Using a Different Model for Female Sexual Response to Address Women's Problematic Low Sexual Desire

An intimacy-based sex response cycle was used in the assessment of 47 women referred with low sexual desire. All could relate to the model and multiple breaks in the cycles were identified. Emotional intimacy to motivate the women to find sexual stimuli to elicit arousal was insufficient in 50%. Sexual stimuli and context were minimal in 53%. Psychological factors diminishing arousability were identified in 85%, depression contributing in 43%. Androgen deficiency (the cause suggested by referring doctors) contributed in 25%. Identifying missing components of their "normal" but currently problematic sex response cycles was itself therapeutic.