Abstract: This study hypothesized that differences in sex behaviors of men and women with sex addiction would mirror sex behaviors differences characteristic of men and women in general. A sample of 45 persons with sex addiction was obtained from social media websites. A validated sexual addiction questionnaire and gender-specific sex behavior questionnaire (GBQ) were administered. Results confirmed that all subjects had sex addiction. Sex addiction scores for men were universally higher than for women across all domains of sex addiction; all differences were statistically significant. Of 22 GBQ questions, 16 trended in the predicted direction; six did not. The proportion of endorsements in line with the hypothesis was significantly different from chance, suggesting that differences in sex behaviors of men and women with sex addiction mirror those of men and women in general. Four findings differed from the hypothesis, however. First, men with sex addiction had fewer relationships at one time than women. Second, men were less likely than women to seek escort or phone services, pay for sexually explicit phone calls, or use personal ads to find partners. Third, men and women equally endorsed being more likely to have sex with someone they know rather than anonymous sex partners. Fourth, women more often reported having one-night stands than men. These gender-specific behaviors deviate from past research, suggesting that men and women with sex addiction may choose some sexual behaviors atypical of their gender. Cultural and technological changes that may be impacting these novel sex behaviors were explored.

Keywords: Addiction,Differences,Gender,Men,Sex addiction, Women

Subjects: Behavioral psychology, Psychology, Gender studies,