REVIEW article
Front. Psychiatry
Sec. Addictive Disorders
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1621136
Evaluation and Treatment of Compulsive Sexual Behavior: Current Limitations and Potential Strategies
Provisionally accepted
- 1National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Study on Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract, Hefei, China
- 2Reproductive Medicine Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- 3Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle, Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China, Hefei, China
- 4Reproductive Medicine Center, the Affiliated Jinyang Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, The Second People's Hospital of Guiyang, Guiyang, China
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Aim: Despite having been introduced into ICD-11, the appropriate classification and symptomatology of compulsive sexual behavior disorder (CSBD) remain controversial. Methods: In this review, we examined the historical background, epidemiological status quo, comorbidities, neuroscience theories, current diagnoses, and treatment recommendations for CSBD. Additionally, we emphasized the limitations of the current research and the prospects for future work. Results: Psychotherapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy are the preferred treatment methods for CSBD. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and naltrexone are commonly used as "off-label" drugs. The diagnosis and treatment of patients with CSBD should integrate biological, psychological, and social factors with expertise in sexual medicine by employing a comprehensive and holistic therapeutic approach. This treatment aims not only to control abnormal sexual desires and behaviors but also to assist patients in achieving a healthy and satisfying sexual life and well-being. Conclusion: Future research should focus on understanding etiology, improving study population representation, correcting methodological flaws in treatment evaluation, enhancing clinician training in sexual medicine, and addressing patients' addictions and sexual function issues. Narrowing these research gaps is crucial for improving clinical diagnosis and treatment levels and formulating targeted social intervention measures.
Keywords: compulsive sexual behavior, Sexual Addiction, Addictive Behaviors, compulsivity, Sexual function
Received: 30 Apr 2025; Accepted: 13 Jun 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Zhu, Ma, Ma, Wang, Song, Cao and Li. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Bing Song, Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle, Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China, Hefei, China
Yunxia Cao, Reproductive Medicine Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
Guanjian Li, Reproductive Medicine Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.