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Definition
Sexual functioning is characterized by absence of difficulty moving through the stages of sexual desire, arousal, and orgasm, as well as subjective satisfaction with the frequency and outcome of individual and partnered sexual behavior.
Description
Sexual functioning is an important aspect of quality of life. Our understanding of sexual functioning is influenced by not only the current state of medical knowledge but also the social values upheld in our culture. Healthy sexual functioning is characterized by a lack of pain or discomfort during sexual activity and a lack of physiological difficulty moving through the three-phase sexual response cycle of desire, arousal, and orgasm. In addition, sexual functioning is indicated by subjective feelings of satisfaction with the frequency of sexual desire and sexual behavior, as well as subjective pleasure during individual and partnered sexual activity.
Kaplan’s three-phase model is the basis for current...
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References and Readings
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Fielder, R. (2013). Sexual Functioning. In: Gellman, M.D., Turner, J.R. (eds) Encyclopedia of Behavioral Medicine. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1005-9_668
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1005-9_668
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
Print ISBN: 978-1-4419-1004-2
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