Do Genders Experience Compulsive Sex Differently?
What research says about gender differences in compulsive sexual behavior disorder (CSBD).
Posted October 27, 2025 | Reviewed by Michelle Quirk
This post was written by Ewelina Kowalewska, Ph.D. , researcher at the Centre of Postgraduate Medical Education in Warsaw, Poland, and leading expert on women with compulsive sexual behavior disorder.
Out-of-control sexual behavior, now officially termed compulsive sexual behavior disorder (CSBD) in the International Classification of Diseases , 11th Revision ( ICD-11 ; World Health Organization, 2022), has long been recognized in clinical and everyday life, yet for much of its history, scientific understanding has focused primarily on men. But does CSBD look and feel the same for everyone, regardless of gender ?
Meet Jamie: A Story Beyond the Stereotype
Jamie is 30 years old. She first encountered pornography at age 11 and gradually moved on to more extreme content, describing herself as addicted and aroused by pain. She now uses pornography daily, sometimes bingeing for whole days or weekends. Although she prefers high-intensity partnered sex at parties, both activities give her similar feelings of arousal and relief. She experiences cycles of being "decent" and self-destructive. Her lack of control over sex and substances intensified after two assault experiences. The consequences include neglecting work, social withdrawal, family conflicts, sex-related injuries, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and broken relationships. Despite many failed attempts, she feels she cannot stop it.
Jamie’s story highlights that CSBD is about far more than how often someone engages in sexual activity. It’s deeply tied to emotional regulation , the fallout in everyday life, trauma histories, the weight of stigma , and the presence or absence of support systems. This condition can affect women as much as men and gender-diverse individuals, challenging narrow perceptions.
A recent large-scale survey across 42 countries found that 2.42 percent of women screen at high risk for CSBD (Bőthe et al., 2023). However, these figures aren’t fixed—they ebb and flow with cultural attitudes and social contexts. This variability reminds us that CSBD is a widespread concern transcending gender and geography.
Similar Distress, Different Dynamics
Though men and women share key features—a persistent, often distressing failure to control sexual urges leading to negative consequences—the context can differ (Kowalewska et al., 2020; 2024; 2025):
Key Similarities: Core Mechanisms
Despite these differences, recent research (Kowalewska et al., 2020; 2024; 2025) shows important overlaps:
The Need for Gender-Sensitive Approaches
When we overlook gender diversity in research and clinical care, we miss crucial diagnoses and leave the needs of women and gender-diverse individuals unmet. To truly help individuals like Jamie—no matter their gender—we need assessment tools that are validated for all, outreach tailored to diverse experiences, and a deeper awareness of the unique barriers people face. Recent advances make it clear: CSBD isn’t just about male sexuality spiraling out of control. It’s a complex, multifaceted condition that demands a nuanced, person-first approach. Only by embracing this complexity can we break down shame and stigma and better support those who live with this condition.
Bőthe, B., Koós, M., Nagy, L., Kraus, S. W., Demetrovics, Z., Potenza, M. N., Michaud, A., Ballester-Arnal, R., Batthyány, D., Bergeron, S., Billieux, J., Briken, P., Burkauskas, J., Cárdenas-López, G., Carvalho, J., Castro-Calvo, J., Chen, L., Ciocca, G., Corazza, O., … Vaillancourt-Morel, M.-P. (2023). Compulsive sexual behavior disorder in 42 countries: Insights from the International Sex Survey and introduction of standardized assessment tools. Journal of Behavioral Addictions, 12 (2), 393–407. https://doi.org/10.1556/2006.2023.00028
Kowalewska, E., Szumska, I. & Lew-Starowicz, M. (2025). Expanding the Lens: A Systematic Review of the Latest Research on Compulsive Sexual Behavior and Problematic Pornography Use among Women. Current Addiction Reports, 12 , 62. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40429-025-00674-3
Kowalewska, E., Bőthe, B., & Kraus, S. W. (2024). Compulsive sexual behavior disorder: The importance of research on women. Journal of Behavioral Addictions , 13 (1), 12–15. https://doi.org/10.1556/2006.2023.00087
Kowalewska, E., Gola, M., Kraus, S. W., & Lew-Starowicz, M. (2020). Spotlight on Compulsive Sexual Behavior Disorder: A Systematic Review of Research on Women. Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment, 16 , 2025–2043. https://doi.org/10.2147/NDT.S221540
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Beata Bőthe, Ph.D., is an assistant professor at the Department of Psychology at the University of Montréal in Canada, and Mónika Koós, Ph.D., is a postdoctoral researcher at the Institute for Forensic Psychiatry and Sex Research in Essen, Germany.
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