Female Sexual Dysfunctions

Overview

Objective:
Comprehensive information about female sexual dysfunctions and possibilities of theirtreatment.Design: Review article.Setting: Institute for Postgraduate Medical Education, Prague.Methods: Analysis of the literary data (texts in medical journals, monographies, textbooks, internet– „Medline“) and author’s clinical experience.Conclusions: Female sexual dysfunctions are highly prevalent but not well defined and understood.Existing definitions and classifications of female sexual dysfunctions are reevaluated andrevised at present. Contemporary classification was expanded to include psychogenic and organiccauses of desire, arousal, orgasm and sexual pain disorders. The female sexual response cycleis initiated by neurotransmitters which increase pelvic blood flow, vaginal lubrication, clitoraland vaginal reactivity. The effect of the therapy consists in the stabilization of the hormonallevels. New drugs with vasocongestive effect on genital are discussed.

Key words:
female sexual dysfunction, sexual response cycle, classification, neurogenic mediators,fosphodiesterase inhibitors, estrogen, testosterone