Managing female sexual dysfunction
Open accessAbstract
Female sexual dysfunctions (FSDs) range from short-term aggravations to major emotional disturbances adversely affecting family and workplace. This review highlights diagnosis and management of the four most widely diagnosed FSDs. It initially focuses on hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) as a driving force at the heart of all other FSDs; nothing happens without sexual desire. Successful resolution of HSDD frequently facilitates resolution of other disorders. Central to understanding HSDD is the impact of aging female sexual endocrinology and its effect on both prevalence and expression patterns of FSD. Advances in this field have enabled introduction of some the most effective treatments yet described for HSDD. Sexual arousal disorder, though commonly affected by the same factors as HSDD, is heavily associated with psychotropic drugs and mood elevators. Orgasmic disorder is frequently the downstream result of other sexual dysfunctions, particularly HSDD, or the result of a major psychosexual trauma. Successful management of the underlying disorder often resolves orgasmic disorder. Sexual pain disorder is frequently the result of a gynecologic disorder, such as endometriosis, that can be substantially managed through successful treatment of that disorder. This article ends with the article's most important note: how to initiate the conversation.
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Female sexual dysfunction or loss of sexual freedom brought on by SA/CSB-induced betrayal can manifest as decreased sexual desire, declining arousal, limited orgasmic function, and frequent discomfort during sexual activity.
“Female sexual dysfunction or loss of sexual freedom brought on by SA/CSB-induced betrayal can manifest as decreased sexual desire, declining arousal, limited orgasmic function, and frequent discomfort during sexual activity (Buster, 2013;Minwalla, 2021aMinwalla, , 2021b;;Weiss, 2019).”
From “Your Addiction, her Sexual Suffering”—A Qualitative Inquiry into the Effects of Compulsive Sexual Behaviors on Intimate Female Partners (2025) · cites this paper as Buster, 2013
The sections “How to Manage Female Sexual Dysfunctions” and “Sexual” describe problems of desire, arousal, orgasm, and sexual pain. They do not establish that SA/CSB-induced betrayal causes those problems or a loss of sexual freedom; searches for betrayal and infidelity found no such discussion in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.88)
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“Female sexual dysfunction or loss of sexual freedom brought on by SA/CSB-induced betrayal can manifest as decreased sexual desire, declining arousal, limited orgasmic function, and frequent discomfort during sexual activity (Buster, 2013; Minwalla, 2021a, 2021b; Weiss, 2019).”
- Authors
- Buster, J. E.
- Affiliations
- Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island (US)
- Corresponding author
- Buster, John E.
- Venue
- Fertility and Sterility
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2013-10
- Volume
- 100
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 905-915
- ISSN
- 0015-0282 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2055233354
- Cited by
- 104
- References
- 8
- Citations by year
- 2026: 6 · 2025: 8 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 12 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 10 · 2018: 9 · 2017: 11 · 2016: 7 · 2015: 9 · 2014: 9
- FWCI
- 1.14
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Fertility and Sterility (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Sexual function and dysfunction studies
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Sexuality, Behavior, and Technology
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Sex work and related issues
- Keywords
- female sexual dysfunction, hypoactive sexual desire disorder, sexual arousal disorders, orgasm disorders, sexual pain disorders, aging, psychotropic drugs, endometriosis, diagnosis, treatment
- MeSH terms
- Female, Humans, Sexual Behavior, Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological, Treatment Outcome, Sexual Dysfunctions, Psychological, Recovery of Function, Reproductive Health
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