Efficacious psychological treatments for sexual dysfunctions

Efficacious psychological treatments for sexual dysfunctions. Starting from Masters and Johnson's sex therapy (1970), sexual dysfunction has become a usual objective in therapy. Nevertheless, the expanded use and the positive results of sex therapy are not supported up to now by methodologically robust studies showing it efficacy and effectiveness. Furthermore, there is no evidence about the differential effects of medical and psychological treatments for these problems. Reasons for this include several problems and difficulties concerning sample selection, measurement and diagnostic, treatment and research design. Keeping in mind these restrictions, available evidence about efficacy of both psychological and medical treatments for sexual dysfunction is reviewed. Male and female dysfunctions are separately reviewed, focusing on those disorders that have received more attention. So that, among males dysfunctions, erectile problems, premature ejaculation and inhibited orgasm, are considered, while among female ones (less studied in general) hypoactive sexual desire and orgasmic disorders are included. Stemming from the analysis several guidelines for future research on this topic are proposed.