Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSigns and SymptomsPrevalence of Sexual Aversion DisorderTypesCausesTreatment

Table of ContentsView All

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Table of Contents

Signs and Symptoms

Prevalence of Sexual Aversion Disorder

Types

Causes

Treatment

Close

Sexual aversion disorder was a diagnosis that involved an unwillingness to engage in sexual activity, including avoiding behaviors or signals that might convey sexual interest or lead to a sexual relationship. It is no longer considered a distinct condition, however, and this diagnosis was removed from the DSM-5.

TheDiagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders(DSM) previously defined sexual aversion disorder asthe “persistent or recurrent extreme aversion to, and avoidance of, all or almost all, genital sexual contact with a sexual partner,” which causes distress or interpersonal difficulty. The condition was thought to even go so far as leading to the avoidance of all physical contact with a partner.

Sex aversion disorder was removed from the DSM-5 due to the lack of research. Today, this condition would be diagnosed as a sexual dysfunction.

At a GlanceSexual aversion disorder was a diagnosis previously used to describe people who experienced a severe avoidance of all sexual contact. While no longer an official diagnosis, understanding how this type of sexual dysfunction might affect behavior can help people better recognize the need to seek treatment. Treatments that might help with sexual aversion include systematic desensitization, sex therapy, medication, and other psychological treatments.

At a Glance

Sexual aversion disorder was a diagnosis previously used to describe people who experienced a severe avoidance of all sexual contact. While no longer an official diagnosis, understanding how this type of sexual dysfunction might affect behavior can help people better recognize the need to seek treatment. Treatments that might help with sexual aversion include systematic desensitization, sex therapy, medication, and other psychological treatments.

Signs and Symptoms of Sexual Aversion Disorder

Sexual aversion disorder is associated with an extreme aversion to genital sexual contact with a partner. This avoidance can lead to distress and may result in interpersonal problems.

Avoidance of Sex

Aversion to sex can manifest in reactions ofanxiety, fear, and even disgust at the potential of a sexual opportunity. For some people, they have a fear of one specific aspect of sexual intercourse, like semen or vaginal secretions. In these cases, it may be possible for them to avoid any act that could put them in direct contact with sexual bodily fluids to reduce the onset of a panic attack.

In general, this can lead to symptoms that are typically associated with severe anxiety and depression. It can also lead toavoidant behaviorsthat spill over into other areas of life.

Sexual Aversion and Anxiety

In 1987 when the disorder was listed in the DSM,sex therapistHelen Singer Kaplan noted the characteristics of 373 patients with sexual avoidance. She found some commonalities between other disorders:

Kaplan believed that people with sexual aversion disorder were especially prone to developingpanic disorderbecause they both shared the characteristics of separation anxiety, rejection sensitivity, and overreaction to criticisms from loved ones. Kaplan even noted that she wasn’t sure this should be classified as aphobiaor sexual dysfunction.

Fear vs. Phobia: What’s the Difference?

There are very few statistics on the prevalence of sexual aversion disorder, and this is because it can so easily be confused with other disorders. It’s one of only two sexual disorders listed in the DSM (the other is hypoactive sexual desire disorder). Sexual aversion disorder wasn’t added to the DSM until 1987.

People are usually diagnosed with this disorder in their early 20s, indicating the age at which many people become sexually active.

Unfortunately, sexual aversion disorder often goes unaddressed since many people feel the issue is private and difficult to discuss.

Types of Sexual Aversion Disorder

There are two types of sexual aversion disorders:

Lifelong

This is when a person experiences sexual aversion no matter what relationship they’re in or what person they’re coming into contact with.

Acquired

This can refer to a person who experiences sexual aversion disorder in response to a particular relationship. However, when this person is outside of this specific relationship, they can function normally.

How to Cope With Sexual Anxiety

Causes of Sexual Aversion Disorder

While it is common in people who display other anxiety-based disorders or panic disorders, sexual aversion disorder is especially prevalent in women with ahistory of sexual trauma, such as rape, incest, and molestation.

It is also more common in women who show signs of PTSD.Unfortunately, very little is known about the prevalence of sexual aversion disorders in men versus women.

It has been noted that there is a decrease in sex hormones, like estrogen and adrenal androgens, in people who have sexual aversion disorders.However, this could also be a result of increased stress.

The increased anxiety levels could be more prevalent due to agenetic history, often present for those with panic disorders.

Understanding PTSD After Sexual Assault

Treatment of Sexual Anxiety Disorder

Cindy M. Meston of the Sexual Psychophysiology Laboratory at the University of Texas at Austinnotes thatsexual anxiety disorder is, in some ways, much more similar to ananxiety disorderthan it is to a sexual disorder. This is why many of the treatments are similar to those dealing with extreme anxiety.

Meston explains that sexual aversion disorder is often treated using anxiety-reduction techniques. Helpful approaches may include:

Systematic Desensitization

Systematic desensitizationinvolves working with a therapist to create a list of sexual activities, with each one causing increasing levels of anxiety. The patient would then be exposed to the anxiety-causing stimuli while working through supervised relaxation exercises with their therapist.

Once the patient has made it through the entire list of stimuli with the therapist, the same technique of going through each one is initiated with their partner.

Research also suggests that virtual reality (VR) could be an effective way to assess sexual aversion disorder.This approach could also serve as a potential treatment.

Integrative Treatment

This would combine treatments from physicians, psychologists, sex therapists, and maybe even a physical therapist. This type of treatment may be most ideal, but may also be more expensive and difficult to access.

Medical Treatment

This could include going on medications. Many of the medications that would be prescribed for people with sexual aversion disorder would also becommonly prescribed to those with other anxiety disorders.

Psychological Treatment

What This Means For YouSexual disorders can be hard to talk about with loved ones and therapists alike. That said, keep in mind that you owe it to yourself to seek out happiness in your sex life. While it might not be easy, it is possible to identify treatment plans and move into a happy, satisfying sex life with a partner.

What This Means For You

Sexual disorders can be hard to talk about with loved ones and therapists alike. That said, keep in mind that you owe it to yourself to seek out happiness in your sex life. While it might not be easy, it is possible to identify treatment plans and move into a happy, satisfying sex life with a partner.

What Is Sex Therapy?

6 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Brotto LA.The DSM diagnostic criteria for sexual aversion disorder.Arch Sex Behav. 2010;39(2):271-7.Montgomery KA.Sexual desire disorders.Psychiatry (Edgmont). 2008;5(6):50-55.Mitra S, Lee W, Hayashi K, et al.A gender comparative analysis of post-traumatic stress disorder among a community-based cohort of people who use drugs in Vancouver, Canada.Addict Behav. 2021;115:106793. doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2020.106793Porst H, Buvat J.Standard Practice in Sexual Medicine.Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing; 2006.Ask H, Cheesman R, Jami ES, Levey DF, Purves KL, Weber H.Genetic contributions to anxiety disorders: where we are and where we are heading.Psychol Med. 2021;51(13):2231-2246.Lafortune D, Dubé S, Lapointe V, Bonneau J, Champoux C, Sigouin N.Virtual reality could help assess sexual aversion disorder.J Sex Res. Published online August 9, 2023. doi:10.1080/00224499.2023.2241860

6 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Brotto LA.The DSM diagnostic criteria for sexual aversion disorder.Arch Sex Behav. 2010;39(2):271-7.Montgomery KA.Sexual desire disorders.Psychiatry (Edgmont). 2008;5(6):50-55.Mitra S, Lee W, Hayashi K, et al.A gender comparative analysis of post-traumatic stress disorder among a community-based cohort of people who use drugs in Vancouver, Canada.Addict Behav. 2021;115:106793. doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2020.106793Porst H, Buvat J.Standard Practice in Sexual Medicine.Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing; 2006.Ask H, Cheesman R, Jami ES, Levey DF, Purves KL, Weber H.Genetic contributions to anxiety disorders: where we are and where we are heading.Psychol Med. 2021;51(13):2231-2246.Lafortune D, Dubé S, Lapointe V, Bonneau J, Champoux C, Sigouin N.Virtual reality could help assess sexual aversion disorder.J Sex Res. Published online August 9, 2023. doi:10.1080/00224499.2023.2241860

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Brotto LA.The DSM diagnostic criteria for sexual aversion disorder.Arch Sex Behav. 2010;39(2):271-7.Montgomery KA.Sexual desire disorders.Psychiatry (Edgmont). 2008;5(6):50-55.Mitra S, Lee W, Hayashi K, et al.A gender comparative analysis of post-traumatic stress disorder among a community-based cohort of people who use drugs in Vancouver, Canada.Addict Behav. 2021;115:106793. doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2020.106793Porst H, Buvat J.Standard Practice in Sexual Medicine.Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing; 2006.Ask H, Cheesman R, Jami ES, Levey DF, Purves KL, Weber H.Genetic contributions to anxiety disorders: where we are and where we are heading.Psychol Med. 2021;51(13):2231-2246.Lafortune D, Dubé S, Lapointe V, Bonneau J, Champoux C, Sigouin N.Virtual reality could help assess sexual aversion disorder.J Sex Res. Published online August 9, 2023. doi:10.1080/00224499.2023.2241860

Brotto LA.The DSM diagnostic criteria for sexual aversion disorder.Arch Sex Behav. 2010;39(2):271-7.

Montgomery KA.Sexual desire disorders.Psychiatry (Edgmont). 2008;5(6):50-55.

Mitra S, Lee W, Hayashi K, et al.A gender comparative analysis of post-traumatic stress disorder among a community-based cohort of people who use drugs in Vancouver, Canada.Addict Behav. 2021;115:106793. doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2020.106793

Porst H, Buvat J.Standard Practice in Sexual Medicine.Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing; 2006.

Ask H, Cheesman R, Jami ES, Levey DF, Purves KL, Weber H.Genetic contributions to anxiety disorders: where we are and where we are heading.Psychol Med. 2021;51(13):2231-2246.

Lafortune D, Dubé S, Lapointe V, Bonneau J, Champoux C, Sigouin N.Virtual reality could help assess sexual aversion disorder.J Sex Res. Published online August 9, 2023. doi:10.1080/00224499.2023.2241860

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