Another variation of human sexuality is sexual frequency. Although there is a great range in frequency of sexual contact in the general population (see Chapter 10), some argue that certain people cross over the line from a vigorous sex life to an obsessed sex life. On the other side are those who, for various reasons, seem to have little or no sex drive at all.
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Hypersexuality: Does Obsession Imply Addiction? Sexuality, like drugs, alcohol, gambling, and all other behaviors that bring a sense of excitement and pleasure, should involve some degree of moderation. Yet for some people, the need for repeated sexual encounters, which often end up being fleeting and unfulfilling, |
becomes almost a compulsion (Bancroft & Vukadinovic, 2004; Golden, 2001). An addiction involves an uncontrollable craving and compulsive need for a specific object. A typical sexual addict is a married man whose obsession with masturbation increases to an obsession with pornography, prostitute visits, and multiple sexual affairs (Keane, 2004).
In the past, derogatory terms, mostly for women, were used to describe these people; an example is nymphomaniac. Terms for men were more flattering and included Don Juanism, satyriasis, or, in other cases, “studs.” Perhaps nowhere else is the double standard between the sexes so blatant—women who enjoy frequent sexual encounters are considered “whores” or “sluts,” whereas men who enjoy similar levels of sexual activity have been admired. However, on some college campuses across the United States, men who engage in sex with many partners are often referred to as “man whores” or male “sluts” (Author’s files).
“Sexual addiction,” also called compulsive sexual behavior, sexual compulsivity, sexual dependency, sexual impulsivity, and hypersexuality, has become a popular and controversial topic of discussion, in part due to the book Out of the Shadows: Understanding Sexual Addiction by Patrick Carnes (2001). Carnes’s argument is that people who engage in many of the paraphilias we have discussed, not just hypersexuality, are really sexual addicts whose need for constant sexual encounters is similar to any addictive behavior. Sex and orgasm are mood-altering, just as drugs are, and the addict will often sacrifice family, friends, work, health, and values in order to maintain the sexual behavior. Many sexual addicts have concurrent addictions, including drugs, alcohol, gambling, food, or shopping (Carnes, 2003). Carnes estimated that between 17 million and 37 million Americans have sexual addictions (Hagedorn & Juhnke, 2005).
According to Carnes, a sexual addict goes through four cycles repeatedly: a preoccupation with thoughts of sex; ritualization of preparation for sex (such as primping oneself and going to bars); compulsive sexual behavior over which the addict feels he or she has no control; and despair afterward as the realization hits that he or she has again repeated the destructive sequence of events. Sexual addiction can even be dangerous, as it may result in STIs, injury, or suicide.
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