Female Sexual Arousal Disorder (FSAD) is the persistent or recurring inability of a woman to maintain adequate genital lubrication, swelling or other response, such as nipple sensitivity, during the excitement stage of sexual activity. It involves a lack of response to the usual types of sexual stimulation which normally should cause sexual arousal – mentally or emotionally, physically, or both.

Menstruation is the monthly vaginal discharge of blood and endometrial tissues that are shed from the lining of a woman’s uterus and is part of the menstrual cycle which prepares a woman’s body for pregnancy each month. The length of the cycle varies from woman to woman, and in some women it varies considerably from month to month and is regulated by the levels and interactions of certain hormones within this loop.

The effect of menopause on female sexual functioning has been a concern for quite some time as the underlying hormonal changes of the menopausal status are thought to have an adverse effect on her sexuality. A woman’s body works fine sexually during menopause and the later years remaining robustly capable of functioning in all aspects of sexual response.

In women, testosterone is produced by the ovaries and fluctuates during the menstrual cycle, the highest amount being produced, along with estrogen, at ovulation. Most women on testosterone-estrogen therapy have reported more frequent intercourse, greater interest in sex and increased clitoral sensitivity with some noted to experience less depression and fatigue than those on estrogen alone.

Female sexual dysfunction is a term for any general disturbance or disorder that frequently or always prevents a woman from engaging in satisfactory sexual intercourse. It includes lack of libido (sex drive), problems with having sexual intercourse and lack of orgasms.