Author: Glossary
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Orgasmic dysfunction
Female orgasmic disorder. Inability of the woman to achieve orgasm through physical stimulation. Masters and Johnson describe two types. In primary orgasmic dysfunction, the woman has never had an orgasm through any physical contact, including masturbation. In situational orgasmic dysfunction, there has been at least one instance of orgasm through physical contact. Compare with impotence.…
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Premature ejaculation
Refers to ejaculation following minimal sexual stimulation before, at the point of, or shortly after entry and before the man wishes it. Undesired ejaculation occurring immediately before or very early in sexual intercourse. The rapidity of ejaculation may prevent the woman from achieving sexual satisfaction or reaching orgasm. The inability of the male to delay…
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Male orgasmic disorder
Refers to absence of, or delay in attaining, orgasm following a normal sexual excitement phase during sexual activity that is adequate in focus, intensity, and duration.
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Female orgasmic disorder
Refers to absence of, or delay in attaining, orgasm following a normal sexual excitement phase. The orgasmic capacity is less than would be expected for the woman’s age, sexual experience, and the degree or type of sexual stimulation. It is frequently severe enough to cause marked distress or interpersonal difficulty. The disorder is termed generalized…
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Orgasmic disorders
A subcategory of sexual dysfunctions that includes female orgasmic disorder, male orgasmic disorder, and premature ejaculation.
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Orgasm
Sexual climax; peak psychophysiological response to sexual stimulation. A series of involuntary muscular contractions accompanied by emotional and nervous system pleasurable sensations and usually accompanied by ejaculation in the male and vaginal and uterine contractions in the female. The climax of the sexual act, when a person experiences a moment of great excitement. Powerful, climactic…
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Organic mental disorder
An older and nearly obsolete category originally created to distinguish physiological (termed exogenous or organic) causes of mental impairment from psychiatric (termed endogenous or functional) causes. The term was abandoned in dsm-iv because it was judged to incorrectly imply that “nonorganic” mental disorders did not have a biological basis. Transient or permanent dysfunction of the…
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Organic disease
In older terminology, a disease characterized by a demonstrable structural or biochemical abnormality in an organ or a tissue (i.e., an exogenous etiology). Sometimes imprecisely used as an antonym for functional disorder. A disease that started as, or became, impairment of structure or tissue. The smoker may have coughing and shortness of breath for years,…
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Organic
Obsolete term denoting a clear biological—as opposed to psychological (“functional”)—cause of an illness or symptom. Chemically, a substance containing carbon in the molecule (with the exception of carbonates and cyanide). Substances of animal and vegetable origin are organic; minerals are inorganic. The term organic foods refers to ‘organically grown foods’, meaning plants grown without the…
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Orbitofrontal syndrome
One of the principal frontal lobe syndromes. It is characterized by disinhibited, impulsive behavior; emotional lability; inappropriate jocular affect; and poor judgment and insight.