Abstract
Objective
We explored men’s subjective experiences of hypersexuality, including the underlying factors they believed contributed to their sexuality. Methods: We interviewed 32 Canadian men with self-reported concerns related to hypersexuality. Interviews were analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis and narrative analysis.
Results
Participants’ (hyper)sexual experiences revealed complex histories of desire, life disruptions, and hopes to re-story their sexual lives. Similar (sexual and non-sexual) desires were often attributed to different expressions of hypersexuality.
Conclusion
Assessment and treatment protocols for hypersexuality should account for the social and cultural factors that shape sexuality, and the broader field of desire extending beyond just sexual forms.
Acknowledgements
We are grateful to our participants for their willingness to discuss these deeply personal experiences, without which this study would not have been possible. We want to thank Samantha MacDonald, Emily Mount, and Atiqa Pirwani for transcribing the participant interviews.
Ethical approval
This study received approval from the Research Ethics Board at The Royal’s Institute for Mental Health Research (REB# 2017003). All participants provided informed consent.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).