around the world, medical recognition of the disorder was established only a few years ago. with greater case reports from patients using this type of medication, the criteria for pssd diagnosis now includes symptoms such as genital numbing, decreased genital and organismic sensation, decreased sexual desire, erectile dysfunction and, for some, genital pain. also present are emotional symptoms such as brain fog, emotional blunting and sensory impairment.
a common complaint from patients is that healthcare providers ridicule them or dismiss their reported symptoms, so many opt to suffer in silence.
grey attempted to get help from health care providers for her pssd, but it was frustrating. she decided she would remain silent no longer.
“no one should have their sexuality chemically stripped from them,” grey said. but it’s still hard when sexuality and mental health remain taboo topics, even in a health setting.
“they are not always very receptive to being frank about your sexuality as a part of a functioning human body,” she adds. “it’s a good thing that it affects men and women, because if it only affected women, then it wouldn’t be investigated with the same vigour.”
as a therapist, yassie pirani started hearing about pssd from clients, and, as word spread amongst patients, she began supporting more and more of them as they navigated the health system to try and get answers and grieve what they have lost. she has become one of the few practitioners with expertise in pssd.
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