Sex Made Easy by Debby Herbenick Read Free Book Online

it’s not part of a bigger experience of feeling sexually aroused or desirous.
    First described in 2001, this was initially called Persistent Sexual Arousal Syndrome and was more recently renamed Persistent Genital Arousal Disorder (PGAD), as women with PGAD are more likely to say that their genitals are feeling “aroused” (rather than that they feel sexually aroused themselves). 12 It’s unclear what causes PGAD. Some women report that their symptoms started either while taking certain antidepressants or after they stopped taking antidepressants. One study reported on a woman who started experiencing PGAD about a month after she started on a diet that was very, very high in soy (her genital arousal was so unrelenting that she would masturbate upwards of fifteen times in a day to try to relieve the tension). 13 Other research suggests that women with PGAD are more likely to be anxious or depressed and to monitor their physical sensations (how their body feels), suggesting that perhaps these psychological characteristics are linked to PGAD. 14 This doesn’t mean that PGAD is “all in your head”; rather, women who pay more attention to how their body feels may be more prone to anxiety as well as to PGAD.
    Doctors and scientists are currently researching effective treatments for PGAD. In one study, physical therapy exercises were found to be helpful. For some women, masturbation to orgasm helps. Other times, women find that applying an ice pack to their genitals helps relieve the feelings of genital pressure or arousal. Women who experience a great deal of anxiety, shame, or embarrassment about their genital arousal symptoms may be helped by meeting with a sex therapist—again, while PGAD isn’t “all in their heads,” counseling or therapy can be helpful in aiding women to relax and focus on things other than their bodily sensations (which may exacerbate their discomfort).
    If a woman’s symptoms started after she began taking a certain medication, she should mention this to her health care provider, as there may be another medication or another type of treatment available without such side effects. And while a minority of patients with PGAD felt that their symptoms started while they were taking SSRI antidepressants, a larger number of these patients have felt that their symptoms improved while taking antidepressants.
    If you experience PGAD, please know that there is reason to be hopeful that your condition can be treated so you can feel better and more comfortable in your body. If your health care provider isn’t knowledgeable on the topic, try to find a doctor in your community who specializes in sexual medicine (see Resources ) or bring your health care provider copies of some of the research articles listed in the back of the book so that they can become familiar with PGAD and help you to manage it effectively. Consider, too, whether it’s possible to reframe your situation. Although some women are bothered by feelings of constant arousal, others are not. Might there be a way to look at your situation from a different perspective?
6. What to do if . . . you experience vaginal dryness even though you’re too young for menopause
    Vaginal dryness typically kicks in on a more regular basis as women approach menopause (commonly in their mid-to-late forties or early fifties, although some women reach menopause at younger or older ages). However, there are a number of reasons why even younger women may experience vaginal dryness. In our recent National Survey of Sexual Health and Behavior, my research team found that about one-third of American women (even very young women) report having experienced vaginal lubrication difficulties during their most recent sex act. 15 More specifically, 35 percent of women ages eighteen to twenty-four reported lubrication difficulties during the most recent time they had sex as did 28 percent of women ages twenty-five to twenty-nine,