Impotency and frigidity 'not all psychological'

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)