Sexual Disorders
Human beings are sexual beings
Sexuality is a basic human need and an innate part of the total personality.
Sexuality: is the result of biologic, psychological, social and experiential factors that mold an
individuals’ sexual development, self-concept, body image and behavior.
Sex: is described as one of four primary drives that also include thirst, hunger, and avoidance of
pain.
Sexual acts: occur when behaviors involve genitalia and erogenous zones.
Human Sexual Response Cycle
Phase 1: Excitement
General characteristics of the excitement phase, which can last from a few minutes to several hours,
include the following:
Muscle tension increases.
Heart rate quickens and breathing is accelerated.
Skin may become flushed (blotches of redness appear on the chest and back).
Nipples become hardened or erect.
Blood flow to the genitals increases, resulting in swelling of the woman's clitoris and labia
minora (inner lips), and erection of the man's penis.
Vaginal lubrication begins.
The woman's breasts become fuller and the vaginal walls begin to swell.
The man's testicles swell, their scrotum tightens and begin secreting a lubricating liquid.
Phase 2: Plateau
General characteristics of the plateau phase, which extends to the brink of orgasm, include the
following:
The changes begun in phase 1 are intensified.
The vagina continues to swell from increased blood flow, and the vaginal walls turn a dark
purple.
The woman's clitoris becomes highly sensitive (may even be painful to touch) and retracts under
the clitoral hood to avoid direct stimulation from the penis.
The man's testicles tighten.
Breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure continue to increase.
Muscle spasms may begin in the feet, face, and hands.
Muscle tension increases.
Phase 3: Orgasm
The orgasm is the climax of the sexual response cycle. It is the shortest of the phases and generally lasts
only a few seconds. General characteristics of this phase include the following:
Involuntary muscle contractions begin.
Blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing are at their highest rates, with a rapid intake of
oxygen.
Muscles in the feet spasm.
There is a sudden, forceful release of sexual tension.
In women, the muscles of the vagina contract. The uterus also undergoes rhythmic contractions.
In men, rhythmic contractions of the muscles at the base of the penis result in the ejaculation of
semen.
, A rash, or "sex flush" may appear over the entire body.
Phase 4: Resolution
During resolution, the body slowly returns to its normal level of functioning, and swelled and erect body
parts return to their previous size and color.
This phase is marked by a general sense of well-being, enhanced intimacy and, often, fatigue.
Some women are capable of a rapid return to the orgasm phase with further sexual stimulation
and may experience multiple orgasms.
Men need recovery time after orgasm, called a refractory period, during which they cannot
reach orgasm again.
The duration of the refractory period varies among men and usually lengthens with advancing
age.
Sexual disorders
Paraphilias
These are characterized by any intense and persistent sexual interest other than sexual interest
in genital stimulation or preparatory fondling with phenotypically normal, physiologically
mature, consenting human partners.
Paraphilic Disorder
With the term ‘disorder’ that was specifically added to DSM-5 to indicate a paraphilia that is
inducing distress or impairment to the person or a paraphilia whereby satisfaction caused
personal harm, or risk of harm, to others.
Sexual dysfunction disorders
This can be described as an impairment or disturbance in any of the phases of the sexual
response cycle.
It includes disturbance in the processes that characterize the sexual response cycle or the
presence of pain during sexual intercourse.
Gender dysphoria
It involves a conflict within a person’s physical or assigned gender and the gender with which
he/she/they identify.
It is the feeling of discomfort or distress that might occur in people whose gender identity differs
from their sex assigned at birth or sex-related physical characteristics.
Transgender and gender-nonconforming people might experience gender dysphoria at some
point in their lives
Gender identity disorders
These are characterized by strong and persistent cross-gender identification accompanied by
persistent discomfort with one’s assigned sex.
The gender identity disorders (GID) are defined as disorders in which an individual exhibits
marked and persistent identification with the opposite sex and persistent discomfort (dysphoria)
with his or her own sex or sense of inappropriateness in the gender role of that sex.
Statistics and Incidences
Gender identity and sexuality disorders are relatively rare compared to other psychiatric disorders.
Although there are no large-scale epidemiological studies to provide true estimates recent
studies suggest roughly 1:10,000 to 1:30,000.
Sex ratios of adults with GID (largely based on referrals to clinics) have fluctuated with more
males than females in earlier studies to a more equal ratio in many recent reports.
Childhood GID is more prevalent in males, roughly 6 to 1; in adolescence, the ratio is more equal
Human beings are sexual beings
Sexuality is a basic human need and an innate part of the total personality.
Sexuality: is the result of biologic, psychological, social and experiential factors that mold an
individuals’ sexual development, self-concept, body image and behavior.
Sex: is described as one of four primary drives that also include thirst, hunger, and avoidance of
pain.
Sexual acts: occur when behaviors involve genitalia and erogenous zones.
Human Sexual Response Cycle
Phase 1: Excitement
General characteristics of the excitement phase, which can last from a few minutes to several hours,
include the following:
Muscle tension increases.
Heart rate quickens and breathing is accelerated.
Skin may become flushed (blotches of redness appear on the chest and back).
Nipples become hardened or erect.
Blood flow to the genitals increases, resulting in swelling of the woman's clitoris and labia
minora (inner lips), and erection of the man's penis.
Vaginal lubrication begins.
The woman's breasts become fuller and the vaginal walls begin to swell.
The man's testicles swell, their scrotum tightens and begin secreting a lubricating liquid.
Phase 2: Plateau
General characteristics of the plateau phase, which extends to the brink of orgasm, include the
following:
The changes begun in phase 1 are intensified.
The vagina continues to swell from increased blood flow, and the vaginal walls turn a dark
purple.
The woman's clitoris becomes highly sensitive (may even be painful to touch) and retracts under
the clitoral hood to avoid direct stimulation from the penis.
The man's testicles tighten.
Breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure continue to increase.
Muscle spasms may begin in the feet, face, and hands.
Muscle tension increases.
Phase 3: Orgasm
The orgasm is the climax of the sexual response cycle. It is the shortest of the phases and generally lasts
only a few seconds. General characteristics of this phase include the following:
Involuntary muscle contractions begin.
Blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing are at their highest rates, with a rapid intake of
oxygen.
Muscles in the feet spasm.
There is a sudden, forceful release of sexual tension.
In women, the muscles of the vagina contract. The uterus also undergoes rhythmic contractions.
In men, rhythmic contractions of the muscles at the base of the penis result in the ejaculation of
semen.
, A rash, or "sex flush" may appear over the entire body.
Phase 4: Resolution
During resolution, the body slowly returns to its normal level of functioning, and swelled and erect body
parts return to their previous size and color.
This phase is marked by a general sense of well-being, enhanced intimacy and, often, fatigue.
Some women are capable of a rapid return to the orgasm phase with further sexual stimulation
and may experience multiple orgasms.
Men need recovery time after orgasm, called a refractory period, during which they cannot
reach orgasm again.
The duration of the refractory period varies among men and usually lengthens with advancing
age.
Sexual disorders
Paraphilias
These are characterized by any intense and persistent sexual interest other than sexual interest
in genital stimulation or preparatory fondling with phenotypically normal, physiologically
mature, consenting human partners.
Paraphilic Disorder
With the term ‘disorder’ that was specifically added to DSM-5 to indicate a paraphilia that is
inducing distress or impairment to the person or a paraphilia whereby satisfaction caused
personal harm, or risk of harm, to others.
Sexual dysfunction disorders
This can be described as an impairment or disturbance in any of the phases of the sexual
response cycle.
It includes disturbance in the processes that characterize the sexual response cycle or the
presence of pain during sexual intercourse.
Gender dysphoria
It involves a conflict within a person’s physical or assigned gender and the gender with which
he/she/they identify.
It is the feeling of discomfort or distress that might occur in people whose gender identity differs
from their sex assigned at birth or sex-related physical characteristics.
Transgender and gender-nonconforming people might experience gender dysphoria at some
point in their lives
Gender identity disorders
These are characterized by strong and persistent cross-gender identification accompanied by
persistent discomfort with one’s assigned sex.
The gender identity disorders (GID) are defined as disorders in which an individual exhibits
marked and persistent identification with the opposite sex and persistent discomfort (dysphoria)
with his or her own sex or sense of inappropriateness in the gender role of that sex.
Statistics and Incidences
Gender identity and sexuality disorders are relatively rare compared to other psychiatric disorders.
Although there are no large-scale epidemiological studies to provide true estimates recent
studies suggest roughly 1:10,000 to 1:30,000.
Sex ratios of adults with GID (largely based on referrals to clinics) have fluctuated with more
males than females in earlier studies to a more equal ratio in many recent reports.
Childhood GID is more prevalent in males, roughly 6 to 1; in adolescence, the ratio is more equal
