Sexual function is how the body reacts in different stages of the

sexual response cycle The human sexual response cycle is a four-stage model of physiological responses to sexual stimulation, which, in order of their occurrence, are the excitement, plateau, orgasmic, and resolution phases. This physiological response model was firs ...

. It is defined as the ability of an individual to react sexually or to experience

sexual pleasure Sexual stimulation is anything that leads to sexual arousal or orgasm. This thing can be physical or of other senses, and is known as a stimulus. Sexual stimulation is a broad term, usually understood to mean physical touching of the genitals ...

Assessment

Relevant aspects of sexual function are described on the basis of a modified version of

Masters and Johnson The Masters and Johnson research team, composed of William H. Masters (1915–2001) and Virginia E. Johnson (1925–2013), pioneered research into the nature of human sexual response and the diagnosis and treatment of sexual disorders and dys ...

's work. The aspects of sexual function determined as being relevant to the assessment include;

sexual desire Sexual desire is an emotion and motivational state characterized by an interest in sexual objects or activities, or by a drive to seek out sexual objects or to engage in sexual activities. It is an aspect of sexuality, which varies significantly ...

erection An erection (clinically: penile erection or penile tumescence) is a Physiology, physiological phenomenon in which the penis becomes firm, engorged, and enlarged. Penile erection is the result of a complex interaction of psychological, neural, ...

orgasm Orgasm (from Greek , ; "excitement, swelling"), sexual climax, or simply climax, is the sudden release of accumulated sexual excitement during the sexual response cycle, characterized by intense sexual pleasure resulting in rhythmic, involu ...

and

ejaculation Ejaculation is the discharge of semen (the ''ejaculate''; normally containing sperm) from the penis through the urethra. It is the final stage and natural objective of male sexual stimulation, and an essential component of natural conception. ...

. Guidelines for assessing sexual function are suggested and divided into four stages: ''Stage 1'' deals with the documentation of the defined aspects of sexual function. The main questions are: #Is the function intact? For example: Have there been any occurrences of erections or orgasms during a given period of time? #If the function is intact, what is the frequency and/or intensity of the function? For example: How often has the person had an orgasm or erections during the given period of time and how intense is the orgasmic pleasure and erection stiffness compared to youth or the best period in life. The suggested explanations for the absence or waning of functions at this stage are physiological and psychological. ''Stage 2'' deals with the assessment of the frequency of different sexual activities, such as intercourse, within a given time frame. The possible explanations for an absence or a decreased frequency of sexual activities may include physiological,

psychological Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Its subject matter includes the behavior of humans and nonhumans, both consciousness, conscious and Unconscious mind, unconscious phenomena, and mental processes such as thoughts, feel ...

, social,

religious Religion is a range of social- cultural systems, including designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relate humanity to supernatural ...

and

ethical Ethics is the philosophical study of moral phenomena. Also called moral philosophy, it investigates normative questions about what people ought to do or which behavior is morally right. Its main branches include normative ethics, applied e ...

reasons. ''Stage 3'' it is estimated if or to what extent waning sexual functions and/or activities cause distress. ''Stage 4'', the association between the distress due to waning sexual function and

well-being Well-being is what is Intrinsic value (ethics), ultimately good for a person. Also called "welfare" and "quality of life", it is a measure of how well life is going for someone. It is a central goal of many individual and societal endeavors. ...

and

emotional isolation Emotional isolation is a state of isolation where one may have an extensive or reliably available social network but still feels emotionally separated from others. Population-based research indicates that one in five middle-aged and elderly men ...

is assessed. These guidelines were constructed to assess male sexual function in relation with treatment for

prostate cancer Prostate cancer is the neoplasm, uncontrolled growth of cells in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system below the bladder. Abnormal growth of the prostate tissue is usually detected through Screening (medicine), screening tests, ...

. However, the concept has been modified and adapted for females.Bergmark K, Avall-Lundkvist E, Dickman PW, Henningsohn L, Steineck G. Vaginal changes and sexuality in woman with a history of cervical cancer. N Engl J Med. 1999: 304 (18):1383-9.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sexual Function Sexual health Human sexuality

Assessment

See also

References