Abstract
The ability to control sexual urges and impulses is essential to achieve individual and social harmony. Failing to regulate sexual behavior can lead to the interference with daily life goals, sexual diseases transmission and moral violations, among others. The dual control model of sexual response proposes that an imbalance between sexual excitation and sexual inhibition mechanisms may lead to sexual dysregulation, thereby explaining problematic sexual behavior. Interindividual differences in self-control and testosterone levels are likely to modulate sexual regulation mechanisms, but these individual features have scarcely been studied in the context of compulsive sexual behavior. This study investigated the role of sexual excitation and inhibition, self-control and testosterone levels in predicting individuals’ proneness to display compulsive sexual behavior. Seventy healthy young males provided a saliva sample for testosterone measurements and filled in questionnaires on self-control, sexual excitation, sexual inhibition, sexual compulsivity and sexual behavior. High testosterone levels and low self-control were associated with higher sexual compulsivity scores. Additionally, testosterone levels and sexual inhibition negatively predicted the frequency of sexual behavior with a partner. The results of our study highlight the joint role of psychological traits and testosterone levels in compulsive sexual behavior proneness, providing implications regarding the prevention and treatment of this condition in young males.
Highlights
The ability to control sexual impulses and urges is essential to preserve individual health and harmonious social relationships
Whereas the levels of sexual inhibition (SIS1/2) in the current sample are similar to the reported in previous studies, the levels of sexual excitation are lower in our sample
Testosterone levels from the participants in this study were located within the expected range and self-control scores were similar to the reported in previous studies (Tangney et al, 2004; Fung et al, 2020)
Summary
The ability to control sexual impulses and urges is essential to preserve individual health and harmonious social relationships. Predictors of Sexual Compulsivity Proneness to control intense, repetitive sexual impulses or urges, affecting familial, social, educational, and/or occupational areas of functioning (World Health Organization, 2020). The clinical validity and legal implications of this condition have been extensively debated, leading to its inclusion as an impulse control disorder by the International Classification of Diseases, Eleven Revision (World Health Organization, 2020), but to the rejection of a similar clinical model (hypersexuality) by the DSM-IV (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Symptoms can emerge in different patterns and at different levels of intensity, thereby not always reaching clinical levels (Kafka, 2010). This implies that some individuals exhibit sexual compulsivity tendencies that have an impact on daily life, without being diagnosed. Identifying the predictors of compulsive sexual behavior proneness in non-clinical samples is relevant to reduce the probability of risky sexual behaviors and in preventing the development of pathological conditions
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