Non Lineal Model of Sexual Response Basson
Non Lineal Model of Sexual Response Basson
Non Lineal Model of Sexual Response Basson
2298/SARH1304268D
268 ПРЕГЛЕД ЛИТЕРАТУРЕ / REVIEW ARTICLE
SUMMARY
Sexual dysfunctions have been the most prevalent group of sexual disorders and include a large number of
populations of both sexes. The research of sexual behavior and treatment of women with sexual distress arises
many questions related to differences in sexual response of men and women. The conceptualization of this
response in modern sexology has changed over time. The objective of our paper was to present the changes
and evolution of the female’s sexual response concept in a summarized and integrated way, to analyze the
expanded and revised definitions of the female sexual response as well as implications and recommendations
of new approaches to diagnostics and treatment according to the established changes. The lack of adequate
empirical basis of the female sexual response model is a critical question in the literature dealing with this
issue. Some articles report that linear models demonstrate more correctly and precisely the sexual response
of women with normal sexual functions in relation to women with sexual dysfunction. Modification of this
model later resulted in a circular model which more adequately presented the sexual response of women
with sexual function disorder than of women with normal sexual function. The nonlinear model of female
sexual response constructed by Basson incorporates the value of emotional intimacy, sexual stimulus and
satisfaction with the relationship. Female functioning is significantly affected by multiple psychosocial factors
such as satisfaction with the relationship, self-image, earlier negative sexual experience, etc. Newly revised,
expanded definitions of female sexual dysfunction try to contribute to new knowledge about a highly
contextual nature of woman’s sexuality so as to enhance clinical treatment of dysfunctions. The definitions
emphasize the evaluation of the context of women’s problematic sexual experiences.
Keywords: female; sexual response; treatment; sexual behavior; sexual disorders
Circular model
Upon recognition that all women do not fit into the linear
model of sexual response, in 1977 Whipple and Brash-Mc-
Greer [9] suggested a circular model of the female sexual
response. This concept is based on the Reed’s model, con-
sisting of four stages: seduction (encompassing desire),
sensations (excitement and plateau), surrender (orgasm),
and reflection (Figure 2) [9]. By making the Reed’s model
circular, Whipple and Brash-McGreer [9] demonstrate
that pleasant and satisfying sexual experiences may have
reinforcing effect on a woman, leading to the seduction
phase of the next sexual experience. If, during reflection,
the sexual experience did not provide pleasure and satis-
Figure 1. Female sexual response model developed by Masters and faction, the woman might not have a desire to repeat the
Johnson [4]
experience.
Nonlinear model
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270 Damjanović A. et al. The Evolution of the Female Sexual Response Concept: Treatment Implications
doi: 10.2298/SARH1304268D
Srp Arh Celok Lek. 2013 Mar-Apr;141(3-4):268-274 271
of her own good feeling and self-image (feeling of her own mental health as poorer. Healthier women reported 59%
attractiveness, femininity, being accepted and appreciated, lesser distress related to their sexual activities. The feeling
loved and/or desired, or diminishing of her own anxiety or of emotional closeness with their partner during sexual
feeling guilty for having sex so often) [15-19]. activity decreased from “mild distress” probability in 33%
When the woman wants to be aroused and enjoys in compared to “absence of distress” and “significant distress”
sexual experience, she is focused on the sexual stimulation in 43% of the time. In other words, the higher the degree
accomplished by her and her partner. If stimulation is de- of the emotional intimacy with her partner, the lesser the
sired and there is sufficient available time so that she could degree of distress. Other contextual factors reducing the
remain focused, her sexual arousal and pleasure becomes arousal include safety considerations (risks of unwanted
intensified. Naturally, the type of stimulation, required pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, emotional
time and context (erotic and interpersonal) are highly in- and physical security), lack of privacy, insufficiently erotic
dividual. Positive emotional and physical outcomes will situations, and lack of time or extreme haste.
augment the resulting motivation.
Some women report on spontaneous desire (Figure 4)
leading to excitement and higher enthusiasm to disclose or Personal psychological factors
to be receptive to sexual stimulus. There is a broad spec-
trum of such type of desire among women, and it may be Female arousal is frequently influenced by nonsexual distrac-
associated with menstrual cycle [20]; it grows with aging tions of everyday activities, and sometimes by sexual distrac-
[21] and in all age periods it commonly increases with new tions as well (e.g.: concern whether she will be sufficiently
relations [11, 19]. excited, achieve orgasm, and delayed or premature ejacula-
It is not clear how many women have a low sexual de- tion of the male partner or lack of female orgasm) [28]. Em-
sire or even the lack of spontaneous desire, and how many pirical studies demonstrated a high correlation of women’s
of them experience a trigger of desire during sex activity complaints about sexual desires with low self-image, unstable
[12, 22, 23]. Sexual fantasies could free the woman and temper and tendency to be worried and anxious (no criteria
accordingly she can stay focused on the sexual stimulus of clinical definitions of temper disorders) [29, 30].
rather than on the indication of sexual desire. Other inhibitory factors involved recollection of past
Robust correlation between subjective arousal and negative sexual experiences, including those that were
genital congestion (erection), established in men, cannot forced or abusive, and expectation of negative outcomes
be found in women [24, 25, 26]. Female sexual arousal of sexual experiences (e.g., dyspareunia or the partner’s
is more strongly modulated by thoughts and emotions sexual dysfunction) [31].
triggered by the state of sexual excitement [27]. Previous
definitions of sexual arousal disorders were focused only
on genital lubrication and/or moistening, having ignored Biological factors
numerous studies over the past twenty years which dem-
onstrated that there was a modest correlation of genital Lately, biological and pathophysiological background of
enlargement and female subjective experience of arousal normal and disordered female sexual response has drawn
as a reaction to sexual stimulation. the attention of many researchers. The majority of basic
sciences and animal experiments in the respective field
are far much broader than the framework of this paper,
THE CAUSES OF FEMALE SEXUAL DYSFUNCTION and therefore, only some significant results are presented.
Certain studies were concentrated on attempts to accom-
The model of the sexual response cycle (Figure 4) more plish a higher therapeutic efficiency and a higher degree of
clearly accentuates the significance of female ability to be- improvement, with the trend of avoiding drug side-effects
come subjectively aroused. Many psychological and bio- on female sexuality, as in the case of antidepressants.
logical factors may have negative effects on sexual arousal; Sexual dysfunction is a relatively common side-effect
interpersonal, contextual, personal and other. during the use of antidepressants [32, 33]. Among treated
women, much older, married women with a low to second-
ary-level education, and without full-time job were more
Interpersonal and contextual factors prevalent, and they used concomitantly drugs of various
types, had co-morbid conditions that could interfere with
A recent national study on sexual distress carried out sexual functioning or the history of antidepressant-related
on a sample of American heterosexual women [22, 23] sexual dysfunctions. In addition, they considered sexual
showed that emotional relations with the partner dur- functioning as irrelevant, resulting from earlier sexual expe-
ing sexual activity and general emotional good condition riences which provided little comfort and pleasure [34-37].
were two most potent predictors of distress absence in Current studies address the role of dopamine and other
sex. The women who ranked their mental condition as neurotransmitters, their effects on sex hormone receptors,
healthy (using the standard psychological instruments) as well as the impact of sex hormones on neurotransmit-
reported a lesser degree of distress related to their sexual ters. Animal experiments showed that estrogenized wom-
relations in comparison to women who evaluated their en changed their sexual behavior after the administration
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272 Damjanović A. et al. The Evolution of the Female Sexual Response Concept: Treatment Implications
doi: 10.2298/SARH1304268D
Srp Arh Celok Lek. 2013 Mar-Apr;141(3-4):268-274 273
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doi: 10.2298/SARH1304268D