A confidential, factual assessment
Medical history, medication, alcohol and substance use, mood, sleep, stress and relationship context. Where a physical or hormonal cause is likely, onward referral is arranged.
Sexual & Psychosomatic Health
Sexual health consultation in Guntur
Sexual difficulties are common, they are rarely discussed, and they very often have a treatable psychological component alongside any physical one. The consultation is confidential and the questions are medical ones.
Overview
What is sexual health concerns?
Sexual function involves physical health, hormones, medication, mood, anxiety and the state of a relationship, all at once. Difficulties commonly arise where several of these overlap — for example a physical factor starts the problem, anxiety about recurrence maintains it, and relationship strain follows. Untangling that is what an assessment does.
A psychiatric consultation in this area covers performance anxiety and the anticipatory worry that sustains it; the effect of depression, anxiety, stress and poor sleep on desire and function; the sexual side effects of medicines, which are common and under-discussed; alcohol and substance use; relationship and communication difficulties; and the considerable amount of misinformation people arrive carrying. Where a physical or hormonal cause is likely, you are referred appropriately rather than treated here.
Symptoms
Signs and symptoms
This is a description, not a checklist to diagnose yourself with. Most people will recognise something here at some point. What matters clinically is how many are present, how long they have lasted and how much they are affecting daily life — which is what an assessment is for.
- Loss of interest in sex that is out of character
- Anxiety before or during sex, or anticipatory dread
- Difficulty with arousal or with maintaining it
- Difficulties with timing or control
- Pain or discomfort — this should always be examined medically
- Avoiding intimacy, and tension in the relationship as a result
- Preoccupation, shame or guilt about sexual matters
- Difficulties that began after starting a new medicine
- Distress driven by misinformation rather than by any actual problem
When to seek help
When to consult a psychiatrist
There is no threshold you have to cross before asking. These are the situations where an assessment is usually worth arranging rather than waiting.
- The difficulty has persisted for more than a few weeks
- It is causing distress, or strain in your relationship
- It began after a change in medication
- Low mood, anxiety or heavy stress is present alongside
- Alcohol or substance use is part of the picture
- There is pain, bleeding or a physical change — see a doctor for examination first
Treatment
Treatment and management
What follows depends entirely on the assessment. Nothing below is a treatment plan, and no page can produce one without seeing the individual.
Correcting misinformation
A substantial proportion of the distress seen in this area comes from myths rather than from any dysfunction. Accurate information is often a large part of the treatment.
Treating anxiety and mood
Performance anxiety responds well to structured psychological work. Where depression or an anxiety disorder is present, treating it frequently resolves the sexual difficulty as well.
Reviewing medication
Sexual side effects are common with several classes of medicine and are worth raising. Any change is a decision made with the prescribing doctor, never independently.
Involving the partner, where you wish
Couple sessions are available where both partners want them and the difficulty involves the relationship as well as the individual.
This page names no medicines and no doses, and makes no promise about how long anything takes. Screening questionnaires, where they are used, are aids to an assessment rather than diagnostic tests.
Therapies
Approaches that may form part of treatment
Talking and behavioural approaches are part of the picture for many people — sometimes on their own, sometimes alongside medication. Which of these is suitable, and whether it is provided here or through a referral, is decided in the consultation.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
A structured, practical talking therapy that looks at the link between thoughts, feelings and behaviour, and at the patterns that keep a difficulty going.
About this therapy
Couple Therapy
Couple Therapy
Joint sessions for partners where relationship difficulties are part of the picture, or where a mental health condition is affecting the relationship.
About this therapy
Psychoeducation
Psychoeducation
Structured explanation of the condition, its course, the treatment options and the early warning signs, given to the patient and usually to family too.
About this therapy
Stress Management
Stress Management
Practical training in relaxation, breathing, routine and workload strategies.
About this therapy
Supportive Psychotherapy
Supportive Psychotherapy
Regular sessions focused on emotional support, problem-solving and maintaining day-to-day functioning, rather than on a specific technique.
About this therapyQuestions
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about sexual health concerns and what to expect from a consultation at Maruthi Hospital and Diagnostics, Guntur.
Is this confidential?
Yes. Consultations are treated as confidential medical information, in line with professional practice and applicable law.
Is this a physical or a psychological problem?
Very often both, and the proportions differ between people. That is precisely what an assessment is for, and why being referred for a physical opinion where appropriate is part of the process.
Can my partner come with me?
Yes, if you would like them to. Part of the consultation may still be conducted with you alone, which is normal clinical practice.
I read something online that worries me. Is it true?
Possibly not. A great deal of what circulates on this subject is inaccurate, and some of it is written to sell something. Bring the question — an accurate answer is often all that is needed.
Appointments
Talk to a psychiatrist about this
Dr. Manchikalapudi Tirumala Babu consults at Maruthi Hospital and Diagnostics, Guntur. Call the clinic to discuss your concerns and request an appointment.
Consulting hours are Monday to Saturday, 6:00–9:00 PM, by appointment. This website does not confirm bookings on its own — the clinic confirms a time with you.