Causes

PRIMARY HSDD.

HSDD may be a primary condition in which the patient has never felt much sexual desire or interest, or it may have occurred secondarily when the patient formerly had sexual desire, but no longer has interest. If lifelong or primary, HSDD may be the consequence of sexual trauma such as incest, sexual abuse, or rape. In the absence of sexual trauma, there is often a repressive family attitude concerning sex that is sometimes enhanced by rigid religious training. A third possibility is that initial attempts at sexual intercourse resulted in pain or sexual failure. Rarely, HSDD in both males and females may result from insufficient levels of the male sex hormone, testosterone.

ACQUIRED HSDD.

Acquired, situational HSDD in the adult is commonly associated with boredom in the relationship with the sexual partner. Depression, the use of psychoactive or antihypertensive medications, and hormonal deficiencies may contribute to the problem. HSDD may also result from impairment of sexual function, particularly erectile dysfunction on the part of the male, or vaginismus on the part of the female. Vaginismus is defined as a conditioned voluntary contraction or spasm of the lower vaginal muscles resulting from an unconscious desire to prevent vaginal penetration. An incompatibility in sexual interest between the sexual partners may result in relative HSDD in the less sexually active member. This usually occurs in the presence of a sexually demanding partner.

PAINFUL INTERCOURSE.

Painful intercourse (dyspareunia) is more common in women than in men, but may be a deterrent to genital sexual activity in both sexes. The causes are usually physical in nature and related to an infection of the prostate gland, urethra, or testes. Occasionally, an allergic reaction to a spermicidal preparation or condom may interfere with sexual intercourse. Painful erections may be a consequence of Peyronie's disease, which is characterized by fibrotic changes in the shaft of the penis that prevent attainment of a normal erection. In the female, dyspareunia may be caused by vaginismus or local urogenital trauma or inflammatory conditions such as hymenal tears, labial lacerations, urethral bruising, or inflammatory conditions of the labial or vaginal glands.

PRIAPISM.

Priapism is the occurrence of any persistent erection of more than four hours duration occurring in the absence of sexual stimulation. It is not associated with sexual excitement and the erection does not subside after ejaculation. Priapism can occur at any age, but clusters of occurrence are common between the ages of five and 10 years and between the ages of 20 and 50. In children, priapism is commonly associated with leukemia and sickle cell disease, or occurs secondary to trauma. The most common cause in adults is the intrapenile injection of agents to correct erectile dysfunction. Priapism may also occur secondary to the use of psychotropic drugs, such as chlorpromazine and prazosin. The pain accompanying priapism may be a cause of HSDD.

PROLACTINOMA.

A rare but important cause of HSDD is a functioning prolactin-secreting tumor of the pituitary gland, a proactinoma. Men with this condition typically state that they can achieve an erection, but that they have no interest in sexual relations. In the female, prolactinomas are associated with galactorrhea (lactation in the absence of pregnancy), amenorrhea, symptoms of estrogen deficiency, and dyspareunia. Although prolactinomas are benign tumors, they can cause visual disturbances by enlarging and causing pressure on the optic nerves within the confines of the sella turcica, the location of the pituitary gland at the base of the brain. Headaches and enlargement of the male breasts are fairly common in this condition. The diagnosis is confirmed by the finding of high levels of circulating prolactin in the blood. Enlargement of the pituitary gland area may be detected by the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computerized axial tomography (CAT) scanning, also called computed tomography.

DELAYED SEXUAL MATURATION.

Delayed sexual maturation is a potential cause of HSDD. It is present in boys if there is no testicular enlargement by age 13-and-a-half or if there are more than five years between the initial and complete growth of the genitalia. In girls, delayed sexual maturation is characterized by a lack of breast enlargement by age 13, or by a period greater than five years between the beginning of breast growth and the onset of menstruation. Delayed puberty may be the result of familial constitutional disorders, genetic defects such as Turner's syndrome in females and Klinefelter's syndrome in males, central nervous system disorders such as pituitary conditions that interfere with the secretion of gonadotropic hormones, and chronic illnesses such as diabetes mellitus, chronic renal failure, and cystic fibrosis.

SEXUAL ANHEDONIA.

Sexual anhedonia is a rare variant of HSDD seen in the male, in which the patient experiences erection and ejaculation, but no pleasure from orgasm. The cause is attributed to penile anesthesia, due to psychological or emotional factors in a hysterical or obsessive person. Psychiatric referral is indicated unless there is evidence of spinal cord injury or peripheral neuropathy. Loss of tactile sensation of the penis is unlikely to be organic in cause unless there is associated anesthetic areas in the vicinity of the anus or scrotum.

Symptoms

The HSDD patient complains of a lack of interest in sex even under circumstances that are ordinarily erotic in nature, such as pornography. Sexual activity is infrequent and eventually is absent, often resulting in serious marital discord. HSDD may be selective and focused against a specific sexual partner. When boredom with the usual sexual partner is the cause and frequency of sex with the usual partner decreases, real or fantasized sexual desire toward others may be normal or even increased.

If the cause of HSDD falls into a detectable category such as abnormalities of the genitalia, or is due to a related condition such as a prolactinoma, chronic renal disease, diabetes mellitus, genetic disorder, or is familial in nature, the patient will manifest the signs and symptoms of the comorbid (co-occurring) condition. It is important to identify such causes, as their presence will usually dictate appropriate therapy.

Src: www.wikipeida.org

Related Articles