Many women experience changes in their sexual function as they undergo menopause and the drop in estrogen that menopause causes. Estrogen is one of the main female sex hormones that supports vaginal lubrication and healthy vaginal tissues. As such, postmenopausal women may be more prone to vaginal dryness, decreased vaginal elasticity, vaginal itchiness, and discomfort or pain during sexual activity due to their decreased levels of estrogen.

Many experts acknowledge that sexual function is an important component of a person’s overall health and therefore something that should be assessed and treated by health care providers. Nevertheless, most medical definitions of sexual function and the validated tools used to measure sexual function remain very cisgendered and heteronormative (i.e., dealing only with cisgender heterosexual sex). This situation highlights a major gap in the evaluation and treatment of sexual dysfunction in transgender, non-binary, and other gender diverse individuals.

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is associated with several other medical conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, and more.

Declining sexual desire for one’s partner is a common, though sometimes frustrating part of long-term relationships. For individuals who wish to increase their sexual desire for their long-term partner, it may be helpful to have a few strategies at hand.

Pornography use has become more common in recent years, despite the fact that the majority of religious institutions do not approve of individuals using pornography. Within the context of most religions, pornography is thought to be a sin and is forbidden. Plus, many religious leaders discourage the members of their faith from viewing pornography.

Gender-affirming vaginoplasty is a surgery to create a vaginal canal and vulva (including the clitoris) for transgender, non-binary, or gender diverse individuals who wish to align their physical characteristics with their gender identity. People who undergo gender-affirming vaginoplasty may have different goals or priorities related to their gender expression, the appearance of their genitals, and/or their sexuality when it comes to surgery. For some, the ability to orgasm after vaginoplasty is an important goal.

Radiation therapy is a common treatment for prostate cancer. Unfortunately, it has been shown to negatively affect a man’s sexual function in some cases. In particular, the association between prostatic radiotherapy and erectile dysfunction (ED) is well documented, despite it generally showing better sexual health outcomes than radical prostatectomy (surgery to remove the prostate and surrounding tissues) in the short term.

Gender dysphoria is the distress that an individual may feel due to their gender identity not matching the sex they were assigned at birth. While gender dysphoria typically affects transgender and gender diverse individuals, it is important to note that not all transgender and gender diverse people experience it, nor does everyone seek gender-affirming care.

The association between alcohol abuse and erectile dysfunction (ED) is well-documented in medical literature. Healthy erectile functioning relies on signals being passed effectively through the body’s nervous system and good blood flow to the penis, which are two processes that alcohol consumption can hamper (at least temporarily). In particular, chronic alcohol abuse has been shown to lead to an increase in erectile difficulties in men, though luckily these effects may be reversible.

Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause (GSM) is a condition that is estimated to affect about half of all postmenopausal women. It occurs when the decline in estrogen that accompanies menopause causes undesirable changes in the urogenital system such as vaginal and vulvar dryness, itchiness, burning, and frequent, urgent, and/or painful urination.

In the short term, stressful situations prompt alertness and focus, allowing people to deal more effectively with the challenge at hand. However, ongoing stress can result in an overactive nervous system, which is disruptive to the body’s natural processes and can leave a person more vulnerable to mental and physical health issues.

Social support and social connectedness have been shown to be protective against mental health disorders like anxiety and depression because people are better able to deal with difficult situations when they have the support of others. Unfortunately, past research has shown that transgender people may have lower levels of social support than other individuals. What’s more, social connectedness for people around the world was negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, which necessitated social distancing to contain the spread of the virus.