Stephen B. Levine

The nature of sexual desire: a clinician's perspective.

Sexual desire is the sum of the forces that lean us toward and away from sexual behavior. The ordinary spectrum of sexual desires intensity ranges between aversion, disinclination, indifference, interest, need, and passion. Although many individuals have a characteristic pattern of desire throughout their adult lives, this spectrum evolves considerably over the life cycle. It is clinically useful to think of desire as consisting of drive (biological), motive (individual and relationship psychology), and wish (cultural) components. Four master variables—age, gender, social situation, and health—affect sexual desire so basically that many remain blind to their presence. Five dark paradoxes of desire envelop most people at some time in their privacy: (1) Drive and motive are not in sync; (2) Behavioral fidelity is often associated with longing for infidelity; (3) Despite moral proscriptions, lust is possible; (4) Familiarity diminishes sexual interest; and (5) Derogation enhances sexual expression. Clinicians cannot afford to simplify desires inherent contradictions. Researchers must simplify desire in order to measure it. In both the clinicians and the researchers hands, sexual desire is a slippery concept.

Side Effects of Self-Administration of Intracavernous Papaverine and Phentolamine for the Treatment of Impotence

Beginning October 1985, 111 men agreed to enter a prospective study of the side effects of low dose papaverine/phentolamine therapy. A total of 46 men dropped out, 30 during the initial phase. The percentage of men with painless nodules almost consistently doubled from one followup examination to the next: 8 per cent at 1 month, 17 per cent at 3 months, 32 per cent at 6 months and 57 per cent at 12 months. The average injection frequency of those with nodules was 2 1/2 times higher than those without nodules. Of the men 41 per cent required an increased dose of medications during followup, and 40 per cent of 50 men had at least 1 abnormality of liver function, most of these involving mild to moderate elevations of alkaline phosphatase and lactic dehydrogenase. Priapism was not encountered during self-injection but it did occur twice in 329 physician-administered injections. Careful regular monitoring of patients should continue as some patients enter the second year of treatment.

Efficacy and Safety of Dapoxetine for the Treatment of Premature Ejaculation: Integrated Analysis of Results from Five Phase 3 Trials

INTRODUCTION Dapoxetine has been evaluated for the on-demand treatment of premature ejaculation (PE) in five phase 3 studies in various populations worldwide and has recently been approved in several countries. AIM To present integrated efficacy and safety data from phase 3 trials of dapoxetine. METHODS Data were from five randomized, multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies conducted in over 25 countries. Men (N=6,081)≥18 years who met the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition, text revision criteria for PE; four studies required a baseline intravaginal ejaculatory latency time (IELT) of ≤2 minutes. Dapoxetine 30 and 60 mg on demand (prn; 1-3 hours before intercourse) were evaluated for either 12 or 24 weeks in four studies; one study evaluated dapoxetine 60 mg daily (qd; included in safety assessments only) or prn for 9 weeks. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES End points included stopwatch-measured IELT, Premature Ejaculation Profile (PEP) items, clinical global impression of change (CGIC) in PE, and adverse events (AEs). RESULTS Average IELT (mean [standard deviation], geometric mean [standard error]) increased from baseline (across groups, 0.9 [0.49] minutes, 0.8 [1.01] minutes) to a significantly greater extent with dapoxetine 30 (3.1 [3.91] minutes, 2.0 [1.03] minutes) and 60 mg (3.6 [3.85] minutes, 2.3 [1.03] minutes) vs. placebo (1.9 [2.43] minutes, 1.3 [1.02] minutes; P<0.001 for all) at week 12 (geometric mean fold increase, 2.5, 3.0, and 1.6, respectively). All PEP items and CGIC improved significantly with both doses of dapoxetine vs. placebo (P<0.001 for all). The most common AEs included nausea, dizziness, and headache, and evaluation of validated instruments demonstrated no anxiety, akathisia, suicidality, or changes in mood with dapoxetine use and no discontinuation syndrome following abrupt withdrawal. CONCLUSIONS In this diverse population, dapoxetine significantly improved all aspects of PE and was generally well tolerated.

Handbook of clinical sexuality for mental health professionals

Review(s) of: Handbook of Clinical Sexuality for Mental Health Professionals - 2nd Edition, by Stephen B. Levine (Ed.), Candace B. Risen and Stanley E. Althof (Associate Eds.) Routledge, 2010. HB. RRP

Reexploring the concept of sexual desire.

164.95.

Why do so many people drop out from auto-injection therapy for impotence?

This article explores how sexual desire operates in ordinary life in both sexes. Fifteen considerations divided into six categories are provided: basic aspects; easily overlooked aspects; energy concepts; politically sensitive aspects; maintaining desire; and toward a definition. Sexual desire is the sum of the forces that incline us toward and away from sexual behavior. Clinicians need to conceptualize desire richly to understand its disorders. Scientists need to simplify the concept in order to conduct pharmacological research. Ideally, the limitations of both approaches must be accepted; in anyones hands, sexual desire can be a slippery concept.

Through the Eyes of Women: The Sexual and Psychological Responses of Women to their Partner’s Treatment with Self-Injection or External Vacuum Therapy

Although intracavernous injection of vasoactive substances has been shown to be a reasonable and reliable method of reversing impotence, studies assessing patient acceptance of this new technology are lacking. By prospectively following patients and willing partners over a 2-year period, this study sought to document patient utilization rates and the reasons why patients decline or discontinue injection therapy. The cumulative dropout rate was 46%, with patients being most at risk for leaving the program after evaluation or during the trial dose phase. Patients decline treatment because they are unable to accept the idea of injecting themselves or because of potential side effects. Patients discontinue treatment because of perceived lack of efficacy. Patient and programatic obstacles to utilization of self-injection therapy are analyzed.

Treating Erectile Dysfunction with External Vacuum Devices: Impact Upon Sexual, Psychological and Marital Functioning

We prospectively delineated and contrasted the sexual, marital and psychological responses of women to their partners use of 2 treatments for erectile dysfunction: 1) self-injection of papaverine and phentolamine, and 2) vacuum tumescence therapy. The women were assessed at 5 points during a 12-month period with psychometric questionnaires and clinical interviews. Statistical analysis indicated that the women responded equally well to both treatments. They demonstrated significant increases in frequency of intercourse, sexual arousal, coital orgasm and sexual satisfaction. No significant changes were noted on the psychometric questionnaires. The women reported feeling more at ease in their relationships and characterized sex as more leisurely, relaxed and assured. Negative responses focused on the lack of spontaneity and hesitation about initiating sex. Self-injection and vacuum pump therapy restore potency in men and secondarily facilitate improved sexual function in women.

Intracavernosal injection in the treatment of impotence: A prospective study of sexual, psychological, and marital functioning

We evaluated prospectively the medical, sexual and psychosocial outcome of external vacuum devices in the treatment of erectile dysfunction. A total of 29 men regularly used such a device for 6 months and reported statistically significant improvements in erectile quality, frequency of intercourse attempts, frequency of orgasm and sexual satisfaction, as well as decreased psychiatric symptomatology, increased self-esteem and a trend toward improved marital satisfaction. Of the partners 18 reported improved sexual functioning, including increased frequency of orgasm, decreased masturbation and greater sexual satisfaction, with no changes in psychosocial parameters. The vacuum device was effective in producing erections in 89% of the men. Dropout, only 19% within 6 months, was primarily due to insufficient or pivoting erections and bruising. The most frequent adverse effects were blocked ejaculation and physical discomfort. Vacuum devices appear to provide a safe, effective, inexpensive, noninvasive treatment for erectile failure that enjoys high patient and partner acceptance.

What is Sexual Addiction

This study assessed the sexual, psychosocial, and medical impact of intracavernosal injection of papaverine hydrochloride and phentolamine mesylate in the treatment of impotence. Ninety-six percent of patients initially achieved satisfactory erections with injections. Common side effects of self-injections included bruising (26%), nodule development (21%), abnormal liver function tests (7%), and pain (5%). No nodules resulted in penile bending or pain, and no patient discontinued treatment due to nodule development. Dropout rate to date was 35%. Self-injection treatment was associated with increases in erection quality, intercourse frequency, and sexual satisfaction, and decreases in masturbation frequency for patients. Partners also reported increases in intercourse frequency, coital arousal, and satisfaction. Decreases in general psychiatric symptomatology and increases in relationship satisfaction and self-esteem were apparent for patients, but not for partners.