Reclaiming Desire

June 1, 2004
Low libido is the most common sexual disorder in American women, affecting an estimated 22 to 43 percent of the female population. And, according to authors Goldstein (a gynecologist) and Brandon (a clinical psychologist), the problem is more complex than most therapists realize."A decline in sexual desire seldom has a single cause," they argue."The collection of factors that influences a woman's sex drive is as unique as the woman herself." Drawing upon their experience at the Sexual Wellness Center in Annapolis, Maryland, an institution that they founded, the authors advocate a holistic treatment that addresses four spheres of a woman's life: physical health, emotional resilience, intellectual fulfillment and spiritual contentment. Their book covers all the possible factors: weight, diet, exercise, medical conditions, sleep patterns, testosterone, estrogen, dopamine, emotional arousal, stress, sexual trauma and life passages such as motherhood, menopause and divorce. Understanding the mind-body connection can increase sexual pleasure, they emphasize, and the acceptance of some basics-sexual pleasure fluctuates throughout life; a woman's experience often doesn't match society's"ideal"-can smooth the road to change. Personal stories from the authors' patients demonstrate the problem's complexity and help make the book more a practical, open-ended discussion about women's sexual desire than a definitive medical manual.