Individuals presenting without partners at a sexual dysfunction clinic: Psychological and physical morbidity and treatment offered

Abstract

Individuals with sexual dysfunction problems who seek help alone are not well described in the literature, most attention having been given to couples. Here we report on a sample of 32 men and 16 women seeking therapy for sexual dysfunction on their own. Compared with individuals with sexual dysfunction presenting as part of a couple, those presenting without a partner differed in the nature of their sexual dysfunctions, their motivation for treatment and the kind of therapy offered, while they did not differfiom those who sought help with their partners in terms of their psychiam'c and physical status or the nature of their marital and general relationships. The findings highlight the necessity for therapists to be more aware of the problems of individuals presenting alone for therapy and also of the need to develop and evaluate treatment interventions for them.