Low Libido
When people claim to be liberated sexually, what they really mean is that they explore and enjoy experimentation and variety at the active, lusty, passionate end of the scale. We feel we are being broad-minded when we are comfortable with or tolerant of sexual diversity, such as homosexuality or bisexuality, or are prepared to experiment with oral sex, sex toys, threesomes, or bondage and discipline. However, if we are to truly embrace the notion of individual differences in sexuality, we need to think far more broadly than this and become respectful of people who are at the other end of the spectrum. Where does the asexual individual fit into the scheme of things? How is a person who prefers only “conventional” sex judged? What label is given to someone who is turned off by oral sex or by being touched on the genitals? What words are used to describe a woman–or man–who doesn’t seem interested in sex? What are some of the factors that are commonly thought to lead to this disinterest?
In a recent survey in the United States, 43 percent of women and 31 percent of men identified themselves as having one or more sexual problems. Among women, 33 percent complained of low sexual desire, 24 percent reported inability to come to orgasm, and 14 percent stated they experience pain during sex. For men, the most frequently reported problem was premature ejaculation, accounting for 28 percent of complaints, while 15 percent rated themselves as lacking interest in sex, 10 percent said they had problems attaining or maintaining an erection, and 3 percent had physical pain during intercourse.
Some researchers have criticized this study because these problems were identified by self-rating rather than by clinical evaluation, but it is precisely this aspect of the survey that intrigues me. If one in three women believes she is not as interested in sex as she should be, and one in four men doesn’t last as long as he thinks he should last, which of the following is more likely?
* We have a major epidemic on our hands.
* Many in this self-selected group aren’t dysfunctional at all but are either variations on the norm or comparing themselves unrealistically with an ideal. Read More inove
