430 Sexual Dysfunctions
stressors and is not attributable to the effects of a substance/medication or another
medical condition.
Specify whether:
Lifelong:  The disturbance has been present since the individual became sexually active.
Acquired:  The disturbance began after a period of relatively normal sexual function.
Specify whether:
Generalized:  Not limited to certain types of stimulation, situations, or partners.
Situational: Only occurs with certain types of stimulation, situations, or partners.
Specify if:
Never experienced an orgasm under any situation.
Specify current severity:
Mild:  Evidence of mild distress over the symptoms in Criterion A.
Moderate: Evidence of moderate distress ov er the symptoms in Criterion A.
Severe:  Evidence of severe or extreme distress over the symptoms in Criterion A. 
Diagnostic Features 
Female orgasmic disorder is characterize d by difficulty experiencing orgasm and/or
markedly reduced intensity of orgasmic sensat ions (Criterion A). Women show wide vari-
ability in the type or intensity of stimulation that elicits orgasm. Similarly, subjective descrip-
tions of orgasm are extremely varied, suggesti ng that it is experienced in very different
ways, both across women and on different occasions by the same woman. For a diagnosis
of female orgasmic disorder, symptoms must be experienced on almost all or all (approx-
imately 75%–100%) occasions of sexual activity  (in identified situational contexts or, if
generalized, in all contexts) and have a mi nimum duration of approximately 6 months.
The use of the minimum severity and duration criteria is intended to distinguish transient
orgasm difficulties from more persistent orgasmic dysfunction. The inclusion of “approx-
imately” in Criterion B allows for clinician judgment in cases in which symptom duration
does not meet the recommended 6-month threshold.