Monique Rainford

There's no magic pill

Unfortunately, there is no magic pill to improve a woman's sex drive but treatment is available. Often, the treatment will not involve taking a medication; it may require counselling by a therapist.

Sometimes, making healthy lifestyle choices such as improving eating habits, exercising and employing additional stress reduction techniques may help to resolve the problem. The doctor may choose to change or stop hormonal medication, such as the birth control pill, to help to identify the cause. Viagra has not proven to be effective in improving a woman's sex drive.

In women, past the menopause, there is proof that supplementation with testosterone (the male hormone) may improve sex drive. However, this hormone is not readily available in Jamaica at this time.

Sexual arousal disorder

A woman has a sexual arousal disorder if she is unable to attain or to maintain throughout the sex act an adequate physical response to sexual excitement, such as vaginal lubrication and swelling. Female sexual desire disorder is often associated with an arousal disorder and one condition may be the cause and the other the consequence or vice versa.

Women with this disorder may benefit from vaginal lubricants to decrease some of the discomfort experienced. Adjustment of hormone therapy may help some women. Unlike in a desire disorder, Viagra may help with arousal disorder mainly by increasing the blood flow to the vaginal area. A device called Eros-CTD may also help by increasing blood flow to the clitoris. The device is a battery-operated vacuum cup which is placed over the clitoris several times per week.

Dyspareunia is pain in the woman's genital area with attempted entry or complete entry in her vagina or with intercourse. This problem is more common in women below the age of 30. There are a number of reasons why women experience this problem including infection, uterine fibroids, endometriosis, other growths on the vagina or in the pelvis and low oestrogen levels (for example in women past the menopause). She may have pain at the opening of her vagina with entry or pain with deep penetration. A woman with this condition should see her doctor for a thorough evaluation to help to identify the cause.

Orgasmic problems

Female orgasmic disorder occurs when a woman is able to be excited normally during sexual activity but she is either unable or has difficulty reaching an orgasm. She has a primary orgasmic disorder if she has never had an orgasm or a secondary disorder if she develops a problem later in life. Most women have orgasms only by stimulation of the clitoris and thus, if they do not have adequate stimulation of the clitoris with intercourse, they may never experience an orgasm during this time. This is true for up to 30 per cent of women and is not considered abnormal.

Reasons for difficulty in achieving orgasm include a woman's lack of knowledge about her body and body functioning, being afraid of losing control, guilt feelings about sex, relationship issues or other stressors.

Alcohol and medications, such as those used to treat depression or high blood pressure and sedatives can also affect a woman's ability to have orgasm. Certain illness which affects her nerves such as multiple sclerosis or diabetes can also be the problem. If a woman had an injury to her pelvic area, for example with a difficult delivery, this may cause injury to her nerves and affect her ability to experience an orgasm. Techniques to help a woman relax as well as increasing the amount of stimulation she receives may aid with the problem. If it is medication induced, a change in medications may correct the problem.

Hopefully, a better understanding of the problems which exist will give women courage to seek help to improve their sex lives.