary. These are usually performed by the gynaecologist. Depending on the underlying disease, however, they can also be carried out by an endocrinologist, neurologist or general practitioner. Blood or urine tests are often ordered.
Sometimes an abdominal ultrasound is needed. Other imaging methods are rarely used. The relevant doctor decides on the frequency of the tests and the intervals between the check-ups. In many cases, follow-up examinations are still necessary for a few months, sometimes even years after the initial treatment of the sexual disorders.
You can do that yourself
If a woman’s desire for sex dwindles, this can have a significant impact on her general well-being. First of all, it is advisable to find out the cause of the problem. The causes of the disease are often based on psychological backgrounds, for example depression due to a traumatic event. If this is the case, psychotherapy should be sought.
Partners often find it difficult to deal with frigidity. In this case, it is advised to make the person concerned want to have sex again, for example by talking about preferences and/or by trying out new sex practices. The beautiful sides of an intact sex life should be brought to light. Partners can cause this by creating relaxation in the woman with intensive massages. It is important to support the person concerned and not to put pressure on them. Partners should find out the cause and try to fix it if possible.
There is also the possibility that the listlessness occurs due to illness. The lack of orgasms and the vagina getting wet can be indications of this. The causes can be found out with a specialist and treated with medication. It is important to support your partner in this situation and not to put pressure on her.
