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We cannot restore sensation....
(05/04/2004) by Unknown
Unfortunately, we cannot restore sensation to parts of the
body affected by disability or illness. However, there are
commonly used techniques to help increase awareness to areas
of our body where sensation is still intact and where we may
be open to sexual stimulation. Sensate focus exercises
described by Drs. Masters and Johnson, pleasure mapping
described by Dr. Stubbs, and charting your personal
extragenital (areas besides your genitals that may bring sexual
pleasure) matrix described by Drs. Whipple and Ogden are
three options for increasing sexual communication and sexual
pleasure. Sensate focus, pleasure mapping, and charting your
extragenital matrix are all ways to explore various parts of
your body including your head, hair, face, ears and neck; your
chest, breasts, nipples, abdomen; your back, buttocks, arms,
underarms, hands, fingers, legs, feet, and toes. Exploration
can include using different kinds of touch with the hands like
stroking, rubbing, squeezing; different kinds of touch with the
mouth like kissing, sucking, nipping; incorporating lotions,
oils, and powders, feathers, silk, or even a vibrator. It is best
to set time aside to explore a certain portion of your body,
say from the shoulders up. During that time just focus on
stimulation to the chosen area without any plans of moving to
any other areas or of having sexual intercourse. These
exercises place the emphasis on intimacy and pleasure versus
the goal of performance and orgasm. These exercises are not
specific to people with disability or illness. Everybody has the
potential for sexual growth through these fun activities.
Sexual pleasure adds to quality of life for everybody, including
people with disability or illness. This article appears in the following topics:
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