etiology, diagnosis & management of Hypersexuality: a review

Objective: This manuscript reviews the etiology, presentation and treatment options of hypersexuality. Methods: A MEDLINE search was conducted for English-language articles published over the past 35 years and was supplemented by a search of bibliographies of relevant articles [Compulsive Sexual Behavior, Sexual Addiction, altered sexual preference or Hypersexuality (hetero-, homo-, autosexual)]. Results: Hypersexuality is a change in types and increase in frequency of sexual behaviors. The etiology of hypersexuality is complex and involves a variety of physiological and psychological mechanisms. Frontal lobe dysfunction can lead to disinhibition of sexual behavior and hypersexual behavior. Temporal lobe abnormalities, which have been associated with hypersexuality, also seem to be involved in development of various fetishes, paraphilias, and pedophilia. This sexual behavior may also be the result of other neurologic disorders or a side effect of medications Conclusions: Hypersexuality can be idiopathic or the end result of many underlying disease processes. When the underlying cause may be treated, sexually disinhibited behavior is discontinued. Hypersexuality can cause behaviors in patients that are difficult to manage. But pharmacologic methods can successfully control hypersexual behaviors and paraphilias in most patient population.