Female Sexual Interest/Arousal Disorder (FSIAD)

Ashley Hudgens

Wake Forest University Department of Counseling

Abstract Methods Discussion

• Newer diagnosis published in the DSM-5 in 2013
• A woman must meet three of the six indicators
for no less than a six month period.
• Clinicians disagree on what criteria should be
included when diagnosing FSIAD.
• There are treatments available, but not many
• There is room for future research and studies.
• There is more research and valuable information
• I used the Z. Smith Reynolds Library website to access the databases to be learned about FSIAD.
• The “counseling” and ”psychology” quick links were helpful when picking sources for • Both partners in a sexual encounter can report
databases. experiencing negative consequences of FSIAD .
• The databases used were: APA PsychInfo, APA PsychArticles, ERIC, and PubMed. • There are several routes that future research can
• I began my search by broadly using the term “Female Sexual Interest/Arousal Disorder” take.
• I narrowed my search by limiting the year of publication to only show articles and journals that • Additional research is critical so further
were published from 2010-present. development of interventions for couples coping
• I limited my search further by using key words and phrases such as “treatment techniques”, with FSIAD can come to fruition
“interventions”, and “definitions”. • CBT is widely used to treat women who have low
• Search mode was set to find all the search terms, to only see titles and abstracts that had all sexual desire,
of the words I was looking for. • There are not many controlled studies that show
the true effects of CBT

Results Future Research

Introduction
• Female Sexual Interest/Arousal Disorder is a
topic that is fairly new
• Sexual dysfunction among women is a
common
• Challenges the “traditional male model of
• For a female to meet the criterion for FSIAD,
there must be an absence or a reduction in the
frequency or intensity of no less than three of
six indicators for a minimum of 6 months.
• The current edition of the DSM (DSM-5) states
that individuals can suffer from mild to severe
sexual distress, and the symptoms can arise
from the beginning of sexual activity, or after a
period of normal sexual function.
• The prevalence of female sexual
interest/arousal disorder is unclear at this time
• The prevalence of low sexual desire can vary • The relationship between cognitive behavior
depending on age, culture, presence of distress and therapy and FSIAD
duration of symptoms. • The factors that maintain sexual issues and the
• Comorbidity is common between arousal problems well-being of both partners
and other sexual difficulties (American
• Expand on current ideas and models of female
Psychological Association, 2013).
• Complaints presented by an individual must not be
able to be explained by any nonsexual mental
sexual interest/arousal disorder.
disorder, serious relationship distress, or any other
•
significant stressors.
Most women that experience FSIAD are in
Selected References
relationships with significant others Angel K. (2010). The history of 'Female Sexual Dysfunction' as a mental disorder in the 20th century.
•
Current opinion in psychiatry, 23(6), 536–541. https://doi.org/10.1097/YCO.0b013e32833db7a1
It is important to build rapport with individuals being  
assessed for FSIAID American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.).
Washington, DC: Author
• A popular tool used for assessing clients who are  

DSM FSIAD Criteria

hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD)”
(McCarthy, Koman, & Cohn, 2018).
• Previous DSM editions only scratched the
surface on the subject of sexual dysfunction
• DSM 5 provided new classification of sexual
dysfunctions
• Sexual function involves complex interactions
occuring between biological, sociocultural,
and psychological factors.
• Shined light to reality that women and men
Absent/reduced sexual
excitement/pleasure during
Absent/reduced interest
in sexual activity. sexual activity in almost all
or all (approximately 75%–
100%) sexual encounters
Absent/reduced sexual
Absent/reduced interest/arousal in response •
sexual/erotic thoughts or to any internal or external
potentially experiencing FSIAD are questionnaires.
• Questionnaires can be beneficial in providing specific  
questions that can be asked
• Mood disorders such as depression, lower
relationship satisfaction, and difficulty regulating
negative emotions can lead to poorer sexual
satisfaction.
•
As of 2017, there was only one approved drug on the Clayton, A. H., Kingsberg, S. A., & Goldstein, I. (2018). Evaluation and Management of Hypoactive Sexual
market in the United States
There has also been a focus on non-pharmacological
approaches that show positive results.
Balon, R., & Clayton, A. H. (2014). Female sexual interest/arousal disorder: A diagnosis out of thin
air. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 43(7), 1227–1229.
https://doi-org.go.libproxy.wakehealth.edu/10.1007/s10508-013-0247-1
Basson, R. (2014). On the definition of female sexual interest/arousal disorder. Archives of Sexual
Behavior, 43(7), 1225–1226. https://doi-org.go.libproxy.wakehealth.edu/10.1007/s10508-014-0324-0
 
Both, S. (2017). Recent Developments in Psychopharmaceutical Approaches to Treating Female Sexual
Interest and Arousal Disorder. Current sexual health reports, 9(4), 192–199. https://doi-
org.go.libproxy.wakehealth.edu/10.1007/s11930-017-0124-3
 
Brotto, L. A. (2017). Evidence-based treatments for low sexual desire in women. Frontiers in
Neuroendocrinology, 45, 11–17. https://doi-org.go.libproxy.wakehealth.edu/10.1016/j.yfrne.2017.02.001
 
Desire Disorder. Sexual medicine, 6(2), 59–74. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esxm.2018.01.004
Dubé, J. P., Corsini-Munt, S., Muise, A., & Rosen, N. O. (2019). Emotion regulation in couples affected by
female sexual interest/arousal disorder. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 48(8), 2491–2506.
https://doi-org.go.libproxy.wakehealth.edu/10.1007/s10508-019-01465-4

fantasies. sexual/erotic cues •

experience desire and arousal problems
differently
• More to learn about what is included in
typically unreceptive to a
sexual interest and arousal disorders
• The effective treatments that are available.
No/reduced initiation of Absent/reduced genital or
• Others believe the diagnosis of FSIAD is an important Graham,
sexual activity, and nongenital sensations during
sexual activity in almost all
partner’s attempts to or all (approximately 75%–
initiate. 100%) sexual encounters
Some believe that the new diagnosis actually creates Faubion, S. S., & Rullo, J. E. (2015). Sexual Dysfunction in Women: A Practical Approach. American family
more damage in the area of sexual dysfunctions. physician, 92(4), 281–288.
 
C. A., Brotto, L. A., & Zucker, K. J. (2014). Response to Balon and Clayton (2014): Female sexual
interest/arousal disorder is a diagnosis more on firm ground than thin air. Archives of Sexual
step in moving away from the “outmoded and Behavior, 43(7), 1231–1234. https://doi-org.go.libproxy.wakehealth.edu/10.1007/s10508-013-0248-0
unidimensional views of the nature of the sexual
Graham, C. A., Boynton, P. M., & Gould, K. (2017). Women’s sexual desire: Challenging narratives of
response” (Graham, Brotto, & Zucker, 2014). “dysfunction.” European Psychologist, 22(1), 27–38.
https://doi-org.go.libproxy.wakehealth.edu/10.1027/1016-9040/a000282