What Is Sexual Dysfunction?
Sexual problems or sexual dysfunction can refer to a wide range of issues, including decreased sexual desire, premature ejaculation, or erectile dysfunction. This may be due to a number of reasons. For example, the experience of a traumatic event (such as a sexual assault) may contribute to a person feeling anxious rather than relaxed in intimate settings. Injuries sustained during a traumatic event may also interfere with sexual functioning. Finally, the high level of anxiety (or even PTSD) that results from traumatic exposure may also contribute to sexual problems. One population that can have extensive exposure to traumatic experiences and PTSD is military veterans.
Prevalence of Sexual Dysfunction Among Veterans
Most studies on sexual dysfunction among veterans with PTSD have looked at Vietnam veterans. In those studies, rates of sexual dysfunction were as high as 80 percent. The high rates led some mental health professionals to suggest that decreased sexual desire should be considered as a symptom of PTSD. Sexual issues are also very common among veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) who experience PTSD. One study by a researcher at the Veterans Affairs Pacific Islands Health Care System in Honolulu, Hawaii, looked at rates of sexual dysfunction among 53 male OEF/OIF veterans. All of the veterans were receiving mental health care for PTSD. In reviewing the medical charts of the veterans, the researcher found that only 6 of the 53 veterans did not have sexual dysfunction. Thirty-nine veterans have reduced sexual desire, 26 had erectile dysfunction, and eight had some form of ejaculatory problem.
The Relationship Between PTSD and Sexual Dysfunction
There are a number of reasons why a diagnosis of PTSD may increase the risk of sexual dysfunction. First, high levels of anxiety can interfere with sexual functioning, and people with PTSD suffer from constant anxious arousal. In addition, many people with PTSD may feel disconnected and detached from loved ones, which can greatly interfere with intimacy. PTSD symptoms of anger and irritability have also been found to interfere with intimacy. In addition, PTSD may be associated with an increased risk for certain medical conditions that may also contribute to sexual dysfunction. In addition, given that it appears as though many forms of sexual dysfunction may be linked to PTSD symptoms, sexual problems may decrease if symptoms of PTSD are addressed. There are a number of effective treatments for PTSD; find treatment providers in your area who specialize in treating the condition.
