The Guidebook of Sexual Medicine

This book integrates biological and psychological factors into a biopsychosocial approach to the evaluation and treatment of sexual dysfunction, with significant emphasis on the couple. The Biopsychosocial model ensures a comprehensive assessment of multiple factors (psychosocial, medical, and the effect of substances) that can affect sexual functioning, so that the individual and/or the couple can benefit from different types of interventions, whether they are biological, psychosocial, or both. The current model of the sexual response cycle is discussed in chapter 1. A discussion of the Biopsychosocial evaluation and Biopsychosocial treatments of sexual disorders is covered in chapter 2. The following two chapters (3 and 4) describe substance-induced sexual dysfunction and sexual disorders caused by medical conditions. Chapters 5 through 8 deal with disorders of desire, arousal, orgasm, and pain. Chapter 9 focuses on alternative medicine interventions in sexual performance enhancement, while chapter 10 is dedicated to women's sexual health. This volume ends with an appendix on the results of sex surveys and another on the available online screening tests for sexual disorders in women and men. Paraphilias and gender identity disorders are related topics that are beyond the scope of this manual and are not covered here.