Female sexual dysfunction

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Alternative medicine

By Mayo Clinic staff

More research is needed, but promising therapies for improving sexual satisfaction include:

  • Mindfulness. This type of meditation is based on being mindful, or having an increased awareness and acceptance of living in the present moment. You focus on what you experience during meditation, such as the flow of your breath. You can observe your thoughts and emotions but let them pass without judgment. Some research shows that mindfulness practiced during the course of group therapy improved many aspects of sexual response and reduced personal distress in women with desire and arousal disorders.
  • Acupuncture. Acupuncture involves the insertion of extremely thin needles into your skin at strategic points on your body. Acupuncture may have positive effects on women with sexual pain disorders. Another possible therapy is acupuncture to improve libido in women with low desire, although this area has yet to be rigorously studied.
  • Yoga. During yoga, you perform a series of postures and controlled breathing exercises to promote a more flexible body and a calm mind. Certain subsets of yoga aim to channel the body's sexual energy and improve sexual functioning. Very little data exist on the benefits of yoga on sexual functioning. However, the practice of yoga is associated with improved psychological well-being and overall health.
Coping and support Lifestyle and home remedies
References
  1. Longo DL, et al. Harrison's Online. 18th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2012. http://www.accessmedicine.com/resourceTOC.aspx?resourceID=4. Accessed Aug. 20, 2012.
  2. Brotto LA, et al. Women's sexual desire and arousal disorders. Journal of Sexual Medicine. 2010;7:586.
  3. Shifren JL. Sexual dysfunction in women: Epidemiology, risk factors, and evaluation. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed Aug. 20, 2012.
  4. Shifren JL. Sexual dysfunction in women: Management. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed Aug. 20, 2012.
  5. Lentz GM, et al. Comprehensive Gynecology. 6th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2012. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/linkTo?type=bookPage&isbn=978-0-323-06986-1&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-06986-1..C2009-0-48752-X--TOP. Accessed Aug. 23, 2012.
  6. Clayton AH, et al. Female sexual dysfunction. Psychiatric Clinics of North America. 2010;33:323.
  7. Schoen C, et al. Sildenafil citrate for female sexual arousal disorder: A future possibility? Nature Reviews Urology. 2009;6:216.
  8. Nurnberg HG, et al. Sildenafil treatment of women with antidepressant-associated sexual dysfunction. Journal of the American Medical Association. 2008;300:395.
  9. Nijland EA, et al. Tibolone and transdermal E2/NETA for the treatment of female sexual dysfunction in naturally menopausal women. Journal of Sexual Medicine. 2008;5:646.
  10. Kammerer-Doak D, et al. Female sexual function and dysfunction. Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinics of North America. 2008;35:169.
  11. Brotto LA, et al. A mindfulness-based group psychoeducational intervention targeting sexual arousal disorder in women. Journal of Sexual Medicine. 2008;5:1646.
  12. Brotto LA, et al. Eastern approaches for enhancing women's sexuality: Mindfulness, acupuncture, and yoga. Journal of Sexual Medicine. 2008;5:2741.
  13. Swanson JB (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Sept. 11, 2012.
DS00701 Sept. 25, 2012

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