No abstract

Hypoactive sexual desire disorders (HSD) are currently recognized as one of the most prevalent and difficult sexual disorders to operationally define, evaluate, and treat. At present, no instrument for the diagnostic assessment has yet prevailed. The present study compared two groups of 20 couples with and without desire problems in order to evaluate the diagnostic utility and discriminative power of the Sexual History Form (SHF), a 28-item questionnaire used to classify sexual dysfunctions following the Multiaxial Diagnostic System for Sexual Dysfunctions (MDSSD). Analysis of the SHF revealed couples with desire problems significantly differed on 15 diagnostic items. Eight of these questions corresponded to the 12 SHF items used by the MDSSD to establish desire-phase diagnoses, and six were most predictive of subjects with desire disorders. Although the current data suggest the SHF is a reliable instrument for the assessment of desire disorders, more studies are needed to further substantiate the diagnostic efficacy of this measure.

Sexoanalysis is an innovative therapeutic approach for the treatment of complex sexual disorders. This approach integrates current knowledge on sexual/erotic development pathology within a psychodynamic framework to help patients gain insight on the secondary gains, anxieties, and intrapsychic issues that are at the roots of their sexual problem. The treatment process essentially focuses on the analysis of sexual fantasies and the modification of maladaptive erotic imagery. The present authors present a brief overview of sexoanalytic theory and describe how sexoanalysis can resolve sexual disorders, improve sexual/erotic functioning, and promote sexual maturity. A clinical illustration is provided to help further clarify the sexoanalytic treatment process and demonstrate the use and utility of this promising sexotherapeutic approach.

The therapeutic process in the clinical and social management of professional sexual misconduct is complex and complicated by legal reports and procedures, the involvement of professional association review boards and the negative impact of the media. Crisis interventions and supportive individual, couple and family counseling are frequently necessary before therapy can more directly focus on the sexual misconduct. Offenders usually hope to maintain, or expect to resume, their professional practice, increasing the use of deception, denial of problems and avoidance of self-revelation and self-examination. Through the course of treatment, reintegration into their professional practice may or may not be recommended. If reintegration is feasible, modification of their professional roles may also be preferable and recommended. However, prognosis is usually considered better than with most other types of sex offenders. A major focus of this anaylsis is to provide a description of current treatment procedures for professional sexual misconduct. A brief review of the immediate and deeper causes of this sexual problem will also be presented. When reintegration in the workplace is feasible, issues concerning posttreatment maintenance planning, identification of the victim pool and the establishment of preventive measures and safeguards will be reviewed.