2003/01/01 by Rosemary Basson, R. Basson, Sandra R. Leiblum +23 · 9 citations
Medicine · Psychology · Social Sciences · #Arousal #Clinical psychology #Developmental psychology #Distress #Female sexual dysfunction #Human sexuality #Marriage and Sexual Relationships #Medicine #Population #Psychiatry #Psychology #Sex organ #Sexual arousal #Sexual desire #Sexual dysfunction #Sexual function and dysfunction studies #Sexual intercourse #Sexuality, Behavior, and Technology #Social psychology #Vaginismus
paper · doi:10.3109/01674820309074686
crossref issued 2003/01/01 · crossref published 2003/01/01 · crossref published-print 2003/01/01 · openalex publication_date 2003/01/01 · crossref created 2008/03/07 · crossref published-online 2009/07/07 · crossref deposited 2019/05/08 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · crossref indexed 2026/08/04 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/04
In light of various shortcomings of the traditional nosology of women's sexual disorders for both clinical practice and research, an international multi-disciplinary group has reviewed the evidence for traditional assumptions about women's sexual response. It is apparent that fullfilment of sexual desire is an uncommon reason/incentive for sexual activity for many women and, in fact, sexual desire is frequently experienced only after sexual stimuli have elicited subjective sexual arousal. The latter is often poorly correlated with genital vasocongestion. Complaints of lack of subjective arousal despite apparently normal genital vasocongestion are common. Based on the review of existing evidence-based research, many modifications to the definitions of women's sexual dysfunctions are recommended. There is a new definition of sexual interest/desire disorder, sexual arousal disorders are separated into genital and subjective subtypes and the recently recognized condition of persistent sexual arousal is included. The definition of dyspareunia reflects the possibility of the pain precluding intercourse. The anticipation and fear of pain characteristic of vaginismus is noted while the assumed muscular spasm is omitted given the lack of evidence. Finally, a recommendation is made that all diagnoses be accompanied by descriptors relating to associated contextual factors and to the degree of distress.