It reads more like the title of a film on YouPorn than the start of an article about a debilitating medical condition. More often than not, PGAD sufferers are treated as hypersexual oddities. But PGAD actually has very little to do with orgasms, and absolutely nothing to do with pleasure. The condition, largely suffered by women, is characterised by an implacable feeling of genital congestion and pelvic pain. Those who have it often feel permanently on the verge of an orgasm that they can't complete — a sort of chronic clitoral constipation. PGAD sufferers soon learn to avoid triggers.
Persistent genital arousal disorder PGAD is characterized by unrelenting, spontaneous, and uncontainable genital arousal, mostly in females. A woman with PGAD can experience spontaneous orgasms that do not resolve arousal. PGAD can lead to ongoing physical pain, stress , and psychological difficulties due to an inability to carry out everyday tasks. The condition can affect women of all ages. Experts have not clinically confirmed the incidence of PGAD, as many people with the condition feel too embarrassed or ashamed to seek medical help. The primary symptom of PGAD is a series of ongoing and uncomfortable sensations in and around the genital tissues, including the clitoris, labia, vagina, perineum, and anus.
Sexual arousal disorders involve a lack of response to sexual stimulation—mental or emotional subjective , physical such as swelling, tingling, or throbbing in the genital area or vaginal wetness , or both. Depression, low self-esteem, anxiety, stress, and relationship problems can interfere with sexual arousal. Improving the relationship and the settings for sexual activity and identifying what stimulates the woman sexually can help. Usually, when women are sexually stimulated, they feel sexually excited mentally and emotionally. They may also be aware of certain physical changes.
It used to be considered its own condition. Doctors treated it differently than hypoactive sexual desire disorder. That refers to a lack of desire for sexual activity. FSIAD is one of several conditions that fall under the umbrella of sexual dysfunction , which also includes:. FSIAD can be frustrating, but it is treatable.