View article

The aim of this chapter is to provide a critical analysis of current female sexual dysfunctions, as defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) of the American Psychiatric Association (2013). We begin by situating these purported disorders within their historical context, as well as discussing the implications of the rise of the medicalization of sexuality in recent decades. We then describe each of the disorders, outlining the history behind each diagnosis, as well as current treatments. In the section on Genito-Pelvic Pain/Penetration Disorder, we critique modern cosmetic genital surgeries and the unspoken vaginal/vulvar standards they appear to reify. We also examine the tenuous theoretical foundations upon which Female Sexual Arousal/Interest Disorder was introduced into the DSM-5 and the race to find pharmaceutical options for the treatment of women’s “dysfunctional …