The Facts
Female sexual dysfunction occurs when a woman is not able to fully, healthily, and pleasurably experience some or all of the various physical stages the body normally experiences during sexual activity. These stages can be broadly thought of as the desire phase, the arousal phase, and the orgasm phase. Sexual dysfunction also includes painful intercourse.
In women, sexual dysfunction takes many forms and has numerous causes. It is important to address all the aspects of a woman's sexuality - whether physical, psychological, physiological (mechanical), or interpersonal - in order to resolve the problems.
Female sexual dysfunction is actually quite common. It has been estimated that about 40% of women are affected by sexual dysfunction to some degree, and approximately 1 in 4 women are unable to achieve orgasm.