Not tonight honey The facts on female impotence

Although the word is mostly associated with men, impotence amongst women is also a very real and common condition.

What is female impotence?

Female impotence deals with difficulties women face with sex. It is also referred to as sexual dysfunction. As against men, for whom impotence means an inability to get an erection or maintain it for the desired period of time, impotence in women includes low sexual desire, low arousal, difficulty or inability to reach orgasm and problems with lubrication.

More than 40% of adult women encounter sexual dysfunction at some point in their life. These dysfunctions could be in the form of:

• Lack of sexual desire (Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder or HSDD)
• Inability to progress through the normal phases of sexual arousal (Female Sexual Arousal Disorder or FSAD)
• Discomfort during intercourse and inability to achieve an orgasm (Female Orgasmic Disorder or FOD).

Causes of female impotence

There are usually two conditions leading to aversion to sex on the basis of physical pain or discomfort: dyspareunia refers to extreme discomfort or pain in the genital area, particularly the vagina. This may be experienced before, during or after sexual intercourse. The other is called vaginismus; an involuntary contraction of the muscles around the vagina that makes penetration during sex difficult.

In general however, the causes for sexual dysfunction in women are widespread and proper treatment can only be prescribed after a detailed medical diagnosis. A lot of women sometimes face major pelvic surgeries, which may later lead to some form of sexual dysfunction. Sometimes the hormonal changes brought about by the menstrual cycles and menopause can cause impotency. Conditions like diabetes and hypertension have also been known to influence a woman’s sexual health.

Often, female impotence is caused by some traumatic experience or psychological reason that has created an aversion to sex. At times, social and religious pressures and personal relationships and marital problems create a non-sexual frame of mind that turns into a mental road block leading to sexual dysfunction.  Unhealthy blood circulation and poor neurotransmission to a woman’s vagina may be another cause of her sexual problems.

Excessive smoking and drinking and conditions like hypertension, high cholesterol, poor arterial health, and weight problems interfere with the natural behavior of the body and are potential factors for sexual problems.

Treatment of female impotence

There are a variety of treatments depending on the problem. Various natural remedies, holistic approaches and psychotherapy have been applied with a measure of success. Additionally, oral medication, hormonal therapy and surgical procedures are also used to treat impotency. All in all, one of the simplest and most effective steps that can be taken towards avoiding such condition and even recovering from sexual dysfunction is to live a healthy life. Measures like maintaining a balanced diet, exercising, weight control and stress management help not just in curing impotency, but also avoiding it.