x.3.2.4.7 Risk factors
Not only gender but also different cultural backgrounds, religion etc may play a role in the onset, perception, burden and coping of sexual problems. Here we limit ourselves to a summary of psychosocial risk factors for developing and/or sustaining sexual problems:
Lack of knowledge, misconceptions and/or lack of skills.
Anxiety and inhibitions, possibly caused by incomplete or erroneous information, or by
negative experiences.
Moral perception – often but not necessarily in a religious context – can also influence the desire and ability to engage in sexual activity. Examples of anxieties and inhibitions include: fear of sexually transmitted infections; fear of pregnancy; fear of loss of control; fear of lust/sexual arousal, or conversely of not becoming aroused; embarrassment about one’s own body; experiences of sexual abuse.
Emotional and stress-related problems can also lead to loss of libido or an inability to become aroused.
Sexual abuse can lead to long-term problems including low libido, sexual aversion and the inability to become aroused.
Relationship problems can cause loss of libido. Although relationship problems are more often the cause rather than the consequence of sexual problems, this is not always the case.
Conflicts of power and communication problems are often associated with relationship problems.
In fact, the majority of sexual problems involve some interaction between somatic, psychological and social factors (including relationship problems), all of which influence each other. It then becomes difficult to ascertain whether the psychosocial and/or relationship problems of the patient (and his or her partner) are the cause of the sexual problems or the effect.