Female Sexual Dysfunction Treatment in Clearwater, FL
There can be many factors, both physical and physiological, that can cause a woman to have sexual problems.
If you are taking certain medicines, have a disease, or have relationship problems, it can affect your sex life. Certain times of women’s lives can also cause disruptions in sexual desire or arousal including after childbirth or menopause, or during stressful times throughout life.
If you are experiencing any of the symptoms of sexual dysfunction listed, contact women’s health specialist Dr. Nicole Szell to discuss the treatment options available at our sexual health clinic in Clearwater, FL. To schedule your consultation for female sexual dysfunction treatment, please call (727) 441-1508 or request an appointment through our secure online form.
What Is Female Sexual Dysfunction?
Female sexual dysfunction is a broad term that encompasses the various problems that keep women from having the sexual response they desire. Some of the medical causes that contribute to female sexual dysfunction include pelvic pain, hormonal changes (often brought on by menopause), neurological problems, medication interactions, and cardiovascular conditions.
There are four classifications of female sexual dysfunction. These include:
- Desire Disorders: Low Desire and avoiding of sexual contact.
- Arousal/Stimulation Disorders: The inability to have or maintain sufficient sexual arousal including lack of genital swelling and lubrication
- Orgasmic Disorders: The absence or delay in orgasm after sufficient sexual arousal and stimulation
- Pain Disorders: Pain in the genital area associated with sexual intercourse (also known as dyspareunia). Spasms of the pelvic floor muscles resulting in painful penetration is another condition (vaginismus)
What Are Some of the Symptoms of Sexual Dysfunction?
If you are taking certain medicines, have a disease, or relationship problems, it can affect your sex life. Certain times of women’s lives can also cause disruptions in sexual desire or arousal including after childbirth or menopause, or during stressful times throughout life. The symptoms of female sexual dysfunction can make you feel discouraged or uncomfortable but this is not something that you have to live with.
Dyspareunia, or Painful Intercourse
If you experience pain during sex, vaginal dryness, or inflammation of your vagina, you may have a sexual dysfunction problem.
If you experience the following symptoms you should talk with your doctor about the different treatment options available:
- Pain during sexual penetration
- New pain from intercourse
- Deep pain during deep thrusting
- Burning or aching pain during intercourse
- Pain continuing after intercourse
Vaginal Dryness
Vaginal Dryness is a common symptom of menopause due to changes in hormone levels. The drop in estrogen levels in women going through menopause can lead to vaginal dryness and painful intercourse. While you can make changes in your sex life to help with vaginal dryness, medications or other treatments may be necessary.
If you experience any sort of itching, burning, or general pain in or around the vagina, it is always best to contact your physician to get an accurate diagnosis of your symptoms. Once they perform a standard pelvic examination, Dr. Szell will be able to determine if your discomfort is a result of vaginal dryness, or if additional testing is needed to explore other potential causes.
Atrophic Vaginitis
When the vaginal walls have thinned and are dry, it can cause your vagina to be irritated and inflamed. This can cause sexual intercourse to be a painful experience, and may cause women to avoid sex. A vaginal infection can sometimes be the cause of inflammation.
During a woman’s lifetime, her estrogen hormones help to keep the vagina well lubricated and supple. However, these hormone levels typically die down as a woman transitions through menopause, which typically leads to a variety of unique symptoms and conditions, including vaginal atrophy. Only a small portion of the women who experience symptoms of vaginal atrophy will ever consult their doctor about it. Many feel embarrassed by the condition and the symptoms it presents, and so they never get a chance to learn about the multiple solutions available to them
Inhibited Sexual Desire
Sexual apathy or aversion can be caused by the above physical problems or they could stem from an emotional cause such as:
- Anxiety or depression
- Concerns with self-esteem or physical appearance
- Relationship problems
- Stress
Anorgasmia
Anorgasmia is defined as a condition with little or no ability to achieve or experience orgasm. Causes are similar to those listed above for inhibited sexual desire, but often include a myriad of medications as well.
Take note of the sexual dysfunction problems you’re having and what’s going on in your life while the problem is occurring. Talk with your doctor about treatment and lifestyle changes that can help provide relief from painful intercourse.
Schedule a Consultation for Sexual Dysfunction Treatment in St. Petersburg, FL
If you are experiencing symptoms of female sexual dysfunction such as vaginal dryness and painful intercourse, contact Clearwater Sex Health to learn about ways to treat female sexual dysfunction. To schedule a consultation with Dr. Nicole Szell, please call our sexual health clinic in Clearwater, FL, at (727) 441-1508 today.
This content has been reviewed by the board-certified urologists from Clearwater Sex Health
Female Sexual Dysfunction FAQs
Sexual dysfunction affects women in many different ways. Approximately 10-30% of women in the United States suffer from some sort of sexual dysfunction on a regular basis. There are often physical, mental, psychological, and emotional consequences of sexual dysfunction with both patients and oftentimes their partners as well. This is why it is very important to discuss these concerns with your health care providers.
Treatment for sexual dysfunction is usually based on the specific type and diagnosis of dysfunction overall. Treatments are many and include counseling, hormonal replacement, medications, lifestyle changes, topical creams, and pelvic floor physical therapy just to name a few examples. Your health care provider will discuss the best treatments at length for you based on your personal diagnosis.
There is a very complex interplay of estrogen, testosterone, and progesterone hormones (just to name a few) in women that are both pre and post-menopausal. These may affect sexual function and dysfunction in women of all ages. Oftentimes the levels are too high or too low and this can be diagnosed based on simple blood/lab tests.
The Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause has many effects on women’s sexual function overall. This can affect their mental, physical, and psychological well-being. There can be effects on the neurologic, urinary, reproductive, and muscular systems, just to name a few. It is very important to discuss your menopausal symptoms and concerns with your health care provider so they can provide you with treatment suggestions and address all of your symptoms as well.
Having a surgery such as a hysterectomy (or other pelvic surgery) may affect a woman’s sexual function in both positive and adverse ways. All women experience healing and pain differently, and your personal experience with a hysterectomy or pelvic surgery may be different than another patient’s experience. The pre and post-surgical experience can be discussed with your health care provider at length, and a plan can be put into place for your post-operative care as needed as well.