Impotency and frigidity 'not all psychological'

JAKARTA (JP): Sexual dysfunction is no longer only the domain of psychiatrists or gynecologists, since the problem may well be cured through a urological approach too, a urologist said here on Wednesday.

Chairman of the Indonesian Urological Association (IAUI) Rainy Umbas disclosed that besides psychological barriers, both men and women might lose their sexual desire because of urinary-related diseases.

Umbas told a media conference that in many cases male sexual dysfunction, especially that related to impotence, could be cured with the help of urologists, who knew pretty well that such impotence was caused by infection of the ureter, kidney stone or kidney problems.

He said that only one-third of male erectile dysfunction cases in Indonesia, which started to be handled by urologists five years ago, were caused by psychological problems.

"Seventy percent of male impotency can be cured via a medicinal approach," Umbas said.

The urologists here have broadened their services on urology, which now include dealing with male aging, andropause and sexual dysfunction.

They plan to hold the 8th International Meeting of the Federation of Asean Urological Associations (FAUA) in Bali from Aug. 29, 2001 to Sept. 1 to publicize their achievements in urological treatment and to forge links and cooperation with other specialists.

The international meeting will start with a course on female sexual dysfunction, a novel subject for the medical profession, which came into the open only last year.

Umbas, who is also the chairman of the international meeting's organizing committee, said that they were still "in the dark" about both the cause and the approach to treatment for female sexual dysfunction, with frigidity as one of the syndromes.

There had yet be certainty as to which type of specialists were capable of handling female sexual dysfunction, whether it was internists or gynecologists, he said.

A urological clinic in the Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital, Umbas said, had taken the initiative to find out more about female sexual dysfunction by handing out questionnaires to women in the 20 to 50 age range. The questions were mostly about their sexual activities.

Most of them who experienced sexual dysfunction were reluctant to acknowledge their real condition, he said, adding that from the survey the urologists could see that the major cause had something to do with psychological problems, but they were not sure yet.

Urologist Djoko Rahardjo said that his colleague Akmal Taher had also conducted a similar survey, with an initial conclusion that frigidity in women had something to do with diabetes mellitus disease and a high level of cholesterol.

"These diseases hinder the flow of blood to the clitoris," he said. (bby)