Last Updated: 24th July, 2022

Sexual Performance Anxiety (SPA): Sex is intended to be pleasurable, but if you’re always worried about how well you are doing, it’s nerve-racking to have fun. If you’d like to bring the luster back into your love life, comprehend why you may be having sexual performance anxiety then get some suggestions to bring yourself at ease.

Intimacy is more than just a bodily response. Both the partners, passionate actions, perceptions, too, have considerably to do with it. Someones body can’t get excited when the mind is extremely fatigued out to remain focused on sex, either.

SPA, simply put as anxiety during/before sexual activity, is one of the most typical sexual problems across the world that affects both men and women. According to a study, SPA affects around 9-25% of men and 6-16% of women. The condition is responsible for premature ejaculation and erectile dysfunction in men and severely affects sex drive in women. Let’s learn more about this condition.

What Is Sexual Performance Anxiety (SPA)?

Sexual performance anxiety (SPA) relates directly to the wariness that a person goes through when he/she keeps failing to credence and the characteristics of his/her partner in bed. In addition, carnal performance or relationship issues linked to anxiety (like carnal interaction or partner denial) are often responsible for preventing sex in couples. This depression could trigger panic disorder under the worst-case scenario.

Some of the typical situations/conditions in which a person suffers from sexual performance anxiety (SPA) and shies away from engaging in sexual activity are:

• Body image issues related to self/partner.
• Masculinity/femininity of an individual.
• Partner’s response during the act.
• Being belittled about sexual performance.
• Partner’s comments on the size/width of the male sex organ.
• Partner being shy during the act.
• The partner does not reciprocate carnal interest/desire.
• The partner takes upper hand during a power play.
• Partner suffering from any chronic illness.

These issues can provoke sexual anxiety and may disrupt the coherent carnal response, which in turn can cause dissatisfying sexual experience with the partner.

What Causes Sexual Performance Anxiety (SPA)?

Usually, a sexual response, which includes erection, lubrication, orgasm, ejaculation, involves the autonomic nervous (internal) system and thus are not strictly under voluntary control. When a person experiences an elevated level of anxiety, it may hinder the typical process of erection.

For example, anxiety can lead to elevated flight and fight response and increase the release of cortisol (stress hormone). This is identified to cause a low erectile response and greater worry. This is the reason why people with sexual performance anxiety (SPA) tend to experience psychogenic erectile dysfunction or premature ejaculation.

As men perform an active and proactive role in sexual performance, any failure during the act tends to negatively impact them and cause them to lose confidence/self-esteem. Hence, during subsequent erotic encounters, there is a significant chance that their mind and body automatically determined about the futile attempts before (which could be the inability to achieve an erection, premature ejaculation, delayed ejaculation, or arousal), leading to performance anxiety. Failure in subsequent acts may aggravate sexual performance anxiety (SPA), which can become a vicious cycle.

How Can Sexual Performance Anxiety Be Treated?

Although there have been many cases of sexual performance anxiety (SPA), there is yet no diagnosis available for the conditions. This is why there are extremely few research studies done on the treatment approach for the SPA. However, a recent study showed that cognitive behavior therapy and mindfulness meditation training can be recommended as effective treatment options for SPA.

Cognitive behavioral therapy has been shown to be effective in the treatment of carnal desire disorders by focusing on dysfunctional thoughts, unrealistic expectations, partner behavior that decreases desire in intercourse and insufficient physical stimulation. Specific exercises may be recommended. For example, men with sexual desire disorder or male Erectile Disorder (ED) may be instructed to masturbate to address sexual performance anxiety (SPA) related to achieving a full erection and ejaculation.

Conclusion
SPA is absolutely normal and, as it can be deftly handled, there is no reason to be concerned. Consult a physician who will assist you enhance and enjoy a steady intimate relationship with your sexual experience.

Disclaimer
The most reliable resource for medical advice and information is your doctor. For academic/consciousness reasons, of course only, the health information presented in this article is given and is unintended to replace conversations with a medical practitioner and/or medical advice.