The International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health (ISSWSH) is pleased to announce the publication of its Process of Care for Management of Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder (HSDD) in Women in Mayo Clinic Proceedings. This milestone publication is the first to provide a consensus clinical management algorithm for the diagnosis and treatment of HSDD.
HSDD is a medical condition characterized by decreased or absent spontaneous or responsive sexual desire (i.e., sexual thoughts or fantasies) associated with negative emotional states and personal distress. Women with HSDD experience increased healthcare costs, health burden, and decreased quality of life. HSDD is the most common sexual dysfunction in women and studies in the US and Europe estimate its prevalence to be 6 – 19%. Recent research and increasing public awareness of HSDD will increase the number of women seeking treatment from healthcare professionals. The Process of Care for HSDD was developed to meet this unmet need.
Developed by 17 international expert panelists representing multiple healthcare disciplines and clinical specialties, the ISSWSH Process of Care for HSDD in Women provides evidence-based guidelines for the identification, diagnosis and treatment of this disorder in women that can be followed by non-expert primary care professionals and sexual medicine experts alike. The Process of Care algorithm emphasizes biopsychosocial assessment and education, highlights opportunities to address modifiable factors, includes patient needs and preferences in the decision-making process, delineates evidence-based treatment options informed by reproductive status, and defines situations for specialized referral. A separate ISSWSH panel of experts previously published a consensus white paper review on the epidemiology, nomenclature, pathophysiology and treatment strategies for HSDD for non-sexual medicine experts in Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
ISSWSH is a not-for-profit multidisciplinary, academic and scientific organization dedicated to supporting the highest standards of ethics and professionalism in research, education, and clinical practice of women's sexual health. More information about the society and its activities can be obtained at: http://www.isswsh.org.
Funding for the development of this Process of Care was provided by ISSWSH through unrestricted educational grants from Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc, AMAG Pharmaceuticals, Emotional Brain BV, and Palatin Technologies, Inc. The process of care algorithm was wholly developed under the auspices of ISSWSH with no participation or influence from industry.