Sexual Dysfunction or Sexual Malfunction

Sexual dysfunction or sexual malfunction is difficulty experienced by an individual or a couple during any stage of normal sexual activity, including physical pleasure, desire, preference, arousal or orgasm.

According to the DSM-5, sexual dysfunction requires a person to feel extreme distress and interpersonal strain for a minimum of 6 months (excluding substance or medication-induced sexual dysfunction).

Sexual dysfunctions can have a profound impact on an individual’s perceived quality of sexual life. These may result from emotional or physical causes. Emotional factors include interpersonal or psychological problems, which can be the result of depression, sexual fears or guilt, past sexual trauma, sexual disorders, among others.

Sexual dysfunction is especially common among people who have anxiety disorders. Ordinary anxiousness can obviously cause erectile dysfunction in men without psychiatric problems, but clinically diagnosable disorders such as panic disorder commonly cause avoidance of intercourse and premature ejaculation.

Pain during intercourse is often a co-morbidity of anxiety disorders among women.