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Cited by 146Sexual function and dysfunction studiesSexuality, Behavior, and TechnologySex work and related issues

The Medicalization of Female Sexual Dysfunction: The Need for Caution

Bancroft, John·2002·Archives of Sexual Behavior
DOI 10.1023/a:1019800426980
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Abstract

The use of drugs such as Viagra to treat sexual dysfunction in women may be beneficial in a proportion of cases. However, there are a number of barriers to understanding and predicting which women are likely to benefit, and caution is required in approaching this clinical issue. Three relevant issues are discussed: (1) Male-female differences in sexuality. Three complimentary ways in which male and female sexuality differs are considered--women have less need for their sexuality to be influenced by reproductive hormones; their needs for sexual enjoyment and orgasm are not well met by conventional vaginal intercourse; and, as a result of the disjunction between female sexual response and reproduction and a possibly greater propensity for central inhibition of sexual response, women are more susceptible to the repressive effects of social constraints on sexuality; (2) Sex therapy. While conventional forms of sex therapy are well designed to address the particular psychological needs of women as well as men, the interface between psychological processes and physiological response is not well understood. For the same reason, we should expect difficulty in predicting when pharmacological effects on sexual response will be beneficial; (3) When is a sexual problem a sexual dysfunction? It is likely that many cases of impaired sexual response or interest in women are psychologically understandable and hence adaptive reactions to problems in the sexual relationship, and hence not dysfunctions. Until we can distinguish between such adaptive inhibitions of response and those that are maladaptive dysfunctions, we will have difficulty in predicting when pharmacological treatment will be helpful.

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Crossref · 10.1023/a:1019800426980

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  • By administering oxytocin directly into the brain, scientists can induce a pair-bond in a certain species of vole even if the voles have not yet engaged in any mating behavior.

    “For example, by administering a dose of oxytocin—by injecting it directly into the brain—scientists can induce a pair-bond in a certain species of vole, even if the voles have not yet engaged in any mating behavior.26”

    From The Medicalization of Love (2015) · cites this paper as [26]

  • Drug treatments for women's sexual complaints have been largely unsuccessful because women's sexuality relies more on psychological than physiological factors.

    “Treatments of female sexual dysfunction have been largely unsuccessful because they do not address the psychological factors that underlie female sexuality.”

    From Effects of Mindfulness Training on Body Awareness to Sexual Stimuli: Implications for Female Sexual Dysfunction (2011) · cites this paper as [4]

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Authors
Bancroft, J.
Affiliations
Indiana University Bloomington (US)
Corresponding author
Bancroft, John
Venue
Archives of Sexual Behavior
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2002-10
Volume
31
Issue
5
Pages
451-455
ISSN
  • 0004-0002 (ISSN-L)
  • 1573-2800
DOI
10.1023/a:1019800426980
OpenAlex
W55666145
Cited by
146
References
35
Citations by year
2026: 2 · 2025: 2 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 7 · 2014: 9 · 2013: 8 · 2012: 7
FWCI
5.12
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
Locations
  • Archives of Sexual Behavior (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DigitalGeorgetown (Georgetown University Library) (submittedVersion)
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, medicalization, sildenafil, female sexual response, reproductive hormones, orgasm, sex therapy, sexual interest
MeSH terms
Androgens, Contraceptives, Oral, Hormonal, Female, Humans, Orgasm, Sexual Behavior, Sexual Dysfunctions, Psychological

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