Sexual wellness and wellbeing, and sexuality, is a very complex area of behaviour and health. There are various systems that coordinate our sexual health, such as the vascular system, nervous system and endocrine system, as well as various others. It is also very closely related to life experiences, and to social and cultural beliefs. Unlike many aspects of our makeup, sexuality also changes as we get older.
Your sexual wellness can be affected by the relationships in your life, and the things that specific partners bring to a sexual relationship. As it is such a complex process, sexual wellness can be affected by many different things, and disturbances in so many areas of the life or body can lead to sexual dysfunction.
Male sexual dysfunction is often focused on, but in recent years, the idea of female sexual dysfunction has come to the fore. This is largely because of increased awareness, and an increasing age of menopause in women, too.
The sexual problems that are coming to light are not new. In fact, thousands of years ago, the Chinese Taoists believed that if women had a healthy sexual lifestyle, they could minimise illness and lead a good, healthy life. Thus, some Taoists believed in the importance of cultivating good sexual health and sexual habits. The famous Taoist book, ‘The Tao of Sex’ addresses various sexual health issues, including specific sexual positions to use and the way that we can use various herbs to treat sexual dysfunction.
There are various sexual dysfunctions that can occur in women, such as problems with desire, problems with arousal, problems achieving an orgasm and issues causing pain during sex. These issues frequently overlap, too, so you will find that if women are suffering from one, they may be suffering from one or two others as well.