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Sexual Anhedonia

Meaning

Sexual anhedonia is a clinical condition characterized by the inability to experience pleasure or satisfaction from sexual activity, despite having normal physiological capacity for arousal and orgasm. This is distinct from a low libido, which is a reduced desire for sexual activity; in anhedonia, the desire may be present, but the subjective experience of pleasure is absent or significantly diminished. The condition is often linked to dysregulation of the central nervous system’s reward pathways, involving neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin. Clinically, it represents a profound challenge to sexual quality of life and is often a side effect of certain medications or a symptom of underlying hormonal or neurological imbalance.