Performance anxiety: The fear of performing inadequately and a related tension experienced during sex.

Genito-pelvic pain/penetration disorder: A sexual dysfunction characterized by significant physical discomfort during intercourse.

Premature ejaculation: A dysfunction in which a man persistently reaches orgasm and ejaculates within one minute of beginning sexual activity with a partner and before he wishes to. Also called early or rapid ejaculation.

Sexual dysfunction: A disorder marked by a persistent inability to function normally in some area of the human sexual response cycle.

Erectile disorder: A dysfunction in which a man persistently fails to attain or maintain an erection during sexual activity.

Orgasm phase: The phase of the sexual response cycle during which a person’s sexual pleasure peaks and sexual tension is released as muscles in the pelvic region contract rhythmically.

Directed masturbation training: A sex therapy approach that teaches women with female arousal or orgasmic disorders how to masturbate effectively and eventually reach orgasm during sexual interactions.

Female sexual interest/arousal disorder: A female dysfunction marked by a persistent reduction or lack of interest in sex and low sexual activity, as well as, in some cases, limited excitement and few sexual sensations during sexual activity.

Female orgasmic disorder: A dysfunction in which a woman persistently fails to reach orgasm, has very low intensity orgasms, or has very delayed orgasms.

Desire phase: The phase of the sexual response cycle consisting of an urge to have sex, sexual fantasies, and sexual attraction.

Excitement phase: The phase of the sexual response cycle marked by changes in the pelvic region, general physical arousal, and increases in heart rate, muscle tension, blood pressure, and rate of breathing.

Nocturnal penile tumescence (NPT): Erection during sleep.

Delayed ejaculation: A male dysfunction characterized by persistent inability to ejaculate or very delayed ejaculations during sexual activity with a partner.

Spectator role: A state of mind that some people experience during sex, focusing on their sexual performance to such an extent that their performance and their enjoyment are reduced.

Male hypoactive sexual desire disorder: A male dysfunction marked by a persistent reduction or lack of interest in sex and hence a low level of sexual activity.

Frotteuristic disorder: A paraphilic disorder in which a person has repeated and intense sexual urges or fantasies that involve touching and rubbing against a nonconsenting person and either acts on these urges with nonconsenting individuals or experiences clinically significant distress or impairment.

Paraphilias: Patterns in which a person has recurrent and intense sexual urges, fantasies, or behaviors involving nonhuman objects, children, nonconsenting adults, or experiences of suffering or humiliation.

Gender dysphoria: A disorder in which a person persistently feels clinically significant distress or impairment due to his or her assigned gender and strongly wishes to be a member of another gender.

Sexual masochism disorder: A paraphilic disorder in which a person has repeated and intense sexual urges, fantasies, or behaviors that involve being humiliated, beaten, bound, or otherwise made to suffer, accompanied by clinically significant distress or impairment.

Orgasmic reorientation: A procedure for treating certain paraphilias by teaching clients to respond to new, more appropriate sources of sexual stimulation.

Exhibitionistic disorder: A paraphilic disorder in which persons have repeated sexually arousing urges or fantasies about exposing their genitals to others, and either act on these urges with nonconsenting individuals or experience clinically significant distress or impairment.

Pedophilic disorder: A paraphilic disorder in which a person has repeated and intense sexual urges or fantasies about watching, touching, or engaging in sexual acts with children and either acts on these urges or experiences clinically significant distress or impairment.

Voyeuristic disorder: A paraphilic disorder in which a person has repeated and intense sexual desires to observe unsuspecting people in secret as they undress or to spy on couples having intercourse and either acts on these urges with nonconsenting individuals or experiences clinically significant distress or impairment.

Paraphilic disorder: A disorder in which a person’s paraphilia causes great distress, interferes with social or occupational activities, or places the person or others at risk of harm—either currently or in the past.

Fetishistic disorder: A paraphilic disorder consisting of recurrent and intense sexual urges, fantasies, or behaviors that involve the use of a nonliving object or nongenital part, often to the exclusion of all other stimuli, accompanied by significant distress or impairment.

Sexual sadism disorder: A paraphilic disorder in which a person has repeated and intense sexual urges or fantasies that involve inflicting suffering on others and either acts on these urges with nonconsenting individuals or experiences clinically significant distress or impairment.

Transvestic disorder: A paraphilic disorder consisting of repeated and intense sexual urges, fantasies, or behaviors that involve dressing in clothes of the opposite sex, accompanied by clinically significant distress or impairment. Also known as transvestism or cross-dressing.

Masturbatory satiation: A behavioral treatment in which a client masturbates for a very long period of time while fantasizing in detail about a paraphilic object. The procedure is expected to produce a feeling of boredom that becomes linked to the object.

Sex-change surgery: A surgical procedure that changes a person’s sex organs, features, and, in turn, sexual identity. Also known as sexual reassignment surgery.