CH-10-Sexual Dysfunctions, Paraphilic Disorders, & Gender Dysphoria – Comprehensive Study Notes

Key vocabulary covering normal sexuality, sexual dysfunctions, paraphilic disorders, assessment/treatment methods and gender dysphoria.

The sequence of desire, arousal, plateau, orgasm and resolution that characterises human sexual functioning.

Sexual Response Cycle

Sexual Dysfunction

Difficulty functioning adequately while having sex; problems can occur in desire, arousal, orgasm or involve pain.

Male Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder

Persistently deficient or absent sexual thoughts or desire causing distress in males.

Female Sexual Interest/Arousal Disorder

Persistent lack of sexual interest or arousal in females, including absent desire, thoughts, initiation and lubrication.

Erectile Disorder

Difficulty attaining or maintaining an erection sufficient for sexual activity.

Delayed Ejaculation

Marked delay, infrequency, or absence of ejaculation despite adequate stimulation.

Premature (Early) Ejaculation

Ejaculation occurring within about 1 minute of penetration and before it is desired.

Female Orgasmic Disorder

Marked delay, infrequency or absence of orgasm, or markedly reduced orgasmic sensation in women.

Genito-Pelvic Pain/Penetration Disorder

Persistent pain, fear, tension, or difficulty with vaginal penetration; includes vaginismus.

Vaginismus

Involuntary spasms of the outer third of the vagina that interfere with penetration.

Sensate Focus

Sex-therapy exercise of non-demand pleasuring to reduce performance anxiety and increase erotic awareness.

Squeeze Technique

Behavioural method for premature ejaculation in which pressure is applied to the penis to delay orgasm.

Covert Sensitization

Imaginal therapy pairing deviant fantasies with aversive consequences to reduce paraphilic arousal.

Orgasmic Reconditioning

Behavioural procedure that pairs appropriate fantasies with masturbation just before orgasm to shift arousal patterns.

Paraphilia

Intense, persistent sexual interest in non-normative objects, situations or individuals.

Paraphilic Disorder

A paraphilia that causes distress/impairment or entails harm or risk of harm to others.

Fetishistic Disorder

Sexual arousal from non-living objects or highly specific nongenital body parts.

Partialism

Variant of fetishism in which a specific body part (e.g., feet) is the focus of sexual arousal.

Frotteuristic Disorder

Sexual arousal from touching or rubbing against a non-consenting person, typically in crowds.

Voyeuristic Disorder

Arousal from observing unsuspecting people who are naked, disrobing or engaging in sex.

Exhibitionistic Disorder

Sexual arousal from exposing one’s genitals to unsuspecting strangers.

Transvestic Disorder

Sexual arousal from cross-dressing that causes distress or impairment.

Autogynephilia

Sexual arousal in a natal male by the thought or image of oneself as a female.

Sexual Sadism Disorder

Sexual arousal from inflicting physical or psychological suffering on another person.

Sexual Masochism Disorder

Sexual arousal from being humiliated, beaten, bound or otherwise made to suffer.

Pedophilic Disorder

Intense sexually arousing fantasies, urges or behaviours involving sexual activity with prepubescent children.

Incest

Sexual activity between close relatives; considered a form of pedophilia when minors are involved.

Hypoxiphilia

Self-strangulation or oxygen restriction to intensify sexual arousal and orgasm.

Erotophobia

Learned negative attitudes and anxiety about sexual cues, contributing to dysfunction.

Sexual Self-Schema

Core beliefs about one’s own sexuality; influences arousal, behaviour and satisfaction.

Fraternal Birth-Order Hypothesis

Observation that having older biological brothers increases the probability of male homosexuality.

Gender Dysphoria

Distress due to incongruence between one’s experienced/expressed gender and assigned (natal) sex.

Transman / Transwoman

A natal female living as a man (transman) or a natal male living as a woman (transwoman).

Sex Reassignment Surgery

Medical procedures that alter primary/secondary sex characteristics to conform to experienced gender.

Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH)

Intersex condition in genetic females involving excess prenatal androgens, sometimes associated with masculine behaviour.

Coitus

Another term for sexual intercourse, especially vaginal intercourse.