The purpose of the present study was to compare the scores of the Beck Depression Inventory, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and the Coopersmith Inventory of heterosexual men with compulsive sexual behavior (N = 22), homosexual men with compulsive sexual behavior (N = 19), heterosexual men without compulsive sexual behavior (N = 38), and homosexual men without compulsive sexual behavior (N = 8). The Sex Addiction Screening Test was used to determined placement in a group. Findings revealed men who exhibit compulsive sexual behavior are significantly more depressed, experience lower self-esteem and have higher state anxiety (situational) than controls.

The purpose of this thesis was to investigate the feasibility of a treatment for hypersexual disorder (HD) by calculating and reporting the results with pre-collected data from a research project at ANOVA/Karolinska Universitetssjukhuset. The treatment was a cognitive behavioral group therapy (CBGT) developed for HD administered in a 7-session group setting with a sample of HD-diagnosed women (n = 16). Feasibility was explored through symptom change of hypersexuality, sexual compulsivity, psychological distress, and depression. Symptom change in relationship to treatment attendance was also explored. In this thesis, the results are considered in a broader context, discussing theoretical issues concerning women’s sexuality in relation to hypersexual problems and medicalization of hypersexual behaviors.   The treatment was shown to be feasible. Significant decrease was found on all measures. Attendance rate significantly correlated with a decrease in depressive symptoms, but not on other measures. Women’s sexuality might differ from men’s, but the treatment, which was first evaluated for men, is still feasible for women. Treatment for hypersexual problems in women and hypersexual problems in women in general have been understudied, which makes this study an important contribution to the research field. Further treatment studies could potentially investigate whether specific alterations based on gender and sexual orientation could be needed for further development of the treatment. There are issues concerning medicalization of hypersexual behaviors which should be considered when addressing the phenomenon, such as the influence of moral and cultural factors on the understanding of hypersexuality. Still, there is need for treatment for hypersexual behaviors experienced as problematic, and having these problems addressed within the medical and scientific field has potential for being beneficial and is preferred to having them left to alternative, unregulated health care providers.

The purpose of this study is to explore professionals’ view on why men purchase sexual services with a focus on heterosexual prostitution where the man is the buyer and the woman is the seller. To achieve the studys’ purposes and to be able to examine professionals’ views a qualitative approach is taken with semi-structured interviews. Six professionals who work or have been working in the organisation KAST (Buyers of sexual services, own translation), who are situated in Malmö, Gothenburg and Stockholm, have been interviewed. To get wider empirical data, a leading researcher within the subject of matter has also been interviewed. Furthermore, the study is based on current and historical research that shows that prostitution is a subject influenced by traditional views, countries regulations and globalisation with changing fields. Previous research has showed that a main focus has been on women who sell sexual services, the man who exploits prostitutes and his causes are less explored. The theoretical approach of this study is the theory of sexual scripts. The result has been analysed through three different levels that the theory gives, which are a structural perspective, an interpersonal level and an individual level. The aim is to get a holistic view on the subject and have a more social constructed approach. Several explanatory models are used in the study to make it possible to further understand men’s reasoning to buy sexual services. The findings of this study show that professionals’ views on why men purchase sexual services differ and there is not just one reason behind men’s causes. This demonstrates the complexity behind the field of prostitution and shows that one can’t categorise the type of man who purchases sexual services.

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