Sex And Sexual Problems

This sections covers a wide range of sexual behaviors, concerns and sexual problems.

Male Sexual Dysfunction is an umbrella term used to describe a number of sexual problems which inhibit normal sexual relations. The problem areas for men generally include erectile problems, premature ejaculation, gender identity problems, and hypoactive sexual desire.

There are wide variations in both male and female sexual functioning, and there is no standard that women must meet for their sexual functioning to be considered normal. If a woman experiences a sexual problem that troubles her, then it is a problem that needs to be addressed and she should be encouraged to see how it can be corrected.

Is a condition in which a person has been assigned one gender (usually at birth), but identifies as belonging to another gender, or does not conform with the gender role their respective society prescribes to them. It is a psychiatric term for what is widely known by other terms such as transsexuality, transgender, transvestism or cross-dressing.

A bisexual is a person who has romantic and/or sexual relations with people of more than one sex. This could be anyone who has erotic, affectionate, or romantic feelings for, fantasies of, and/or experiences with both men and women. A bisexual may be more attracted to one sex than the other or attracted equally to both. The strength of their attractions to men and women may vary over time.

The terms Gay, Lesbian, and Homosexuality refer to sexual and romantic attraction between individuals of the same sex. The term gay is used predominantly to refer to self-identified homosexuals of either sex. Lesbian is a gender-specific term that is only used for self-identified homosexual females.  The sexual practices of gays and lesbians is as varied as that of heterosexuals.

People who have a fetish are sexually aroused by sexual activity involving non-human objects. Generally, a person with fetishism must have the fetish item present in order to become sexually excited. Common fetish objects include underwear, specific materials such as satin, leather, fur, rubber, or plastic, specific articles of clothing such as shoes or boots, and bodily items such as hair, odors, urine, or feces.

Describes the direction of an individual's sexuality, often in relation to their own sex or gender. Sexual orientation can be seen as existing along a continuum that ranges from exclusive heterosexuality to exclusive homosexuality and includes various forms of bisexuality. Sexual orientation is different from sexual behavior because it refers to feelings and self-concept. Individuals may or may not express their sexual orientation in their behaviors.

Sadism is the sexual pleasure or gratification in the infliction of pain and suffering upon another person. The counterpart of sadism is masochism, the sexual pleasure or gratification of having pain or suffering inflicted upon the self, often consisting of sexual fantasies or urges for being beaten, humiliated, bound, tortured, or otherwise made to suffer, either as an enhancement to or a substitute for sexual pleasure.

Is the psychological need and pattern of behavior to exhibit naked parts of the body to other people. In exhibitionism, the individual shows a tendency, to an extravagant degree, to captivate the attention of others in a display of a body part, or parts.

Is a sexual disorder in which a person derives sexual pleasure or gratification from rubbing, especially the genitals, against another non-consensual person, typically in a public place such as a crowded train, or in crowded places such as malls, elevators, on busy sidewalks, and on public transportation vehicles.

Is a practice in which an individual derives sexual pleasure from observing other people. Such people may be engaged in sexual acts, or be nude or in underwear, or dressed in whatever other way the "voyeur" finds appealing. Differentiating innocent enjoyment of nudity from behavior that is similar but deviant in other circumstances can sometimes be difficult.