Not Into Sex: Women’s Experiences of Treatment-Emergent Sexual Dysfunction

Abstract

Despite recent studies suggesting that treatment-emergent sexual dysfunction (TESD) in women is much more prevalent than previously thought, it is not often discussed between physicians and female patients prior to prescribing psychotropic medication. Missing from the available quantitative research on TESD are stories from the women themselves, their experiences with disclosure or lack thereof, and the impact TESD has had on their sense of self and in their relationships. Concerned that this could have a significant influence on women’s mental, emotional, and sexual health, we conducted a study where we interviewed 10 women who self-identified as experiencing TESD after taking psychotropic medications for their mental health. Semistructured, in-depth interviews were conducted, informed by critical feminist practice, and grounded in feminist standpoint theory. Transcripts were then analyzed using thematic analysis to demonstrate the impact TESD had on the lives of these women. Six themes emerged from the interviews: (1) inadequate disclosure about TESD from physicians, (2) gender-based difference in how TESD is discussed, (3) the experience of physical side effects, (4) emotional responses to side effects, (5) concerns about how the partners of women living with TESD experience it, and (6) the importance of knowledge sharing. We conclude this article with a discussion of how these stories fit within the larger social context.