Encompassing sexual medicine within psychiatry: pros and cons.

Objective: This article examines the positive and negative aspects of psychiatry encompassing sexual medicine within its purview.

Methods: MEDLINE searches for the period between 1980 to the present were performed with the terms "psychiatry," "sexual medicine," and "sexual dysfunction." In addition, sexual medicine texts were reviewed for chapters relevant to this topic.

Results: Psychiatry, the only medical discipline trained to integrate both biological and psychological factors in making treatment decisions, has been minimally involved in the evolution of the multidisciplinary field known as sexual medicine.

Conclusions: If psychiatry is to maintain a role in the diagnosis and treatment of sexual disorders, it is critical that its training programs include training in sexual medicine.