Mainstream psychiatry has shown only a sporadic interest in the understanding and treatment of sexual disorders. This lack of interest is puzzling, especially at the time of new developments in the study of human sexuality and the emergence of a new interdisciplinary field of sexual medicine.

Human sexuality encompasses various areas related to contemporary psychiatry, such as quality of life, quality of relationship, sexual side effects of psychotropic medications, and the association of sexual dysfunction with various mental and physical illnesses, including substance abuse. Sexual dysfunction, with its complex regulation involving the central and the peripheral nervous systems, hormones, psychological, cultural, psychosocial and developmental factors actually seems to be a primary target for psychosomatic medicine and psychiatry. As noted, “Sexuality is the ultimate unity of body and mind.”

This lecture will review the recent developments in the area of human sexuality, including diagnostic considerations in the context of proposed revisions of the existing diagnostic systems, neurobiology, imaging, psychology and psychopharmacology; and will also focus on combining the new findings into an integrated model of management of sexual dysfunctions.