Symptoms

Certain symptoms may point to a sexual dysfunction especially if you are distressed about it and it negatively affects your relationship with your partner.

A man may have a problem if he:

• Does not have an erection
• Ejaculates too early
• Does not ejaculate, or has delayed ejaculation
• Lacks desire
• Has pain during sex

A woman may have a problem if she:

• Lacks desire
• Has trouble reaching orgasm
• Has anxiety during intercourse
• Feels pain during intercourse
• Doesn't have enough lubrication
• Feels vaginal or other muscles contract involuntarily before sex

Men

Your doctor can give you a diagnosis of a specific disorder based on your symptoms.

Erectile dysfunction:

• Penis does not get enlarged and erect for intercourse
• Lack of response more than 25 percent of the time

Hypoactive sexual desire disorder:

• Persistent lack of sexual desire or appetite
• Absence of sexual fantasies
• Complete lack of interest in and avoidance of sexual contact with a partner

Male orgasmic disorders:

• Inhibited ejaculation (orgasm does not occur)
• Premature ejaculation (when ejaculation occurs before, during or soon after penetration and before the man desires)

Peyronie's disease:

• Formation of a hard, fibrous layer called plaque under the skin on one side of the penis.
• Starts out as an inflammation, leading to a hardened scar that causes the penis to bend sharply when erect.
• If hardening occurs on both sides, indentations and shortening may result.
• The scarring or hardening can make erections painful and intercourse difficult or impossible.
• The bent or misshapen appearance of the penis can lead to emotional distress, which in turn worsens any sexual difficulties.

Dyspareunia:

• Pain during intercourse
• Underlying problem such as prostatitis (inflammation of the prostate gland) or some kind of nerve damage

Women

Your doctor can give you a diagnosis of a specific disorder based on your symptoms.

Hypoactive sexual desire disorder:

• Persistent lack of sexual desire or appetite
• Absence of sexual fantasies
• Complete lack of interest in and avoidance of sexual contact with a partner

Female sexual arousal disorder:

• Does not become aroused.
• Normal physical responses do not happen as they should: vagina does not become lubricated, clitoris does not enlarge, vaginal opening does not widen.
• Lack of response more than 25 percent of the time.

Female orgasmic disorder:

• Aroused by sexual stimulation, but then are unable to achieve orgasm.

Dyspareunia:

• Pain during intercourse.
• Poor vaginal lubrication.
• For vaginismus: painful, involuntary spasm of the muscles that surround the vaginal entrance, interfering with intercourse.
• For vaginitis: discharge, itching and burning of the vagina and vulva, especially after sex. A bacterial infection may have a fishy smell, especially after sex. Discharge may be white or grey. A yeast infection may have a thick, white "cottage cheese" discharge and smell like baking bread.

More on Sexual Problems

In the Encyclopedia:

This article was reviewed and updated June 2007.