‘Love hormone’ may be behind male sex addiction: study

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Sex-addicted men have long been accused of lacking self-discipline – but new research suggests there may be a scientific reason for their insatiable bedroom appetites.

A new study published Wednesday in the Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism found that men with “hypersexual disorder” have “significantly higher” levels of oxytocin in their system.

The research could dramatically change the way hypersexual men are viewed by society – turning them from lusty Lotharios with poor impulse control into helpless victims of their own biology.

Oxytocin – informally known as the “love hormone” – is produced naturally by both men and women and helps fuel positive emotions, along with other hormones such as dopamine and serotonin.

According to Healthline, previous research has shown that “couples in the early stages of loving attachment had significantly higher levels of oxytocin than their unattached counterparts.”

The study found that many men who had a constant need to take it had higher levels of oxytocin.Getty Images

Oxytocin is also credited with increasing levels of relaxation and confidence – but the new study claims that too much of the hormone could be bad for men.

The study looked at 64 men with hypersexual disorder, as well as 38 men who reported ordinary levels of sexual interest and arousal.

The researchers found “significant positive correlations between oxytocin levels and rating scales measuring hypersexual behavior.”

“Oxytocin plays an important role in sex addiction and may be a potential drug target for future pharmacological treatment,” co-author Dr. Andreas Chatzittofis told Newswise.

Interestingly, oxytocin levels in sex addicted men decreased significantly after undergoing cognitive behavioral therapy, which seems to confirm that sex addiction can be successfully treated without pharmaceuticals.

Researchers have speculated that a drug that could possibly reduce oxytocin levels could work to treat men with sex addiction. The study showed that the therapy was also successful.Getty Images/iStockphoto

Sex addiction isn’t recognized as a mental disorder by the American Psychiatric Association, and many people wonder if it’s a legitimate illness or just an excuse for bad behavior.

However, in 2018, compulsive sexual behavior was included for the first time in the World Health Organization’s International Classification of Diseases list.

The WHO list describes compulsive sexual behavior disorder as “a persistent pattern of inability to control intense, repetitive sexual impulses or urges resulting in repetitive sexual behavior.”

Symptoms include sex becoming the “focus” of the person’s life to the detriment of health, self-care, or interests and responsibilities. The behavior must be clear for six months or more and cause distress in personal life.

It was once estimated that between 3 and 6% of American adults suffer from sex addiction.

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