Sexual Dysfunction Is a Problem

Sexual dysfunction is a problem that affects millions of Americans; however it is a taboo topic in today's society. General treatment for sexual dysfunction has existed since the early 1980s, and popularized through marketing campaigns for such products as Viagra. However, the exploding growth of underground sexual dysfunction drugs through online sales and other illegal mediums shows how much social stigma is associated with this mental disorder. Shubalade Smith explores this theme within her article "Sexual Dysfunction: the Forgotten Taboo." Smith's article examines how sexual dysfunction as a damaging side effect of many modern medication and the implications of it upon patient recovery and use. She explains that survey analysis shows the one side effect that is most often complained about in association with drug prescription is sexual dysfunction, and yet almost all anti-psychotic drug prescription has unintended affects of related to sexual dysfunction. She argues that this is one of the implicit reasons that males with psychosis or schizophrenia do not consistently take their medication.

Smith's article raises several very important and interesting problems associated with sexual dysfunction on both a medical and social level. She argues that while sexual dysfunction in relation to drug use is one of the most common side effects, few people report such problems. Nurses at the same time list sexual dysfunction as one of the least popular patient inquiries. It appears that on a societal level, the problem of sexual dysfunction is still extremely taboo. This is because it is commonly associated with masculinity, and therefore especially for males it is a problem that they are extremely embarrassed to discuss. Of course, impotence may be a mental disease, but as explained by Smith, in many cases it is the side effects of drug use. Dopamine, one of the most common anti-psychotic agents manipulated through medication, and it also happens to be one of the main controls for testosterone release. Although there is abundant medical information to testify that sexual dysfunction is caused by drug use and could be easily rectified through lower dosages, or other counter measures, few if any men will come forward to admit their problem.

I agree with Smith's conclusion that many patients who actively ignore their prescription doses for drugs do so to avoid sexual dysfunction, and that they are unwilling to query a medical alternative for this problem because it is extremely embarrassing and goes against the grain of social judgment. The majority of men would definitively feel emasculated if they were to reveal their sexual impotence, and it does not matter that it is a treatable and serious mental and physical problem.

Smith's article raises a very interesting and alarming point, that mental health nurses who consistently deal with anti-psychotic drugs are not trained to educate and help patients suffering from sexual dysfunction. Even worse, they consistently avoid this topic because of embarrassment. Mental health nurses are one of the most highly trained nursing professions, and yet they are influenced by social stigma to not discuss one of the most common patient problems and side effects of their medication. When both patients and nurses are unwilling to attempt to solve the problem of sexual dysfunction as it is related to their medical dosage, the inevitable conclusion is that patients take their problems in their own hands.

Patients will often either stop taking medication completely, which damages their recovery process and severely damages any rehabilitation program they participate in. Or even worse, they take underground and illegal methods of sexual dysfunction drug obtained either online or through other channels. This second option has evidently become more and more popular within today's society. CNN reports that illegal online sales of Viagra have grown into a multi-billion dollar industry over the past five years. When individuals begin taking unprescribed medication there are severe consequences, not only is it possible that such drugs are fake and can have negative impact on their health. Moreover, the blending of both sexual dysfunction drugs and anti-psychotic drugs may have severe medical implications. When patients are unwilling to explore the medical reasons behind their impotence and possible alternatives with healthcare professionals they often do themselves a grave injustice.