Female Sexual Health: What is Anorgasmia? The Lack Of Achieving an Orgasm

An active sex life is dependent on many factors from emotional to physical. Sometimes a difficult day can lead to significant stress and mental fatigue which may interfere with a woman's sexual pleasure. The inability of a woman to have an orgasm despite sufficient sexual stimulation is called Anorgasmia.

Anorgasmia, according to medical journals, is the persistent or recurrent difficulty, or delay or absence in the attainment of orgasm.

"This is very very common. Women complain of not having an orgasm, they complain of no feeling of having intercourse or getting the symptom of pain during intercourse, and no pleasure at all. Very very common, primarily in vaginal infections- previously treated, or partially treated or poorly treated vaginal infections," Dr. Ankesh R. Sahetya, obstetrician and gynaecologist told SheThePeople.TV.

Causes

Orgasm and intensity of orgasm is subjective and varies among individuals. The amount of stimulation or foreplay needed for a woman to feel sexually charged or active differs from person to person. According to research published in the International Journal of Advanced Studies In Sexology, the causes for anorgasmia may be either physiological or psychological.

Physiological factors include previously conducted surgeries like hysterectomy, oophorectomy, or surgeries related to the vulva. Other factors in this line are previous infections, breastfeeding, menopause, use of oral contraceptives, and antihistamine drugs.

Psychological factors include fear of sex or wrong assumptions around sex, stress or anxiety, depression, lack of affection, or mutual respect for the sexual partner.

Symptoms

• The key symptoms of orgasmic dysfunction, anorgasmia is not being able to achieve sexual climax.
• Lack of satisfying orgasms
• Longer than normal to reach climax
• The lack of difficulty in achieving orgasm could happen during sexual intercourse or masturbation.

What's the treatment?

The treatment depends on the cause of anorgasmia, if it is depression then, of course, psychological treatments have to be carried out and if it is a previous surgery then physiological treatments have to be processed.

Dr. Ankesh advises, "Go to a gynaecologist, get counselled, explain your issue, rule out any infection, take a pap smear- a smear of the cervix and the vagina for any abnormal infective cells." He further adds that the doctor makes the patient know the importance of foreplay and the importance of being mentally at peace during intercourse. He says, "You can't plan these things, they happen in a state of pleasure. Usually, the psychological cause or the physical cause can be treated and women usually do well after the treatment."

Also what might seem to be as anorgasmia at first can be entwined with other symptoms of vulvodynia, dyspareunia, or sexual dysfunction. So, it is important one undergoes a proper consultation to know the exact underlying problem.

Sex is central to a woman's life like many other things and there is absolutely not shame in talking about it. In our country, there is no open discussion about it because of various taboos, culture, and myths around it. Keeping aside all apprehensions, it is necessary that one addresses their sexual health problems and visit a gynaecologist. Sexual health problems don't see a particular age, so it can erupt even after menopause or even before pre-puberty. Therefore, it is necessary that women should have gyanaecs on their speed dials.

It is always advisable to visit a gynaecologist in case of doubts and apprehensions regarding sexual health.