Mental Health and Sexual Well-being

As social beings, human beings tend to value social norms more than their wellbeing. This is especially true when it comes to a person's sexual well-being, where the current society sees masculinity as superior and dominant, and femininity as inferior and submissive. This doesn't help anyone, for, as they grow, the man forces himself to learn to dominate, the woman forces herself to learn to submit, and the rest feel left out by this toxic culture that everyone blindly follows. Sex is seen as a currency of power in the modern world, which, is arousing when performed in a safe and consensual manner, but poisons the hearts of those who don't.

As contradictory as this may sound when heard for the first time, sex is also something that isn't talked about freely. People hesitate to buy anything that complements the private areas of a human (including pads, which, isn't supposed to be sexual but...the society's broken), talk about it to their partners, or, hell, aren't provided with basic sexual education.

This toxicity surrounding sex has led to a lot of instability in human beings. Numerous mental disorders have been discovered to affect one's sexual well-being. Sexual dysfunction occurs when one has a problem that prevents them from wanting or enjoying sexual activity. Note the 'wanting' in the definition of sexual dysfunction. We will be talking about two of the disorders in particular.

Vaginismus

Vaginismus is a condition in which involuntary muscle spasm interferes with penetration of the vagina. This often results in pain with attempts at sex or using a tampon/menstrual cup. This condition is usually caused by the thinking that penetration will be painful, and in some ways, the vagina defends itself from penetration.

It is common for sexual attack victims with a vagina to be diagnosed with vaginismus, but it is to be noted that not all sexual attack victims have vaginismus, neither do all people with vaginismus are sexual attack victims. The muscle spasm is involuntary and the person is likely afraid of any form of penetration, even if its consensual intercourse with a loved one.

Erectile Dysfunction

Erectile dysfunction is a condition in which the penis fails to become or stay erect during sexual activity. Though the statistics say that it is more likely for an older person to be diagnosed with ED, anyone with a penis has a chance to be diagnosed with it, irrespective of their age.

This condition is mostly seen among people with cardiovascular problems, but there have been numerous cases where the cause of erectile dysfunction has been psychological. As with vaginismus, the relationship between sexual attack victims and those diagnosed with ED stands.

There are many more such disorders, and if you're interested to learn more about them, look up 'sexual dysfunction'. However, these two disorders are enough to prove the point that the unwritten norms of a modern lifestyle have caused a lot of harm, both sexually and otherwise. There isn't an accurate statistic on the number of people facing sexual dysfunction because not everyone seeks help. The closest approximation we have today is that around 5 to 17 percent of people face vaginismus and 52 percent of people face erectile dysfunction. This "rape culture" has set standards for a person based on what they have between their legs, which is terribly wrong. It is stupid to live a formulaic life simply because you were either born a boy or a girl.

It is the need of the hour to talk about sex, to make people sexually aware of themselves, to talk about consent, for sexual happiness, like any other form of happiness, is a right that everyone deserves.