Constant, persisting sexual arousal…what comes to mind?
A dream come true? Memories of your first love?
For a certain population of women, persistent sexual arousal is no enjoyable-or joking-matter. Persistent Sexual Arousal Syndrome (PSAS) is the unrelenting feeling of genital arousal.
Vaginal congestion, lubrication, tingling and even breast sensitivity occur spontaneously. These physical feelings are intrusive and unwanted. PSAS is not to be confused with hypersexuality, commonly referred to as nymphomania. Hypersexuality is a compulsive desire for sex. Women with PSAS have no excessive desire for sex.
Women who suffer from PSAS (and research is ongoing to determine just how many there are) find that unwanted arousal can overtake their life. They can’t work. They can’t sleep. Frequent masturbation or other forms of sexual release are needed to keep the feelings at bay. While some might take the arousal as a positive, many women fall into a depression because of feelings of helplessness, shame and confusion. For all of these reasons, a woman may not approach her doctor with the complaint.
Arousal disorders are among the most complicated in women. Subjective feelings of arousal are not clearly connected to the physiological markers of arousal (as in men). So when the body is off to the races and the mind is not, it can be a traumatizing experience. At the other end of the spectrum are women who feel attracted to their partners, but find that their bodies don’t respond.
The causes of PSAS are still not clear and neither are the solutions. Some women experience PSAS because of abnormal clitoral blood flow, which can be investigated with an ultrasound. Others may develop symptoms as a result of neurological changes after an injury or accident. However, the vast majority of cases have no identifiable cause. Treatments include anti-depressant medications, numbing gels and therapy.
Creating a dialogue about this poorly understood condition is a step in the right direction. The more women who come forward about PSAS, the more chances we have to effectively treat it. We can only hope that research continues to offer answers to all women, no matter where they fall along the arousal spectrum.
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