Print OverviewFemale sexual dysfunction is a medical term for ongoing sexual problems that upset you or your partner. Problems may involve sexual response, desire, orgasm or pain during sex. Many people have sexual problems at some point. Some have them throughout their lives. Female sexual dysfunction can happen at any stage of life. It can happen only sometimes or all the time during sex. Sexual response is complex. It involves how your body works, your feelings, things that happen in your life, your beliefs, your lifestyle and how you relate to your partner. A problem in any one of these areas can affect sexual desire, arousal or satisfaction. Treatment often involves more than one approach.Products & ServicesA Book: The New Rules of MenopauseBegin Exploring Women's Health Solutions at Mayo Clinic StoreShow more products from Mayo Clinic SymptomsSymptoms vary depending on the type of sexual dysfunction. Symptoms may include: Low sexual desire. This most common of female sexual dysfunctions involves a lack of interest in sex and not wanting to have sex. Sexual arousal disorder. Even if you want sex, sometimes it may be hard to get or stay aroused during sex. Orgasmic disorder. You have ongoing trouble having an orgasm even with enough sexual arousal. Sexual pain disorder. You have pain when having sex. When to see a doctorIf sexual problems affect your relationship or worry you, make an appointment with a member of your healthcare team. Request an appointment There is a problem with information submitted for this request. Review/update the information highlighted below and resubmit the form. Women’s health topics - straight to your inbox Get the latest information from our Mayo Clinic experts on women’s health topics, serious and complex conditions, wellness and more. Click to view a preview and subscribe below. 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Sorry something went wrong with your subscription Please, try again in a couple of minutes Retry CausesSexual dysfunction problems often start when hormones change. This might be after having a baby or during menopause. Major illness, such as cancer, diabetes or heart disease, also can add to sexual dysfunction. Factors that add to sex problems include the following: Physical. Medical conditions can lead to sexual dysfunction. These may include cancer, diabetes, kidney failure, multiple sclerosis, heart disease and bladder problems. Certain medicines can decrease your sexual desire and make it harder for you to have an orgasm. These include some medicines to treat depression, high blood pressure, allergies and cancers. Hormonal. Lower estrogen levels after menopause may lead to changes in your genital tissues and how you respond to sex. Lower estrogen leads to less blood flow to the pelvis. This can cause you to have less feeling in your genitals and to need more time to become aroused and reach orgasm. The vaginal lining also becomes thinner and less stretchy. Not being sexually active can make this worse. These factors can lead to painful intercourse, called dyspareunia. Sexual desire also lessens when hormone levels drop. Your body's hormone levels shift after giving birth and during breastfeeding. This can lead to vaginal dryness and affect your desire for sex. Psychological and social. Anxiety or depression that isn't treated can cause sexual dysfunction or add to it. So can long-term stress, a history of sexual abuse, worries of pregnancy and the demands of having an infant. Problems with your partner can affect your sex life. So can cultural and religious issues and problems with body image. Risk factorsFactors that may increase your risk of sexual dysfunction: Depression, anxiety and other mental health conditions. Heart disease, diabetes, cancer. Conditions of the spine and brain, called neurological. Examples are spinal cord injury or multiple sclerosis. Gynecological conditions, including infections. Certain medicines, such as those taken for depression or high blood pressure. Emotional or psychological stress, especially stress in your relationship with your partner. A history of sexual abuse. Lack of privacy. By Mayo Clinic Staff Request an appointment Diagnosis & treatment Oct. 30, 2024 Print Show references Shifren JL. Overview of sexual dysfunction in females: Epidemiology, risk factors, and evaluation. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search. Accessed April 9, 2024. AskMayoExpert. Sexual dysfunction in women. Mayo Clinic; 2023. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Clinical Practice Guideline No. 213: Female sexual dysfunction. Obstetrics & Gynecology. 2019; doi:10.1097/AOG.0000000000003324. Effective treatments for sexual problems. The North American Menopause Society. https://www.menopause.org/for-women/sexual-health-menopause-online/effective-treatments-for-sexual-problems. April 9, 2024. Shifren JL. Overview of sexual dysfunction in females: Management. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search. Accessed April 9, 2024. FAQs: Your sexual health. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. https://www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/your-sexual-health. Accessed April 9, 2024. Salari N, et al. The effects of smoking on female sexual dysfunction: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Archives of Women's Mental Health. 2022; doi:10.1007/s00737-022-01281-1. Related Female orgasm: No climax with vaginal penetration? 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There is a problem with information submitted for this request. Review/update the information highlighted below and resubmit the form. Women’s health topics - straight to your inbox Get the latest information from our Mayo Clinic experts on women’s health topics, serious and complex conditions, wellness and more. Click to view a preview and subscribe below. Email Address 1 ErrorEmail field is required ErrorInclude a valid email address Learn more about Mayo Clinic’s use of data. To provide you with the most relevant and helpful information, and understand which information is beneficial, we may combine your email and website usage information with other information we have about you. If you are a Mayo Clinic patient, this could include protected health information. If we combine this information with your protected health information, we will treat all of that information as protected health information and will only use or disclose that information as set forth in our notice of privacy practices. You may opt out of email communications at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link in the email. Subscribe Thank you for subscribing! You'll soon start receiving the latest Mayo Clinic health information you requested in your inbox. Sorry something went wrong with your subscription Please, try again in a couple of minutes Retry