The case for sexual anorexia: An interim report on 144 patients with sexual disorders

Sexual Behavior Disorders: Proposed New Classification in the DSM-V

“…However, clinically we see people whose sexual aversion extends far beyond partner genital contact and can include aversion to sexual scenarios in movies and books, to the mere sight of male and female genitalia, or even to their own sexual secretions. Carnes (1997Carnes ( , 2000 uses the term "sexual anorexia" to describe a kind of aversion that extends beyond that which occurs with a sex partner. This extreme aversion is reported to surpass sexual inhibition or sex negative attitudes through its obsessive state that dominates a person's life, and through the anxiety generated that inhibits even minor social functioning (Carnes, 2000).…”

Disgust and Contamination Sensitivity in Vaginismus and Dyspareunia

“…Although a considerable proportion of women suffering from vaginismus report a history of sexual abuse (in terms of attempts of sexual abuse and/or forced sexually touching or being touched with hands, mouth or objects) (e.g., Reissing, Binik, Khalifé, Cohen, & Amsel, 2003), there are also a considerable number of women suffering from these complaints who indicate that they have not experienced such abuse (e.g., ter Kuile et al, 2007). The specificity of a history of sexual abuse in the etiology of vaginismus is further questioned by the finding that sexual abuse is also quite frequent in women who suffer from complaints that certainly do not involve difficulties to allow vaginal entry, such as sexual addiction (Carnes, 1998).…”

“…Psychological views of sexual behavior roughly consider sexual dysfunction as a consequence of a negative emotional reaction to erotic stimulation (e.g., Barlow, 1986;Janssen & Everaerd, 1993). Although disgust seems an obvious candidate of being one of these negative emotional reactions interfering with healthy sexual behavior and/or sexual pleasure, current theories and empirical research predominantly focus on emotional and cognitive processes related to fear and pain (e.g., Payne, Binik, Amsel, & Khalifé, 2005), whereas the reference to disgust is mainly anecdotal (e.g., Carnes, 1998;Kaneko, 2001). Therefore, the present study was designed as a first step to more systematically examine the role of disgust in vaginismus.…”

“…Given the central role of these organs in the context of sexual behavior, together with the fact that bodily products (e.g., saliva, sweat, semen) and smells are among the strongest disgust elicitors (Rozin & Fallon, 1987), it is not very difficult to envisage that feelings of disgust and disgustrelated appraisals may arise during sex, which, in turn, may inadvertently influence sexual behaviors. There is also some empirical evidence showing that sexual stimuli indeed are capable of evoking feelings of disgust (e.g., Carnes, 1998;Koukounas & McCabe, 1997). In addition, some clinical cases have been described in the literature, in which sexual stimuli seemed to elicit such profound feelings of disgust, that these people even attempt to avoid anything sexual in themselves and others, a condition known as ''sexual anorexia'' (Carnes, 1998).…”

“…There is also some empirical evidence showing that sexual stimuli indeed are capable of evoking feelings of disgust (e.g., Carnes, 1998;Koukounas & McCabe, 1997). In addition, some clinical cases have been described in the literature, in which sexual stimuli seemed to elicit such profound feelings of disgust, that these people even attempt to avoid anything sexual in themselves and others, a condition known as ''sexual anorexia'' (Carnes, 1998).…”