Episode 400: Women’s Most Common Sexual Problems

The most common sexual problems that women experience center around low sexual desire and/or difficulty becoming aroused, formally known as female sexual interest/arousal disorder. In today’s show, we’re doing a deep dive into what this disorder looks like, where it comes from, and why it seems so hard for women to access treatment for it.

I am joined by Dr. Lori Brotto, an internationally recognized leader in sexual health research. She is a Professor in the UBC Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, a Registered Psychologist, and Canada Research Chair in Women’s Sexual Health. She is also author of the book Better Sex Through Mindfulness.

Some of the specific topics we explore include:

• What is “female sexual interest/arousal disorder?” How is it clinically defined?
• How common is this disorder?
• What do we know about its causes? Is it physical, psychological, or a bit of both?
• Why does it take an average of 5 years for women to access treatment for sexual desire and arousal problems?
• Why is it so hard to develop drugs and medications that stimulate sexual desire?

You can check out Lori’s website to learn more about her work.

Got a sex question? Send me a podcast voicemail to have it answered on a future episode at speakpipe.com/sexandpsychology.

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Thank you to our sponsors! 

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The Kinsey Institute at Indiana University has been a trusted source for scientific knowledge and research on critical issues in sexuality, gender, and reproduction for over 75 years. Learn about more research and upcoming events at kinseyinstitute.org or look for them on social media @kinseyinstitute.

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