The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association (DSM)-V committee is charged with examining empirical evidence for either maintaining or changing the current diagnostic criteria for female sexual dysfunction (FSD). At the 10th annual meeting of the International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health (ISSWSH) held recently in St. Petersburg Florida, Dr. Taylor Segraves presented the update of the DSM-V committee’s proposed changes in the diagnostic criteria from the DSMIV-TR criteria for FSD.

Dr. Segraves explained that DSM diagnostic continuity should be maintained whenever possible; however, for any changes in diagnosis, the evidence required to promote that change should be proportional to the magnitude of the change itself as well as to the magnitude of the problems with existing criteria. His slides are available in the ISSWSH program book. During the presentation, Dr. Segraves repeatedly asked for feedback concerning the proposed diagnostic systems for FSD in DSM-V. He frequently stated that these proposed changes may or may not meet the needs of some of our patients with FSD and may or may not meet the needs of some of us as clinicians and researchers who practice and study women’s sexual health. The ISSWSH is unique in its international, multidisciplinary makeup as an organization dedicated to providing opportunities for communication among scholars, researchers, and practitioners about women’s sexual health, to support the highest standards of ethics and professionalism in research, education and clinical practice of women’s sexual health, and to provide the public with accurate information about women’s sexual health. As evidence of the broad nature of the society, ISSWSH members of the board have been from diverse specialties including psychology, psychiatry, internal medicine, gynecology, urology, pharmacology, dermatology, basic science, physical therapy, allied heath care, and education. At the core of the success of ISSWSH is this diversity that provides critical varied and distinctive input into the field of women’s sexual health, including the DSM-V proposed changes, despite the belief by