How Sex Works (and When it’s not Working)

Abstract

To have a sexual experience, one does not need to know ‘how sex works’. Besides, the more you think about it at that moment, the greater the risk that it might not ‘work’. However, such knowledge is relevant and essential in the daily practice of the heathcare professional (HCP). This chapter describes the stages of sexual response, from desire, via arousal, to orgasm, and then resolution (and the range of variety). It will indicate some of the changes occurring during pregnancy. The chapter then explores the types and reasons for sexual problems or dysfunctions. The chapter highlights the common problems with sexual desire, sexual arousal and sexual pain problems. Such problems are highly relevant to midwifery practice. They can negatively impact the couple’s or the woman’s general wellbeing and even be a reason for impaired fertility. The ‘3-conditions framework for satisfying sexual experiences’, a simple diagnostic tool to help midwives and other non-sexologist-HCPs structure their clinical reasoning about their client’s sexual problems, is described and applied to sexual problems commonly encountered by midwives. Using this framework to better understand how things can go wrong can help HCPs provide care for women and couples struggling with sexual problems. This chapter is part of ‘Midwifery and Sexuality’, a Springer Nature open-access textbook for midwives and related healthcare professionals.