Sexual Disorders - Diagnostic Criteria: DSM-IV

I. SEXUAL DYSFUNCTIONS:

A. DESIRE PHASE DISORDERS:

1. HYPOACTIVE SEXUAL DESIRE DISORDER:

A. Persistently or recurrently deficient (or absent) sexual fantasies and desire for sexual activity. The judgment of deficiency or absence is made by the clinician, taking into account factors that affect sexual functioning, such as age and the context of the person's life.

B. The disturbance causes marked distress or interpersonal difficulty.

C. The sexual dysfunction is not better accounted for by another Axis I disorder (except another sexual dysfunction) and is not due exclusively to the direct physiological effects of a substance (eg, a drug of abuse, a medication) or a general medical condition.

2. SEXUAL AVERSION DISORDER:

A. Persistent or recurrent extreme aversion to, and avoidance of, all (or almost all) genital sexual contact with a sexual partner.

B. The disturbance causes marked distress or interpersonal difficulty.

C. The sexual dysfunction is not better accounted for by another Axis I disorder (except another sexual dysfunction).

B. SEXUAL AROUSAL DISORDERS:

1. FEMALE SEXUAL AROUSAL DISORDER:

A. Persistent or recurrent inability to attain, or to maintain until completion of the sexual activity, an adequate lubrication-swelling response of sexual excitement.

B. The disturbance causes marked distress or interpersonal difficulty.

C. The sexual dysfunction is not better accounted for by another Axis I disorder (except another sexual dysfunction) and is not due exclusively to the direct physiological effects of a substance (eg, a drug of abuse, a medication) or a general medical condition.

2. MALE ERECTILE DISORDER:

A. Persistent or recurrent inability to attain, or to maintain until completion of the sexual activity, an adequate erection.

B. The disturbance causes marked distress or interpersonal difficulty.

C. The sexual dysfunction is not better accounted for by another Axis I disorder (except another sexual dysfunction) and is not due exclusively to the direct physiological effects of a substance (eg, a drug of abuse, a medication) or a general medical condition.

C. ORGASMIC DISORDERS:

1. FEMALE ORGASMIC DISORDER:

A. Persistent or recurrent delay in, or absence of, orgasm following a normal sexual excitement phase. Women exhibit wide variability in the type or intensity of stimulation that triggers orgasm. The diagnosis of female orgasmic disorder should be based on the clinician's judgment that the woman's orgasmic capacity is less than would be reasonable for her age, sexual experience, and the adequacy of sexual stimulation she receives.

B. The disturbance causes marked distress or interpersonal difficulty.

C. The orgasmic dysfunction is not better accounted for by another Axis I disorder (except another sexual dysfunction) and is not due exclusively to the direct physiological effects of a substance (eg, a drug of abuse, a medication) or a general medical condition.

2. MALE ORGASMIC DISORDER:

A. Persistent or recurrent delay in, or absence of, orgasm following a normal sexual excitement phase during sexual activity that the clinician, taking into account the person's age, judges to be adequate in focus, intensity, and duration.

B. The disturbance causes marked distress or interpersonal difficulty.

C. The orgasmic dysfunction is not better accounted for by another Axis I disorder (except another sexual dysfunction) and is not due exclusively to the direct physiological effects of a substance (eg, a drug of abuse, a medication) or a general medical condition.

3. PREMATURE EJACULATION:

A. Persistent or recurrent ejaculation with minimal sexual stimulation before, on, or shortly after penetration and before the person wishes it. The clinician must take into account factors that affect duration of the excitement phase, such as age, novelty of the sexual partner or situation, and recent frequency of sexual activity.

B. The disturbance causes marked distress or interpersonal difficulty.

C. The premature ejaculation is not due exclusively to the direct effects of a substance (eg, withdrawal from opioids).

D. SEXUAL PAIN DISORDERS:

1. DYSPAREUNIA:

A. Recurrent or persistent genital pain associated with sexual intercourse in either a male or female.

B. The disturbance causes marked distress or interpersonal difficulty.

C. The disturbance is not caused exclusively by vaginismus or lack of lubrication, is not better accounted for by another Axis I disorder (except another sexual dysfunction), and is not due exclusively to the direct physiological effects of a substance (eg, a drug of abuse, a medication) or a general medical condition.

2. VAGINISMUS

A. Recurrent or persistent involuntary spasm of the musculature of the outer third of the vagina that interferes with sexual intercourse.

B. The disturbance causes marked distress or interpersonal difficulty.

C. The disturbance is not better accounted for by another Axis I disorder (eg, somatization disorder) and is not due exclusively to the direct physiological effects of a general medical condition.

II. PARAPHILIAS

In general, less is known about the paraphilias than about the sexual dysfunctions. Much of the information available is relevant to the paraphilias in general. Comments about etiology, the value of psychological testing, and so on are more likely to be relevant to the broad category rather than to one specific diagnosis. For that reason we initially review these disorders as a broad category and then provide a brief discussion of individual diagnoses.

Diagnostic Criteria

A. Recurrent, intense sexually arousing fantasies, sexual urges, or behaviors-generally involving (1) nonhuman objects, (2) the suffering or humiliation of oneself or one's partner, or (3) children or other nonconsenting persons-that occur over a period of at least 6 months (American Psychiatric Association 1994, pp. 522-523).

B. The diagnosis is not made unless the fantasies, sexual urges, or behaviors cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of function.

PARAPHILIC DIAGNOSES - The descriptions are based on DSM-IV diagnostic criteria:

Exhibitionism

Exhibitionism involves recurrent, intense, sexually arousing fantasies, sexual urges, or behaviors involving the exposure of one's genitals to an unsuspecting stranger. The exhibitionist may or may not masturbate coincidentally with the exposure of his genitals. The victim's reaction, or the exhibitionist's fantasy of that reaction, plays a major role in his sexual satisfaction. Exhibitionistic behavior is often ritualized, with the same behavioral patterns repeated during each episode.

Fetishism

Fetishism involves recurrent, intense, sexually arousing fantasies, sexual urges, or behaviors involving nonliving objects, often articles of women's clothing. These objects are not limited to articles of women's clothing used in cross-dressing or to devices designed for the purpose of sexual stimulation.

The fetish object is frequently used for arousal during masturbation, and sexual arousal may be impossible in the absence of the object. If there is a sexual partner, the partner may be asked to wear or in some way use the fetish object during sexual activity.

Frotteurism

Frotteurism involves recurrent, intense, sexually arousing fantasies, sexual urges, or behaviors involving touching and rubbing against a nonconsenting person. This behavior frequently occurs in crowded public places, which afford the perpetrator a reasonable opportunity for escape.

Pedophilia

Pedophilia involves recurrent, intense, sexually arousing fantasies, sexual urges, or behaviors involving sexual activity with a prepubescent child or children (generally age 13 years or younger). A person must be at least 16 years of age and at least 5 years older than the child or children affected for the diagnosis to be made. Individuals in late adolescence involved in an ongoing sexual relationship with a 12 or 13 year old are excluded.

Individuals with this disorder tend to focus on children in a specific age range. Some have exclusively heterosexual interests (eg, focusing on girls age 8-11 years), others have exclusively homosexual interests (eg, focusing on boys age 9-12 years), whereas still others are attracted to either sex. The behavior may range from looking, to fondling, masturbation, and various degrees of penetration and coercion. Pedophiles may confine their behavior to their own children, their extended family, or strangers. Individuals with pedophilia often use elaborate intellectual rationalization to justify their behavior and may have well-developed and practiced manipulative techniques to entice children into sexual interaction. In many cases, this is an extremely chronic disorder with strong compulsive elements. Some individuals who focus on strangers have molested hundreds of children. This is one of the paraphilias that creates the most intense social approbation and is likely to lead to extensive entanglement in the legal system and incarceration.

Sexual Masochism

Sexual masochism involves recurrent, intense, sexually arousing fantasies, sexual urges, or behaviors involving the act (real, not simulated) of being humiliated, beaten, bound, or otherwise made to suffer.

Pornography related to sadomasochistic themes is widely available, but the implications of this availability for the prevalence of such disorders in the population are unclear. Some individuals confine their masochistic urges to fantasy, some act on these urges alone accompanied by masturbation, and others involve partners. Some prostitutes develop flourishing practices serving the needs of men with this disorder for domination. Some individuals need to escalate the intensity of their masochistic behavior over time, which on occasion results in severe injury or death.

Sexual Sadism

Sexual sadism involves recurrent, intense, sexually arousing fantasies, sexual urges, or behaviors involving acts (real, not simulated) in which the psychological or physical suffering (including humiliation) of a victim is sexually exciting to the person.

Some individuals with sexual sadism confine their sadism to fantasy, others team up with a consenting partner (often with sexual masochism), and still others inflict sexual pain on unwilling victims. The latter individuals have a tendency to continue to act out until apprehended and often escalate the severity of their sadistic behavior until they may present a true danger of death or serious injury to their victims. Sadistic sexual fantasies often begin in childhood, and the disorder has a chronic course.

Transvestic Fetishism

Transvestic fetishism involves recurrent, intense, sexually arousing fantasies, sexual urges, or behaviors involving cross-dressing. The diagnosis may be qualified by the specifier with gender dysphoria, if the patient has persistent discomfort with his assigned gender role.

In this disorder cross-dressing is done for purposes of sexual arousal and is usually accompanied by masturbation. Men with this disorder may take pleasure in wearing concealed articles of female clothing throughout the day. Cross-dressing behavior often takes on elements of increasing risk over time, beginning with cross-dressing alone in the privacy of the home and progressing to going out in public completely cross-dressed. At times the risk of discovery seems to contribute to the individual's sexual arousal.

This disorder is sometimes accompanied by gender dysphoria but is not diagnosed if the cross-dressing occurs only in the context of gender dysphoria without the element of sexual arousal. There is an extensive transvestic subculture with published magazines and a national organization of support groups. Episodes of cross-dressing may be accompanied by varying degrees of dissociation. The disorder tends to be chronic. Transvestic fetishism is not necessarily associated with a homosexual sexual object preference.

Voyeurism

Voyeurism involves recurrent, intense, sexually arousing fantasies, sexual urges, or behaviors involving the act of observing an unsuspecting person who is naked, in the process of disrobing or engaging in sexual activity.

In general, for individuals with this disorder the act of looking is the source of sexual arousal, and although it may be fantasized, no sexual contact with the person observed is sought. Occasionally, however, an individual may place himself in a compromising position in order to observe and may contact and even harm the victim in order to escape discovery. Although it is clearly infrequent, there have been reports of chronic voyeurism evolving into rape.

Paraphilia Not Otherwise Specified

This category includes the numerous paraphilic foci that are not included in the preceding categories.