# Sexual function

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Sexual health concept

**Sexual function** is how the body reacts in different stages of the [sexual response cycle](/source/Sexual_response_cycle). It is defined as the ability of an individual to react sexually or to experience [sexual pleasure](/source/Sexual_pleasure).[1]

## Assessment

Relevant aspects of sexual function are described on the basis of a modified version of [Masters and Johnson](/source/Masters_and_Johnson)'s work.[2] The aspects of sexual function determined as being relevant to the assessment include; [sexual desire](/source/Sexual_desire), [erection](/source/Erection), [orgasm](/source/Orgasm) and [ejaculation](/source/Ejaculation). Guidelines for assessing sexual function are suggested and divided into four stages:

*Stage 1* deals with the documentation of the defined aspects of sexual function. The main questions are:

1. Is the function intact? For example: Have there been any occurrences of erections or orgasms during a given period of time?

1. If the function is intact, what is the frequency and/or intensity of the function? For example: How often has the person had an orgasm or erections during the given period of time and how intense is the [orgasmic pleasure](/source/Orgasm#Physiological_responses) and [erection stiffness](/source/Erection#Autonomic_control) compared to youth or the best period in life. The suggested explanations for the absence or waning of functions at this stage are physiological and psychological.

*Stage 2* deals with the assessment of the frequency of different sexual activities, such as intercourse, within a given time frame. The possible explanations for an absence or a decreased frequency of sexual activities may include physiological, [psychological](/source/Psychological), social, [religious](/source/Religious) and [ethical](/source/Ethical) reasons.

*Stage 3* it is estimated if or to what extent waning sexual functions and/or activities cause distress.

*Stage 4*, the association between the distress due to waning sexual function and [well-being](/source/Health) and [emotional isolation](/source/Emotional_isolation) is assessed.

These guidelines were constructed to assess male sexual function[3] in relation with treatment for [prostate cancer](/source/Prostate_cancer). However, the concept has been modified and adapted for females.[4]

## See also

- [Orgastic potency](/source/Orgastic_potency)

- [Sexual dysfunction](/source/Sexual_dysfunction)

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** N, Komlenac; M, Hochleitner (February 2022). ["Associations Between Pornography Consumption, Sexual Flexibility, and Sexual Functioning Among Austrian Adults"](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8888391). *Archives of Sexual Behavior*. **51** (2): 1323–1336. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1007/s10508-021-02201-7](https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs10508-021-02201-7). [PMC](/source/PMC_(identifier)) [8888391](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8888391). [PMID](/source/PMID_(identifier)) [34984569](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34984569). sexual functioning, which is defined as "a person's ability to respond sexually or to experience sexual pleasure"

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** [Masters, William](/source/Masters_and_Johnson); Virginia E. Johnson (1966). [*Human Sexual Response*](https://archive.org/details/humansexualrespo00will). Little, Brown & Co. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9780316549875](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780316549875).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** [Helgason ÁR](/source/Helgason_%C3%81R), Adolfsson J, Dickman P, Arver S, Fredrikson M, Göthberg M, Steineck G. [Sexual desire, erection, orgasm and ejaculatory functions and their importance to elderly Swedish men: A population-based study.](https://web.archive.org/web/20051124231518/http://ageing.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/25/4/285) Age and Ageing. 1996:25:285-291.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Bergmark K, Avall-Lundkvist E, Dickman PW, Henningsohn L, Steineck G. Vaginal changes and sexuality in woman with a history of cervical cancer. N Engl J Med. 1999: 304 (18):1383-9.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Sexual function](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_function) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_function?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.