As is the case with a number of disorders, the treatment programs for female sexual dysfunction have in many cases been developed either before or concurrently with the development of the description and causes of the dysfunctions. Lack of adequate assessment measures, poor experimental design, and use of insufficiently large samples of women with orgasmic or arousal disorders have resulted in a lack of clarity regarding the nature and causes of female sexual dysfunction. An understanding of these issues is essential if the effectiveness of treatment programs is to be adequately evaluated.

Treatment programs for female sexual arousal disorder and female orgasmic disorder need to consider targeting a number of different areas: intergenerational factors, individual attitudes and lifestyle factors, and relationship factors.

Women’s sexual problems are frequently reactions to problems in one or more of these areas. Guilt, anxiety, and anger stemming from unresolved problems in these aspects of life are expressed in the sexual domain. Although behavioral treatments of the sexual dysfunction may assist with the presenting symptoms, the resolution of these other difficulties is necessary for the long-term effectiveness of treatment.

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