appetitive phase

The first stage of the sexual response

cycle, characterized by sexual interest or desire, often associated with sexually arousing fantasies.

childhood sexual abuse(CSA)

Sexual contact with a minor.

dyspareunia

Persistent or recurrent pain during sexual intercourse not attributable to a medical problem.

excitement phase

As applied by Masters and Johnson, the second stage of the sexual response cycle, characterized by pleasure associated with increased blood flow to the genitalia.

exhibitionism

Marked preference for obtaining sexual gratification by exposing one’s genitals to an unwilling observer.

female orgasmic disorder

A recurrent and persistent delay or absence of orgasm in a woman during sexual activity adequate in focus, intensity, and duration; in many instances the womanmay experience considerable sexual excitement.

female sexual arousal disorder

fetishism

Reliance on an inanimate object for sexual arousal.

forced rape

The legal term for rape, forced sexual intercourse or other (especially) penetrative sexual activity with another person.

frotteurism

The sexually oriented touching of an unsuspecting person, typically in public places that provide an easy means of escape.

gender identity

The ingrained sense a person has of being either a man or a woman.

gender identity disorder

Adult disorder in which there is an incongruence between anatomic sex and self identified gender.

hypoactive sexual desire disorder

Absence of or deficiency in sexual fantasies and urges.

incest

Sexual relations between close relatives, most often between daughter and father or between brother and sister.

male erectile disorder

A recurrent and persistent inability to attain or maintain an erection until completion of sexual activity.

male orgasmic disorder

A recurrent and persistent delay or absence of ejaculation after an adequate phase of sexual excitement.

orgasm phase

The third stage of the sexual response cycle, characterized by a peak of sexual pleasure, generally including ejaculation in men and contraction of the outer vaginal walls in women.

paraphilias

Sexual attraction to unusual objects and sexual activities unusual in nature.

pedophilia

A paraphilia defined by a marked preference for obtaining sexual gratification through contact with people defined legally as underage.

penile plethysmograph

A device for detecting blood flow and thus for recording changes in size of the penis.

premature ejaculation

Inability of the male to inhibit his orgasm long enough for mutually satisfying sexual relations.

resolution phase

The fourth and final stage of the sexual response cycle, characterized by an abatement of muscle tension, relaxation, and a sense of wellbeing.

sensate focus

A term applied to exercises prescribed at the beginning of the Masters and Johnson sex therapy program, in which partners are instructed to fondle each other to give pleasure but to refrain from intercourse, thus reducing anxiety about sexual performance.

sex-reassignment surgery

An operation removing existing genitalia and constructing a substitute for the genitals of the opposite sex.

sexual aversion disorder

Avoidance of nearly all genital contact with other people.

sexual dysfunctions

Dysfunctions in which the appetitive or psychophysiological changes of the normal sexual response cycle are inhibited.

sexual masochism

A marked preference for obtaining or increasing sexual gratification through subjection to pain or humiliation.

sexual orientation

An individual’s self-identified preference for a sexual partner.

sexual response cycle

The general pattern of sexual physical processes and feelings, made up of five phases: appetitive interest, excitement, [plateau], orgasm, and resolution.

sexual sadism

A marked preference for obtaining or increasing sexual gratification by inflicting pain or humiliation on another person.

As applied by Masters and Johnson, a pattern of behavior in which the individual’s focus on and concern with sexual performance causes him or her to be an observer rather than a participant and thus impedes natural sexual responses.

statutory rape

Sexual intercourse between an adult and someone who is under the age of consent, as fixed by local statute.

transvestic fetishism

The practice of dressing in the clothing of the opposite sex, for the purpose of sexual arousal.

vaginismus

Painful, spasmodic contractions of the outer third of the vagina, making penetration impossible or extremely difficult.

voyeurism

Marked preference for obtaining sexual gratification by watching others in a state of undress or having sexual relations.