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.

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Sexmissbruk inom frikyrkan har länge varit ett tabubelagt ämne, präglat av skam och spår från en tid i Sverige då kyrka och stat var tätt sammankopplade och lagar kring utomäktenskapligt sex existerade. År 2022 belystes problemet i en artikel från Dagen, författad av representanter från den kristna stödorganisationen "Starta Om," som uppmanade till förlåtelse för den historiska skambeläggningen. Stigmatiseringen av sexmissbruk har varit en understuderad fråga, där den tidigare forskningen antyder att kristna individer ser pornografi som en beroendeframkallande faktor och en huvudsaklig orsak till sexmissbruk, i motsats till mindre religiösa personer. En studie från 2021 visade även att män med sexmissbruk mötte strängare bedömningar än kvinnor. Syftet med vår studie var att analysera attityder inom frikyrkan kring sexmissbruk, med frågor om förklaringar, förståelse, acceptans samt synen på män och kvinnor i relation till sexmissbruk. Metoden innefattade semistrukturerade intervjuer med ledare inom frikyrkan, där vi använde delar av analysmetoden grundad teori. Resultaten visade att frikyrkan kopplade sexmissbruk till pornografi som både en öppning samt en huvudsaklig orsak. Okunskap, från brist på diskussion om sexmissbruk både inom frikyrkan och samhället i stort, framkom också. Dessutom visade resultaten att kvinnor med sexmissbruk möttes med mindre förståelse än män med samma problem. Vidare indikerade resultaten en skillnad i synen på manligt och kvinnligt sexmissbruk, där män tillskrevs hög sexuell lust medan kvinnor associerades med emotionella problem och möjliga psykiska svårigheter. / Sex addiction within the Swedish free church has historically been a taboo subject, characterized by shame and remnants of a period when the church and the state were closely intertwined with strict laws on extramarital sex. In 2022, the issue gained attention in a Dagen article by representatives from the Christian support organization "Starta Om," advocating forgiveness for the shame-induced stigmatization. The stigmatization of sexual addiction remains a neglected topic, with past research indicating that Christians often view pornography as an addictive factor and a primary cause of sexual addiction, in contrast to less religious individuals. A 2021 study highlighted that men facing sexual addiction encounter harsher judgments than women. Our study aimed to explore the Swedish free church attitudes toward sexual addiction, covering explanations, understanding, acceptance, and perceptions of men and women in relation to this issue. Conducted through semi-structured interviews with church leaders, the results revealed that the free church associated sexual addiction with pornography as both an entry point and a significant cause. The findings also uncovered ignorance resulting from a lack of discourse on sexual addiction within the church and society, with women receiving less understanding than men with the same problem. Moreover, the results hinted at a disparity in the perception of male and female sexual addiction, attributing high sexual desire to men while associating women with emotional and potential mental challenges.