Compulsive Sexual Behavior

Compulsive sexual behavior, which may also be described as sexual compulsivity, hypersexuality, or sex addiction, involves frequent sexual behavior that is excessive in nature and leads to significant difficulty or impairment in life functioning. Compulsive sexual behavior may include conventional sexual behaviors, referred to as nonparaphilic sexual behaviors (e.g., masturbation), that have become compulsive. Compulsive sexual behavior may also include more deviant sexual activities, referred to as paraphilic sexual behaviors, which become compulsive, such as frequently exposing one’s genitalia in public for the purpose of sexual arousal. Individuals may also engage in compulsive sexual behavior via the Internet. These behaviors may include excessive viewing of [Page 318]pornography or frequent participation in fantasy chat rooms. With the increase in Internet accessibility and utilization over the past ...