FACTS
only 1 out of 4 people suffering from sexual disorder seek professional help.
It can be categorised under Six categories
Delayed Ejaculation is a disorder involving the male reproductive organ, where the respected person has delayed sperm release during the time of sexual climax.
It usually takes more than 30 minutes for a person suffering from delayed ejaculation to release sperms or if the condition is severe, he may not ejaculate at all.
Delayed ejaculation is only a problem if it causes problems to his partner, or affects his sexual life.
SYMPTOMS
Psychological causes:
- Not finding the partner attractive
- Some traumatic memory related to sex (being sexually abused as a child)
- Certain religious beliefs that sex is sinful and immoral
- Habit of frequent and unusual masturbation
- Watching excessive porn
Physical causes:
- Usage of certain drugs
- Nervous system diseases
- Blockage of the ducts through which semen passes through
The symptoms should persist for a minimum period of 6 months and the following should be specified
Lifelong: the disturbance has been persistent since the individual became sexually active.
Acquired: the disturbance began after a period of relatively normal sexual function.
Case Studies
Mr S S age 34 and Mrs S S, 31 have been married for 4 years and recently their marriage has come under distress. They are planning to have a baby from the past 6 months but Mr Se most of the times can’t ejaculate sperms at all. This problem has persisted since the past 5 months and Mr S has no prior history or experience of delayed ejaculation. Mr S privately confesses that he doesn’t find her wife sexually attractive any longer; he further states that since he was a child he masturbated excessively and watched a lot of porn. His problem is more psychological than physical. His expectations about sex are not been able to fulfill because of his unrealistic fantasies that he has developed due to watching excessive porn. His counselling and medications started after understanding his thought process and problems related to sexual experience.
Erectile Disorder is a problem which almost all man feels ashamed to talk of even with a doctor, it is found in almost all age groups.
Erectile Disorder can be defined as the inability to get and keep erection hard enough to have sexual intercourse.
Erectile Disorder becomes a big problem in a relationship if this problem persists over a period of time and causes low self confidence in a man.
Erectile Disorder may also indicate of a heart related problem in the distant future.
The symptoms should last for a minimum period of 6 months for this to be diagnosed and treated as erectile disorder.
SYMPTOMS
At-least one of the following symptoms should be persisting continuously:
- Marked difficulty in obtaining an erection during a sexual activity
- Marked difficulty in maintaining an erection until the completion of the sexual activity
- Marked decrease in erectile rigidity
Case Studies
Mr V K, age 31 has a loose body posture and looks shy and anxious. He takes time in opening about his problem, he is assured that we are here to help him and everything he shares, will be kept confidential. He states in a low voice, my penis doesn’t get hard enough erection ever. Frequent pressure by his family to get married has put him under immense stress and his wife stumbles as he talks about it. Nobody in his family knows he is suffering from erectile disorder, ever since he was a child. He further states he has avoided intimate relationship with girls ever since he was a teenager, he admits having erection in bed before getting up but never in presence of opposite sex. He starts to cry and says he feels so helpless and embarrassed sometimes. Mr V K is counselled and was assured that a lot of people have been treated successfully out of this disorder, and he has done well to share about his problem. His treatment commenced soon, and his situation has started to improve gradually.
Female Orgasm Disorder is the failure to achieve an orgasm during sexual intercourse.
It can be because of psychological reasons like:-
- Stress
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Fear of painful intercourse
Or behavioural like:
- Undesirability of partner
- Environment of the place
- Use of alcohol or drugs
SYMPTOMS
Either of the following symptoms should be persisting, for a minimum period of 6 months, for a woman to be diagnosed under this disorder.
- Marked delay in, marked infrequency of, or absence of orgasm
- Markedly reduced intensity of orgasmic sensation
Female sexual interest disorder is the lack of interest in sexual activities and thoughts for a prolonged period of time.
SYMPTOMS
3 or more of the following symptoms should be there for a period of minimum 6 months for a woman to be categorised under this disorder.
- Absent/reduced interest in sexual activity
- Absent/reduced sexual/erotic thoughts or fantasies
- Reduced initiation of sexual activity, and typically unreceptive to a partners attempt to initiate
- Reduced excitement and pleasure during sexual activity
- Little genital sensations during sex most of the time
- Rejection of idea of sex
- Decreased interest in sex even when exposed to erotic stimuli
For a woman to be diagnosed of Genito-Pelvic Pain/Penetration condition, one or more following difficulties, pain should be persisting for a minimum period of 6 months:
- Vaginal penetration during intercourse
- Pelvic pain during vaginal intercourse
- Fear and anxiety about pelvic pain in anticipation of, during, or as a result of vaginal penetration
- Marked tensing or tightening of the pelvic floor muscles during attempted vaginal penetration
Male Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder is defined as a man’s lack of sexual desires and activity, there is a marked absence in erotic sexual thoughts and fantasies. Male Hypoactive Sexual Desire disorder strains a relationship the man shares with his partner causing distress and interpersonal difficulties.
In India about 20 % of the men suffer from male hypoactive sexual desire disorder.
The symptoms should be there for a minimum period of 6 months for a person to be treated under this condition.
Lifelong- The man has had little or no desire for sexual stimulation (with partner or alone)
Acquired/Situational- He was previously interested in his sexual partner, but now lacks sexual interest in this particular partner.
Acquired/Generalised- The man previously had interest before in sexual activities, but now has no desire or interest in sexual stimulation.
CASE STUDIES
Mr P S, age 38 has been married for the past 8 years, but in the past 6 months he has had no sexual relation with his wife. He states that he doesn’t feel an urge to have a sexual encounter with her and her touch doesn’t invoke any sexual feeling in him. He continuous further that as a result his wife has become increasingly frustrated with him and often loses her temper on him. He has been sexually active, but doesn’t feel any attraction towards his wife. He has no extra marital affair or involvement with other women, but admits to getting sexually aroused, while seeing attractive women.
Premature Ejaculation can be defined as a condition, when a man ejaculates sooner during a sexual intercourse than he and his respective partner would like.
1 out of 3 men experience this problem at some point of time in life, and this causes reduced pleasure in sex and high frustration for both the people in a relationship.
Treatment includes sexual techniques, counselling and medications for a better and healthier sex life.
Premature Ejaculation symptoms should be persisting for a minimum period of 6 months, for a man to be diagnosed under this disorder.
Treatment needed if
- The man feels distressed and frustrated, and tend to avoid sexual intimacy with his partner as a result
- Unable to delay ejaculation, almost every time during a sexual intercourse
- Feel ashamed and low-self confidence
- Ejaculate within one minute
Severity of condition:
Mild- Ejaculation occurring within approximately 30 seconds to 1 minute of vaginal penetration.
Moderate- Ejaculation occurring within 15- 30 seconds of vaginal penetration.
Severe- Ejaculation occurring prior to sexual activity, at start of sexual activity or within 15 seconds of vaginal penetration.
Case Studies
Mr S D, age 28 has developed a problem of premature ejaculation which is causing severe tension in his relationship. When asked about his lifestyle and habits, some important factors came to light. He frequently masturbates, more than 10 times in a week since he was 16 years old. He uses cocaine occasionally and drinks alcohol 3-4 times in a week. It can be stated that his lifestyle is unhealthy and he masturbates excessively. While having a sexual encounter he ejaculates within a minute and sometimes even before the sexual encounter has started. This is occurring since the past 7-8 months and Mr S D is extremely worried about his present state.
Paraphilia categorises people with abnormal sexual desires which are atypical and extremely dangerous in nature.
They either revolve around a particular object like children, vibrator, animal, under garments or a particular act like inflecting pain upon the partner, tying them up or exposing oneself to strangers.
These behaviours are illegal and immoral in our country, until 1973 homosexuality too was categorised under paraphilia.
Paraphilia has been found to be more common in men than in women.
Types of Paraphilia:
- Voyeuristic- observing unaware naked people and getting intensely aroused and horny.
- Pedophila- Having sexual intercourse with a child of age 13 or younger.
- Exhibitionism- Exposure of genitals to strange random people.
- Frotteurism- Touching or rubbing private parts on a non consenting person against their wish.
- Sexual sadism- Inflecting pain and suffering on the partner and enjoying their humiliation.
- Sexual machoism- Humiliating, beating and suffering inflected upon oneself.
- Transvestic- cross-dressing as a male or in a female attire, opposite from ones sex.
Case Studies
Mr C S, is 32 years old, his marriage collapsed just after 4 months. The reasons are disturbing; C has a habit of beating up his wife and getting overly aggressive during the times of sexual intercourse. He states that he enjoys the agony inflected upon her and it makes him feel extremely powerful and satisfied. This violent behaviour has become a compulsion for C, and his wife has refused to live under the same roof, unless he gets a treatment done. When inquired about his history, it is revealed that all girls in the past he has been with have left him because of his violent sexual behaviour, which includes slapping, tying up, spanking, scratching and pressing the body excessively. Mr C is diagnosed with sexual sadism.
