Classification, Etiology, and Key Issues in Female Sexual Disorders

Women’s sexuality is multifactorial, rooted in biological, psychosexual and context-related factors. The latter include couple dynamics, family and sociocultural issues and developmental factors. Sexuality is also multisystemic. In men and women, a physiologic response requires the integrity of the hormonal, vascular, nervous, muscular, connective and immune systems: a fact too often overlooked in women, until recently. This chapter summarizes the leading characteristics of women’s sexuality, to give a comprehensive view of the key factors in sexual health. The most updated classification is presented, with a focus on descriptors essential to qualify the disorders with a few questions. Two concise paragraphs on ethical, legal and moral issues and on optimal referral are presented.