Return to Transcripts main page

American Morning

Female Sexual Dysfunction

Aired January 21, 2003 - 06:53   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR:. Now here's a topic that will open your eyes this morning, female sexual dysfunction. Nobody really wants to talk about it too much. But researchers are studying the problem and coming up with some vastly different assessments.
CNN medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen fills us in.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT:. So what do women want and how many of them aren't getting it? There's a new controversy in the area of female sexual satisfaction.

Three years ago, a landmark study concluded that 43 percent of women are sexually dysfunctional. But now a new study by a different group places the number at only 24 percent. How do they account for the difference?

Well, female sexual dysfunction is very difficult to define and the two researchers used very different definitions in their studies.

For example, in the first study, the one with the larger percentage, sexual dysfunction included any woman with trouble having orgasms. However, in the other study, a woman who wasn't having orgasms had to be distressed about it to be counted as being sexually dysfunction. But doctors say it really doesn't matter exactly how many women are sexually dysfunction. What matters is the women who have problems need treatments just like men do -- back to you.

COSTELLO:. Elizabeth Cohen, Many thanks.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired January 21, 2003 - 06:53   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR:. Now here's a topic that will open your eyes this morning, female sexual dysfunction. Nobody really wants to talk about it too much. But researchers are studying the problem and coming up with some vastly different assessments.
CNN medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen fills us in.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT:. So what do women want and how many of them aren't getting it? There's a new controversy in the area of female sexual satisfaction.

Three years ago, a landmark study concluded that 43 percent of women are sexually dysfunctional. But now a new study by a different group places the number at only 24 percent. How do they account for the difference?

Well, female sexual dysfunction is very difficult to define and the two researchers used very different definitions in their studies.

For example, in the first study, the one with the larger percentage, sexual dysfunction included any woman with trouble having orgasms. However, in the other study, a woman who wasn't having orgasms had to be distressed about it to be counted as being sexually dysfunction. But doctors say it really doesn't matter exactly how many women are sexually dysfunction. What matters is the women who have problems need treatments just like men do -- back to you.

COSTELLO:. Elizabeth Cohen, Many thanks.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com