Treatments of psychogenic female sexual dysfunctions

Evaluates research evidence on the effectiveness of the treatments of psychogenic female sexual dysfunctions. Included are analyses of design, methodology, and outcome criteria. The studies are reviewed within 7 categories: individual verbal psychotherapy, couple reeducation, systematic desensitization, extensive retraining programs, combination approaches, group therapy, and vaginal exercise. Over half of the studies were case reports. The studies reflected various methodological weaknesses, including the confounding of treatment procedures, the failure to control for the differential treatment effects on the types of disorders, and the failure to use valid and reliable methods of data collection. Treatment successes were usually defined differently across the studies, a characteristic that inhibits the generalizability of the findings. Various methods of systematic desensitization have been successful in treating vaginismus, dyspareunia, orgasmic dysfunctions, and feelings of aversion toward sexual stimulation. Retraining programs seem to be effective in treating orgasmic dysfunctions. Recommendations for future research include the suggestion that controlled investigations should determine the most effective treatment methods for each of the dysfunctions. (71 ref)