sexual frustration

{{short description|Frustration resulting from lack of desired sexual activity}}

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Sexual frustration is a sense of dissatisfaction stemming from a discrepancy between a person's desired and achieved sexual activity. It may result from physical, legal, mental, emotional, social, financial, religious or spiritual barriers. It can derive from displeasure during sex due to issues such as anorgasmia, anaphrodisia, premature ejaculation, delayed ejaculation{{cite journal |last1=Hatzimouratidis |first1=Konstantinos |display-authors=1 |first2=Edouard |last2=Amar |first3=Ian |last3=Eardley |first4=Francois |last4=Giuliano |first5=Dimitrios |last5=Hatzichristou |first6=Francesco |last6=Montorsi |first7=Yoram |last7=Vardi |first8=Eric |last8=Wespes |title=Guidelines on male sexual dysfunction: erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation |journal=European Urology |volume=57 |issue=5 |year=2010 |pages=804–814 |doi=10.1016/j.eururo.2010.02.020 |pmid=20189712|s2cid=4640632 }} or erectile dysfunction.{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2009/feb/11/prisonsandprobation-sexual-health |title=Erwin James: Sexual frustration plagues prison life | Comment is free |publisher=theguardian.com |date=2011-09-20 |access-date=2014-07-13}}{{cite web|last=Winch |first=Guy |url=http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-squeaky-wheel/201109/marriage-and-sexual-frustrations-inevitable-or-solvable |title=Marriage and Sexual Frustrations: Inevitable or Solvable? |publisher=Psychology Today |date=2011-09-20 |access-date=2014-07-13}} A sense of incompatibility or discrepancy in libido between partners may be involved.{{cite journal |last=Reece |first=Rex |title=Causes and Treatments of Sexual Desire Discrepancies in Male Couples |journal=Journal of Homosexuality |volume=14 |issue=1–2 |year=1987 |pages=157–172 |doi=10.1300/J082v14n01_12 |pmid=3655339 }} It may also relate to broader existential frustration.{{Cite journal|last1=Sallee|first1=D. T.|last2=Casciani|first2=J. M.|date=April 1976|title=Relationship between sex drive and sexual frustration and purpose in life|url=https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1262489/|journal=Journal of Clinical Psychology|volume=32|issue=2|pages=273–275|doi=10.1002/1097-4679(197604)32:2<273::aid-jclp2270320214>3.0.co;2-s|issn=0021-9762|pmid=1262489}}

Sexual frustration can potentially have a number of consequences, and like other frustrations, can increase the risks of aggression, violence, or crime.{{Cite journal |last=Lankford |first=Adam |date=2021-11-01 |title=A sexual frustration theory of aggression, violence, and crime |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0047235221000854 |journal=Journal of Criminal Justice |volume=77 |pages=101865 |doi=10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2021.101865 |issn=0047-2352}} Some mass shooters, incels, and other criminals have cited sexual frustration as one reason for their anger.{{Cite journal |last=Lankford |first=Adam |last2=Silva |first2=Jason R. |date=2024-05-01 |title=Sexually Frustrated Mass Shooters: A Study of Perpetrators, Profiles, Behaviors, and Victims |url=https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/10887679221106975 |journal=Homicide Studies |language=EN |volume=28 |issue=2 |pages=196–219 |doi=10.1177/10887679221106975 |issn=1088-7679}}

Historical methods of dealing with sexual frustration have included fasting and the taking of libido suppressants such as anaphrodisiacs (food supplements)Al-Durai, F. Z. Sexual behaviour and attitudes of Kuwaiti females and males and their personality correlations. Diss. University of York, 1987. or antaphrodisiacs (medicinal supplements).Larson, Jennifer. "Sexuality in Greek and Roman religion." A Companion to Greek and Roman Sexualities (2013): 214-229. It can also affect the sexually active, especially hypersexual people.Stewart, Hannah, and J. Paul Fedoroff. "Assessment and treatment of sexual people with complaints of hypersexuality." Current Sexual Health Reports 6.2 (2014): 136-144. It is a natural stage of the development throughout youth, when going through puberty as a teenager.{{Cite journal|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/23719710.pdf|jstor=23719710|title=Accountability in Teenage Dating Violence: A Comparative Examination of Adult Domestic Violence and Juvenile Justice Systems Policies|last1=Zosky|first1=Diane L.|journal=Social Work|year=2010|volume=55|issue=4|pages=359–368|doi=10.1093/sw/55.4.359|pmid=20977059}}

Ways to cope with sexual frustration include engaging in solo sex, meditating, exercising, exploring new techniques, discussing and being open with one's partner about sexual frustrations, or seeking professional assistance through a sex therapist.{{Cite web |date=2022-05-02 |title=Sexually Frustrated? How to Deal with Sexual Frustration |url=https://prioritymensmedical.com/blog/sexually-frustrated-how-to-deal-with-sexual-frustration/ |access-date=2023-11-27 |website=Priority Men's Medical |language=en-US}}

Adolescents

Adolescents may experience sexual frustration due to a variety of factors, including societal expectations, hormonal changes, and the complexities of navigating relationships. For some adolescents, sexting serves as an outlet for sexual exploration within a virtual space, particularly for those not yet ready for physical sexual activity.{{Cite journal |last=Anastassiou |first=Andrea |date=2017-08-16 |title=Sexting and Young People: A Review of the Qualitative Literature |url=https://nsuworks.nova.edu/tqr/vol22/iss8/9 |journal=The Qualitative Report |volume=22 |issue=8 |pages=2231–2239 |doi=10.46743/2160-3715/2017.2951 |issn=1052-0147|doi-access=free }}

Menopause

During menopause, individuals may experience reduced sexual desire and activity. However, engaging in sex remains important for many older people. Couples in their 50s or older expect ongoing sexual involvement, with an emphasis on traditional intercourse over other forms. Common sexual dysfunctions, like ejaculatory issues in males and genital atrophy in females, pose challenges. Lack of awareness about these changes may hinder communication with partners, potentially leading to sexual frustration and abstinence.{{Cite journal |last=Bachmann |first=G. A. |date=1990 |title=Sexual issues at menopause |url=https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2197956/ |journal=Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences |volume=592 |issue=1 |pages=87–94; discussion 123–133 |doi=10.1111/j.1749-6632.1990.tb30317.x |issn=0077-8923 |pmid=2197956|bibcode=1990NYASA.592...87B }}

Other groups

= Autism =

People with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may face sexual frustration far more than most other people due to challenges in social interaction, communication difficulties, and sensory sensitivities associated with ASD. These individuals often struggle to interpret social cues and establish meaningful relationships, leading to a sense of isolation. Sensory sensitivities can also contribute to discomfort in intimate situations. Additionally, the lack of tailored resources and support for sexuality education exacerbates their frustration.{{Cite journal |last1=Schöttle |first1=Daniel |last2=Briken |first2=Peer |last3=Tüscher |first3=Oliver |last4=Turner |first4=Daniel |date=December 2017 |title=Sexuality in autism: hypersexual and paraphilic behavior in women and men with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder |journal=Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience |volume=19 |issue=4 |pages=381–393 |doi=10.31887/DCNS.2017.19.4/dschoettle |issn=1294-8322 |pmc=5789215 |pmid=29398933}}