Anorgasmia is the inability to achieve orgasm. The disease is more often observed in women, especially in the postmenopausal period. In men, in most cases, anorgasmia is not accompanied by erectile dysfunction.
The problem of anorgasmia has psychological consequences since it causes dissatisfaction with sexual intercourse, mental retardation, and discomfort.
The prevalence of the disease is difficult to determine. Issues of this kind are not publicly discussed, and people do not know who to turn to for medical help.
Orgasm is a brain experience. Therefore, the reasons for its absence are sought at different levels of the nervous system – peripheral nerves, spinal cord, and brain.
In case of damage to the autonomic nerves that conduct information from and to the genital area, both the ability to achieve orgasm and erectile function in men can be impaired. Such damage is possible with injuries in the pelvic area, operations on the prostate gland or tumors in the small pelvis, etc. In women, the leading ones are surgical interventions on the internal genital organs, ruptures of blood vessels and nerves in complicated childbirth, caesarean section, etc.
Some metabolic disorders such as diabetes and chronic alcohol abuse are among the causes of polyneuropathy. In these cases, controlling blood sugar levels and limiting alcohol intake may improve the condition, as long as the nerves are not permanently damaged.
The next unit is the spinal cord. At this level, nerve fibers can be interrupted by mechanical (trauma) or infectious factors (transverse myelitis).
The cerebral causes of anorgasmia are the most multifaceted. Among them are mental retardation, chronically accumulating stress, the inability to relax during sex, and complexes of any nature.
A number of drugs that act at the brain level and are used in psychiatry have a decrease in libido and anorgasmia as a side effect. These are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). They are used as antidepressants due to their effect of increasing serotonin levels at synaptic junctions between nerve cells. On the other hand, SSRIs cause a decrease in dopamine levels in the brain, which is associated with the transmission of information in those areas that are responsible for experiencing orgasm. Not all patients taking SSRIs experience these side effects. Not all SSRIs cause these disorders. However, the link between SSRIs and anorgasmia has been scientifically proven. SSRIs are not the only drugs for treating depression, and if their unwanted effects occur, they can be replaced with another group of antidepressants and their negative effects can be eliminated.
Changing the ratio of neurotransmitters in the brain during drug use also leads to chaos in perception, including the ability to achieve orgasm.
These are the causes of secondary anorgasmia. There is also primary anorgasmia, which is much less common. People born with an inability to experience orgasm do not seek medical help, and recorded cases, like their causes, have not been clarified.
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