Week 9: Sexual Disorders

Question 1

What are some of the differences between males and females in terms sex?

Answer 1

Men report more frequent sexual thoughts and behaviours than women, having more sexual partners, having more extramarital affairs and engaging in cybersex.

Question 2

What were some of the historical (late 1800’s – early 1900’s) of sex?

Answer 2

Sexual appetite was dangerous and had to be restrained.

Question 3

A person is distressed by the sense that they do not belong psychologically / emotionally to their sex
What is this disorder?

Answer 3

Gender dysphoria

Question 4

What are the two broad categories of sexual disorders covered in the text?

Answer 4

Sexual dysfunctions and the paraphilic disorders

Question 5

What are the three main types of sexual dysfunction covered in the text?

Answer 5

exual interest, desire and arousal dysfunction, orgasmic disorder and sexual pain

Question 6

In the study by Laumann et al. (1999) – what percentage of men / women reported symptoms of sexual dysfunction?

Answer 6

31% of men and 43% of women

Question 7

What region of the world tended to have the lowest incidence of sexual dysfunction?

Answer 7

Northern Europe

Question 8

What are the four phases in the sexual response cycle identified by Masters and Johnson?

Answer 8

Desire phase, excitement phase, orgasm phase, resolution phase

Question 9

What are the two immediate or proximal factors that may lead to sexual dysfunction?

Answer 9

fears about performance & the adoption of a spectator role

Question 10

What are three of the distal factors that may lead to sexual dysfunction?

Answer 10

guilt about sexuality
sexual abuse
homosexual preference
lack of knowledge about sexuality
excessive alcohol intake
physiological problems
sociocultural problems

Question 11

If a person was significantly distressed by a sexual dysfunction, what treatments might we offer?

Answer 11

anxiety reduction & psychoeducation
communication training
directed masturbation
medications

Question 12

What is the origin of the word paraphilia?

Answer 12

Para refers to deviation and philia refers to what the person is attracted to

Question 13

How long does a person need to be attracted (and be experiencing clinically significant distress) to be diagnosed with a paraphilia?

Answer 13

At least six months

Question 14

What characteristics do people with paedophilia tend to display?

Answer 14

Intense sexually arousing fantasies, urges or behaviours involving sexual contact with a prepubescent child

Question 15

What are some of the other strategies, mentioned in the text, used to help people with paedophilia?

Answer 15

strategies to enhance motivation
cognitive-behavioural treatment
biological treatments (such as hormonal/testoerone lowering drugs)

Question 16

In regard to the paraphilias, which of these are legal, may be enjoyed and perhaps disappear from later editions of the DSM?

Answer 16

Fetishistic disorder
transvestic
sexual sadism
sexual masochism

Question 17

In regard to the paraphilias, which them are illegal?

Answer 17

Paedophilic disorder
voyeuristic disorder (unsuspecting watching)
exhibitionistic disorder (exposing genitals)
frotteuristic disorder (unsuspecting touching)