Female Orgasmic Disorder: Causes and Treatment

Female orgasmic disorder (FOD) occurs when a woman cannot achieve climax or orgasm on a persistent basis. Women with a female orgasmic disorder history can become aroused and usually want to achieve orgasm, but they cannot.
 
Female orgasmic disorder causes emotional distress and relationship problems for the women it affects.

Female Orgasmic Disorder Statistics

In a national survey published in the February 10, 1999 edition of The Journal of the American Medical Association, 43 percent of women age 18 to 59 suffer from some kind of female sexual dysfunction.
 
Half of all women experience difficulty with orgasm, although FOD is only one of several possible causes. Orgasmic difficulties may be general or tied to specific partners, sensations and situations.
 
Ten percent of women never achieve orgasm under any circumstance. These women are likely to be young, sexually inexperienced and unmarried.

Female Orgasmic Disorder Causes

Female orgasmic disorder may be classified as primary or secondary. Primary FOD occurs in women who have never had an orgasm, either through vaginal stimulation, clitoral stimulation or masturbation.
 
Secondary, or acquired, female orgasmic disorder occurs in women who were once able to achieve orgasm, but cannot after injury or emotional distress. Secondary FOD may be temporary.
 
Female orgasmic disorder causes are primarily psychological. Physical problems may be present, but they are considered secondary to psychological factors.
 
Female orgasmic disorder causes include:
  • cultural beliefs about sexuality
  • depression and other mental health problems
  • emotional abuse
  • fear of pregnancy
  • fear of rejection
  • incest
  • rape
  • relationship problems
  • religious beliefs about sexuality
  • self-image disorders
  • sexual abuse
  • sexual guilt
  • stress.
Physical causes that may be seen with psychological female orgasmic disorder include:
  • arthritis
  • cystitis
  • diabetes
  • high blood pressure
  • imbalances in estrogen, testosterone or progesterone levels
  • medication, including narcotics and antidepressants
  • menopause
  • obesity
  • pelvic disease
  • urinary incontinence
  • vaginal infections.
The use of illicit street drugs can also produce female orgasmic disorder.

Female Orgasmic Disorder and Pain

Female orgasmic disorder may involve pain during intercourse. Causes of female orgasmic disorder pain may be physical conditions such as surgical scars or ovarian cysts. Female orgasmic disorder pain perception can also be affected by psychological factors.

Female Orgasmic Disorder History

The primary diagnostic tool for FOD is a female orgasmic disorder history in the patient. The inability to achieve orgasm must be persistent and occur over a period of time.
 
The lack of orgasmic response must also be less than expected for the woman's age and sexual experience. Determining this aspect of female orgasmic disorder history is, by necessity, somewhat subjective.
 
The emotional response to a female orgasmic disorder history plays a large role in diagnosing FOD. Lack of orgasmic response must cause emotional distress or relationship problems. If neither concern is present, the condition is not considered female orgasmic disorder.
 
Female orgasmic disorder is not diagnosed if it is considered a purely physiological problem. A FOD diagnosis is also ruled out if orgasmic difficulties are a symptom of another mental disorder, such as depression or anxiety.

Female Orgasmic Disorder Treatment

Female orgasmic treatment centers on counseling and education. In addition, underlying mental or physical disorders should be treated.
 
Sex therapy is an option for female orgasmic disorder treatment. Women may opt for sex therapy alone, or with their sexual partner. Sex therapy often includes guided stimulation exercises.
 
Seeking help through sex therapy is not something you should be ashamed of; be proud that you had the strength to seek help and the desire to strengthen your sexual relationship with your partner! Unfortunately, many women and men do not have this resolve.
 
Viagra (sildenafil) was originally developed to improve blood flow in heart disease patients. A side effect for the men participating in the study was increased blood flow to the sex organs, allowing those who had been suffering from sexual dysfunction to resume normal sexual relations. Many men and their partners have seen much improvement in their sex lives thanks to Viagra.
 
Experts believe that many cases of female orgasmic disorder are caused by decreased blood flow to the genitals. This begs the question of whether Viagra should be available for women. Clinical studies of the effect of Viagra on FOD are currently under way, but it may be several years before the FDA approves the use of Viagra for women suffering from a sexual disorder.
 
Resources
 
Berney, K. (n.d.). Female orgasmic disorder: "I'm not able to climax." Retrieved April 25, 2008, from the Discovery Health Web site:
health.discovery.com/centers/sex/articles/orgasmic.html.

Crescent Life. (updated December 24, 2006). Sexual disorders. Retrieved April 25, 2008, from the Crescent Life Web site:
www.crescentlife.com/disorders/sexual_disorders.htm.

Davidson, T. (2003). Female orgasmic disorder. Retrieved April 25, 2008, from the Healthline Web site:
www.healthline.com/galecontent/female-orgasmic-disorder.