Psychosexual disorder is the term for a category of disorders resulting in sexual impairment or distress. The most common psychosexual disorder is psychosexual dysfunction, which results in an inability to attain or sustain sexual arousal in typically arousing circumstances for psychologic reasons. Other psychosexual disorders include sexual sadism / masochism, voyeurism, and fetishism.
It is important to rule out organic causes of sexual dysfunction in both men and women, as the presenting symptoms are often the same.
In men, psychosexual dysfunction presents with an inability to get and/or maintain an erection, premature ejaculation, inability to ejaculate, and/or decreased libido. In women, psychosexual dysfunction can present as decreased libido, inability to achieve an orgasm, vaginal dryness, and/or vaginismus (involuntary tightness of perivaginal muscles causing pain during sexual intercourse).
In both men and women, psychosexual dysfunction can be caused by major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and situational anxiety (including performance anxiety) as well as past traumatic sexual experiences. Negative body image can also play a role.
Fetishism refers to a sexual disorder characterized by obsession of sexual fantasy with inanimate objects. Sexual sadism / masochism refers to a sexual disorder in which pain and sexual arousal are codependent. Voyeurism refers to a sexual disorder in which an individual seeks sexual arousal via observation of other individuals engaging in sexual intercourse.
Patients with this disorder may have an increased risk of various general medical conditions.
Psychosexual disorder
Alerts and Notices
Important News & Links
Synopsis
Codes
ICD10CM:
R37 – Sexual dysfunction, unspecified
SNOMEDCT:
56627002 – Psychosexual disorder
R37 – Sexual dysfunction, unspecified
SNOMEDCT:
56627002 – Psychosexual disorder
Look For
Subscription Required
Diagnostic Pearls
Subscription Required
Differential Diagnosis & Pitfalls
To perform a comparison, select diagnoses from the classic differential
Subscription Required
Best Tests
Subscription Required
Management Pearls
Subscription Required
Therapy
Subscription Required
References
Subscription Required
Last Reviewed:11/10/2019
Last Updated:09/17/2020
Last Updated:09/17/2020
Psychosexual disorder