Department of Psychology, University of Texas-Austin, Austin, TX, USA.
Department of Psychology, University of Texas-Austin, Austin, TX, USA.
J Sex Med. 2018 Jan;15(1):52-63. doi: 10.1016/j.jsxm.2017.11.009.
Many sexual psychophysiologic studies have failed to find differences in physiologic genital arousal between women with and those without sexual dysfunction. However, differences in self-reported (ie, perceived) measures of genital responses between these 2 groups of women have been noted.
To determine whether women with and without sexual dysfunction differ on measures of physiologic and perceived genital arousal based on type of analytic technique used, to explore differences in perceived genital arousal, and to assess the relation between physiologic and perceived genital arousal.
Data from 5 studies (N = 214) were used in this analysis. Women were categorized into 3 groups: women with arousal-specific sexual dysfunction (n = 40), women with decreased sexual function (n = 72), and women who were sexually functional (n = 102). Women viewed an erotic film while their physiologic genital arousal was measured using a vaginal photoplethysmograph. After watching the film, women completed a self-report measure of perceived genital arousal.
There were differences in vaginal pulse amplitude (VPA) levels and association of VPA with perceived genital sensations based on level of sexual function.
Commonly used methods of analysis failed to identify significant differences in VPA among these groups of women. When VPA data were analyzed with hierarchical linear modeling, significant differences emerged. Notably, women with arousal-specific dysfunction exhibited lower VPA than sexually functional women at the beginning of the assessment. As the erotic film progressed, women with arousal-specific dysfunction became aroused at a faster rate than sexually functional women, and these 2 groups ultimately reached a similar level of VPA. Sexually functional women reported the highest levels of perceived genital responses among the 3 groups of women. No significant relation between VPA and perceived genital arousal emerged.
Women's perception of their genital responses could play a role in women's experience of sexual dysfunction and might be more clinically relevant for women with sexual dysfunction than genital blood flow.
This study's large sample is unique in sexual psychophysiology, and it strengthens the credibility of the findings. However, this study is limited in that arousal-specific dysfunction was determined with self-report measures, not by a clinician-administered assessment.
These findings suggest distinct response trajectories in women with and without sexual dysfunction, and although perceived genital responses are important for women who are experiencing problems with arousal, they do not seem to be related to objective measures of physiologic arousal. Handy AB, Stanton AM, Pulverman CS, Meston CM. Differences in Perceived and Physiologic Genital Arousal Between Women With and Without Sexual Dysfunction. J Sex Med 2018;15:52-63.
许多性心理生理学研究未能发现有性功能障碍和无性功能障碍的女性之间在生殖器兴奋的生理表现上有差异。然而，这两组女性在自我报告（即感知）的生殖器反应测量上存在差异。
确定基于使用的分析技术类型，有和无性功能障碍的女性在生殖器兴奋的生理和感知测量上是否存在差异，探讨感知生殖器兴奋的差异，并评估生理和感知生殖器兴奋之间的关系。
本分析使用了 5 项研究的数据（N=214）。女性分为 3 组：有性欲特异性性功能障碍的女性（n=40）、性功能减退的女性（n=72）和性功能正常的女性（n=102）。女性观看色情电影时，使用阴道光体积描记法测量其生殖器兴奋的生理表现。观看电影后，女性完成感知生殖器兴奋的自我报告测量。
基于性功能水平，阴道脉搏振幅（VPA）水平和 VPA 与感知生殖器感觉之间的关联存在差异。
这些发现表明，有和无性功能障碍的女性之间存在不同的反应轨迹，尽管感知生殖器反应对于有性欲障碍的女性很重要，但它们似乎与客观的生理兴奋测量无关。
