Understanding Psychology (10th Ed)

acquired immune defi ciency 
 syndrome (AIDS)
A sexually 
transmitted infection caused by 
a virus that destroys the body’s 
immune system.
FIGURE 6
Estimates of the numbers of 
new cases annually of sexually transmitted 
infections in the United States. There are 
many more new cases of chlamydia each 
year than any other sexually transmitted 
infection. 
(Source: CDC, 2008.)
0
200
400
600
800
1,000
1,200
Number of ne
w cases r
epor
ted in 2007
(n
umbers in thousands)
Chlamydia
Gonorrhea
Genital herpes
Genital warts
Trichomoniasis
Syphilis
Study Alert
Use Figure 6 to learn the 
major types of sexually 
transmitted infections 
and their prevalence.
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374 Chapter 
11 
Sexuality and Gender
SEXUAL PROBLEMS 
Few people would feel embarrassed by a sprained ankle or broken arm. In contrast, 
sexual diffi culties are often a source of concern and self-consciousness because of the 
importance that society places on “desirable” sexual conduct. And such diffi culties 
are surprisingly common, with more than 40% of women and about one-third of men 
experiencing problems associated with sexual performance. Among the most wide-
spread are the disorders we discuss below (Laumann, Paik, & Rosen, 1999; Goldstein, 
2000; Rosner, 2001). 
 Erectile dysfunction 
is a male’s inability to achieve or maintain an erection. The 
rare case is a male who has never been able to have an erection, and the more com-
mon case is a male who, though now unable to have an erection, has had one at least 
once in the past. Erectile dysfunction is not an uncommon problem, even among 
younger men—about 5–10% of men under 50 have erection problems. It is the rare 
man who has never experienced it at least once during his lifetime. This is hardly 
surprising because the ability to achieve and hold an erection is sensitive to alcohol, 
drugs, performance fears, anxiety, and a host of other factors. Erectile dysfunction 
becomes a more serious problem when it occurs more than occasionally (Mendelsohn, 
2003; Peterson & Fuerst, 2007).
Drugs such as Viagra have brought about signifi cant advances in the treatment 
of erectile dysfunction and have brought the disorder into the open through a con-
stant barrage of commercials on television and in magazines. Viagra treats erectile 
dysfunction by increasing the fl ow of blood through a man’s penis and producing 
an erection relatively quickly. 
In