PSY 215: Psychopathology/Abnormal Psych - Ch. 11

Sexual Dysfunction

A disorder marked by a persistent inability to function normally in some area of the sexual response cycle.

Desire phase

The phase of the sexual response cycle consisting of an urge to have sex, sexual fantasies, and sexual attraction to others.

Male hypoactive sexual desire disorder

A male dysfunction marked by a persistent reduction or lack of interest in sex.

Female sexual interest/arousal disorder

A female dysfunction marked by a persistent reduction or lack of interest in sex, as well as, in some cases, limited excitement and few sexual sensations during sexual activity.

Excitement phase

The phase of the sexual response cycle marked by changes in the pelvic region, general physical arousal, and increases in heart rate, muscle tension, blood pressure, and rate of breathing.

Erectile disorder

A dysfunction in which a man repeatedly fails to attain or maintain an erection during sexual activity.

Nocturnal penile tumescence (NPT)

Erection during sleep.

Performance anxiety

The fear of performing inadequately and a related tension that are experienced during sex.

Spectator role

A state of mind that some people experience during sex, focusing on their sexual performance to such an extent that their performance and their enjoyment are reduced.

Orgasm phase

The phase of the sexual response cycle during which a person’s sexual pleasure peaks and sexual tension is released as muscles in the pelvic region contract rhythmically.

Premature ejaculation

A dysfunction in which a man persistently reaches orgasm and ejaculates within one minute of beginning sexual activity with a partner and before he wishes to.

Delayed ejaculation

A male dysfunction characterized by persistent inability to ejaculate or very delayed ejaculations during sexual activity with a partner.

Female orgasmic disorder

A dysfunction in which a woman persistently fails to reach orgasm, has very low-intensity orgasms, or has very delayed orgasms.

Sexual inhibition

Worries about one’s sexual performance, negative thoughts regarding sex, and distractibility during sex that may lead to sexual dysfunction in the orgasm phase (particularly in women).

Genito-pelvic pain/penetration disorder

A sexual dysfunction characterized by significant physical discomfort during intercourse.

Vaginismus

The medical term for involuntary contraction of the muscles around the outer third of the vagina, preventing penile penetration. Common cause of genito-pelvic pain/penetration disorder.

Dyspareunia

Severe vaginal or pelvic pain that occurs during sexual intercourse. Common cause of genito-pelvic pain/penetration disorder.

Sex therapy

Form of therapy designed to help clients function better sexually and achieve a higher level of sexual satisfaction and psychological well-being.

1^st principle of sex therapy - Assessing and conceptualizing the problem.

Patients are medically examined and interviewed about their sexual history. Therapist focuses on gathering information about past and current factors contributing to sexual dysfunction.

2^nd principle of sex therapy - Mutual responsibility

Therapists stress that both people in the relationship share the sexual problem no matter who has the actual dysfunction, so treatment is more successful when both people are in therapy.

3^rd principle of sex therapy - Education about sexuality

Therapists may discuss and offer educational materials regarding the physiology/techniques of sexual activity, as many who suffer from sexual dysfunctions know very little about said topics.

4^th principle of sex therapy - Emotion identification

Therapists help patients recognize/express upsetting emotions tied to past events that may be interfering with sexual arousal/enjoyment.

5^th principle of sex therapy - Attitude change

Therapists help patients examine/alter any beliefs about sexuality that are preventing sexual arousal and pleasure.

6^th principle of sex therapy - Mindfulness

Therapists provide mindfulness training to clients and help them employ this technique in the sexual realm so that they can develop a heightened awareness of the negative thoughts/feelings that cross their minds during sex.

7^th principle of sex therapy - Elimination of performance anxiety and the spectator role

Therapists teach sensate focus/nondemand pleasuring in which the partners focus on the sexual pleasure that can be achieved by exploring and caressing each other’s body at home, without demands to have intercourse or reach orgasm — demands that may be interfering with arousal.

8^th principle of sex therapy - Increasing sexual and general communication skills

Therapists help clients apply learned sensate-focus skills to new sexual techniques and positions at home and may provide further training to better communication.

9^th principle of sex therapy - Changing destructive lifestyles and couple interactions

Therapist may encourage a change in lifestyle/other measures to improve a situation that may be having a destructive effect on a couple’s relationship.

10^th principle of sex therapy - Addressing physical and medical factors

Therapist may encourage increased physical activity or the seeking of medical attention for certain physiological issues that may be causing sexual dysfunction.

Affectual awareness

Sexual disorder treatment technique where patients visualize sexual scenes in order to discover any feelings of anxiety, vulnerability, and other negative emotions they may have concerning sex.

Self-instruction training

Sexual disorder treatment technique where patients learn to replace negative statements during sex with “coping statements,” such as “I can allow myself to enjoy sex; it doesn’t mean I’ll lose control.”

Sensate focus

Also known as "nondemand pleasuring," a sexual disorder treatment technique where therapists teach couples a series of sensual tasks in which the partners focus on the sexual pleasure that can be achieved by exploring and caressing each other’s body at home, without demands to have intercourse or reach orgasm — demands that may be interfering with arousal.

Sildenafil (Viagra)

One of the drugs used to treat erectile disorder that helps increase blood flow to the penis during sexual activity.

Directed masturbation training

A sex therapy approach that teaches women with female arousal or orgasmic problems how to masturbate effectively and eventually to reach orgasm during sexual interactions.

Paraphilia

A pattern in which a person has recurrent and intense sexual urges, fantasies, or behaviors involving nonhuman objects, children, or nonconsenting adults, or experiences of suffering or humiliation.

Paraphilic disorder

A disorder in which a person’s paraphilia causes great distress, interferes with social or occupational activities, or has placed the person or others at risk of harm.

Antiandrogens

Drugs that lower the production of testosterone and reduce sexual drive.

Fetishistic disorder

A paraphilic disorder consisting of recurrent and intense sexual urges, fantasies, or behaviors that involve the use of a nonliving object or nongenital part, often to the exclusion of all other stimuli, accompanied by clinically significant distress or impairment.

Aversion therapy

Treatment technique for fetishistic disorders where therapists attempt to train patients to associate their unwanted desire with an unpleasant stimulus. Can be achieved in vivo or through imagination.

Masturbatory satiation

Treatment technique for fetishistic disorders where the patient is instructed to masturbate to orgasm while fantasizing about a sexually appropriate object, then switch to fantasizing about fetishistic objects while masturbating again for an hour. The procedure is meant to produce a feeling of boredom, which in turn becomes linked to the fetishistic object.

Transvestic disorder

A paraphilic disorder consisting of repeated and intense sexual urges, fantasies, or behaviors that involve dressing in clothes of the opposite sex, accompanied by clinically significant distress or impairment.

Exhibitionistic disorder

A paraphilic disorder in which persons have repeated sexually arousing urges or fantasies about exposing their genitals to others, and either act on these urges with nonconsenting individuals or experience clinically significant distress or impairment.

Voyeuristic disorder

A paraphilic disorder in which a person has repeated and intense sexual desires to observe unsuspecting people in secret as they undress or to spy on couples having intercourse, and either acts on these urges with nonconsenting people or experiences clinically significant distress or impairment.

Frotteuristic disorder

A paraphilic disorder in which a person has repeated and intense sexual urges or fantasies that involve touching and rubbing against a nonconsenting person, and either acts on these urges with the nonconsenting person or experiences clinically significant distress or impairment.

Pedophilic disorder

A paraphilic disorder in which a person has repeated and intense sexual urges or fantasies about watching, touching, or engaging in sexual acts with children, and either acts on these urges or experiences clinically significant distress or impairment.

Relapse-prevention training

Cognitive-behavioral treatment for pedophilic disorder where clients identify the kinds of situations that typically trigger their pedophilic fantasies and actions and then learn strategies for avoiding those situations or coping with them more appropriately and effectively.

Sexual masochism disorder

A paraphilic disorder in which a person has repeated and intense sexual urges, fantasies, or behaviors that involve being humiliated, beaten, bound, or otherwise made to suffer, accompanied by clinically significant distress or impairment.

Hypoxyphilia

A form of sexual masochism disorder where people strangle/smother themselves (or as their partner to strangle them) in order to enhance their sexual pleasure.

Sexual sadism disorder

A paraphilic disorder in which a person has repeated and intense sexual urges or fantasies that involve inflicting suffering on others, and either acts on these urges with nonconsenting individuals or experiences clinically significant distress or impairment.

Cisgender

Individuals who feel like and identify as male or female and whose gender identity is consistent with their assigned gender.

Nonbinary

Individuals who identify as neither male nor female, but rather as a blend of both or as neither.

Gender fluid

Individuals whose identities are not fixed, and instead display different mixtures of gender characteristics over time.

Intersex

Individuals who are born with a combination of sex organs, reproductive organs, sex characteristics, chromosomes, and hormones that are ambiguous/inconsistent with each other.

Transgender

Individuals who have a strong sense that their gender identity is different from their assigned gender.

Hormone administration

Treatment technique for gender identity and birth-assigned gender incongruence where patients are prescribed hormonal treatments that either enhance the sex hormones of their identifying gender, suppress the sex hormones of their non-identifying gender, or both.

Gender-affirming surgery

A surgical procedure that changes a person’s sex organs and gender features.

Gender dysphoria

A disorder in which a person persistently feels clinically significant distress or impairment due to their assigned gender and strongly wishes to be a member of another gender.