Female sexual dysfunction (FSD) is a commonly observed sexual problem in which women find themselves inadequate to perform sexually. Patients of female sexual dysfunction report loss of sex drive, insufficient or lack of lubrication and painful sexual intercourse. Besides, women may face the inability to get aroused or be unable to get aroused at all during sexual activity. Female sexual dysfunction can be a frustrating condition for a woman as well as her partner. If the condition is not treated in time, it may cause depression in women and may lead to relationship problems because of a lack of intimacy.

Female sexual dysfunction is commonly reported in women as they approach menopause, after hysterectomy (removal of womb) and after giving birth because of hormonal changes during this period. Sometimes, psychological factors such as work-related stress, lack of sexual confidence, relationship problems and feelings of guilt or depression can also cause female sexual dysfunction in women.

Symptoms of female sexual dysfunction

Sexual dysfunction in women is also known as Female Sexual Arousal Disorder (FSAD). Women suffering from this condition suffer from one or more of the following symptoms:

• Reduced desire for sex

• Unable to maintain arousal during sexual activity, or not becoming aroused in spite of a desire for sex

• Insufficient vaginal lubrication

• Unable to reach orgasm

• Pain during sexual intercourse

Causes of female sexual dysfunction

Both physiological and psychological factors may cause female sexual dysfunction. Some of the leading physical causes of FSD are hormone problems, diabetes, nerve disorders, heart disease, side effects of medicines such as oral contraceptives and chemotherapy drugs, alcohol, vaginal infections or gynaecological disease and pelvic surgery including hysterectomy. However, women are more likely to suffer from FSD during certain stages in their life such as during pregnancy, right after childbirth, while breastfeeding and after menopause because of dramatic changes in their hormonal levels.

Psychological factors that may cause FSD include work-related stress, fatigue due to caring for young children, depression, concerns about marriage, relationship problems, fear of pain, infection or being pregnant, sexual boredom, lack of appropriate sexual stimulation or thoughts about past sexual trauma.

Female sexual dysfunction treatment

Until recently, there was no treatment for female sexual dysfunction. Doctors usually presumed that the condition is because of psychological factors and therefore recommended counselling and sex therapy for their patients. It is only recently that a first dedicated treatment for FSD by the name of Intrinsa patches was approved by the medical authorities. Launched by Proctor and Gamble, Intrinsa Patches have been approved by the European Medicines Agency and is available on Britain’s National Health Service from March 2007.

Intrinsa patches are transdermal testosterone patches that release a low dose of testosterone hormone into the bloodstream via the skin. The small-oval size patch needs to be worn below the navel and must be changed twice weekly to get the desired results. The male hormone, testosterone, is normally present in women and is produced by the ovaries and the adrenal glands; however, with age and because of certain stages such as after the menopause or after a hysterectomy the level of testosterone declines causing the women to experience low sex drive. In such cases, Intrinsa Patches help increase the level of testosterone by releasing a small dose of the hormone through the skin into the bloodstream; this is done effectively via the transdermal patch.

Available only on prescription, Intrinsa Patches are proven to be effective for the treatment of female sexual dysfunction, especially in women who are post-menopausal, or women who have recently delivered a baby or have had a hysterectomy.