180 PSYCHOLOGY
(a) What male dysfunction exists when the span of time between excitement and orgasm is
overly brief?(b) Male orgasmic disorder is also known as.
Answers: (a) Premature ejaculation; (b) retarded ejaculation.Dysfunctions Affecting Either Sex: When Desire
Is Absent
There are three dysfunctions that affect either sex. These are: (1) hypoactive sexual
desire disorder, (2) sexual aversion disorder, and (3) dyspareunia. Hypoactive sex-
ual desire disorderexists when the individual’s desire for sex is absent. He or she
neither fantasizes about sexual relations nor seeks sexual contact as a goal. A term
frequently used in psychoanalysis and psychiatry for this condition is loss of libido.
Psychosexual energy is simply not present. In the vast majority of cases, hypoactive
sexual desire disorder is preceded by a sustained period of normal sexual desire.
Sexual aversion disorderexists when the individual finds the thought of
sexual relations revolting, disgusting, or nauseating. The individual may think of
sexual intercourse as “dirty” or “messy.” One woman in psychotherapy told her
therapist, “I can’t stand the thought of a man slobbering over me.” Sexual aver-
sion disorder may be present from early adolescence. Or, in other cases, it may fol-
low a sustained period of normal sexual attraction.
Dyspareuniaexists when sexual intercourse is painful. In the case of females,
vaginismus, already noted, can be a factor in dyspareunia. In the case of males,
thickening of the fibrous connective tissue within the penis, which induces the
erect penis to bend at an angle, can be a cause of dyspareunia. In either sex, gen-
ital infections, often associated with sexually transmitted diseases, can play a role
in dyspareunia.
Again, the set of causal factors already specified in association with specific
female and male dysfunctions plays a role in general dysfunctions that affect
either sex.(a) What disorder exists when the individual’s desire for sex is absent?(b) What term frequently used in psychoanalysis and psychiatry is associated with absence of
sexual desire?
(c) What disorder exists when the individual finds the thought of sexual relations revolting,
disgusting, or nauseating?(d) What dysfunction exists when sexual intercourse is painful?Answers: (a) Hypoactive sexual desire disorder; (b) Loss of libido; (c) Sexual aversion
disorder; (d) Dyspareunia.