"Your Addiction, her Sexual Suffering"-A Qualitative Inquiry into the Effects of Compulsive Sexual Behaviors on Intimate Female Partners

Fakri Seyed Aghamiri; Johannes M. Luetz; Karenne Hills

doi:10.1080/26929953.2025.2481961

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"Your Addiction, her Sexual Suffering"-A Qualitative Inquiry into the Effects of Compulsive Sexual Behaviors on Intimate Female Partners

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

"Your Addiction, her Sexual Suffering"-A Qualitative Inquiry into the Effects of Compulsive Sexual Behaviors on Intimate Female Partners

Fakri Seyed Aghamiri, Johannes M. Luetz and Karenne Hills

Sexual Health & Compulsivity, Vol.32(4), pp.227-262

2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/26929953.2025.2481961

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Abstract

sexual addiction (SA)

compulsive sexual behavior (CSB)

betrayal trauma (BT)

lived experiences

sexual well-being

trauma-informed interventions

sexual dysfunction

intimate partners

emotional healing

Recent research on sexual addiction (SA) and compulsive sexual behavior (CSB) has focused on areas of interpersonal and societal impacts. When SA/CSB is discovered in intimate partnerships, the offended partner may experience betrayal trauma (BT), which can manifest as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)-like symptoms. Despite growing research interest, few studies have thoroughly explored the lived experiences of affected partners, particularly women. This phenomenological study addresses this knowledge gap by examining how female partners' sexual well-being is affected after discovering their male partners' SA/CSB. It is the first empirical research in Australia to examine and document the lived experiences of female partners in depth. Through semi-structured interviews with both female partners (n = 12) and therapists (n = 15), the study reveals significant sexual and emotional challenges, including shifting between hyposexuality and hypersexuality, reduced sexual desire, and emotional intimacy loss. Reclaiming sexual freedom and functioning is a prolonged struggle for women post-discovery or disclosure. The study holds important implications for different stakeholder groups. Policymakers have the opportunity to develop social support programs to help partners affected by SA/CSB, focusing on trauma and sexual health impacts. Therapists and mental health providers can design targeted, trauma-informed interventions to address sexual dysfunction and emotional healing. They can also create more effective couples therapy strategies to help rebuild intimacy and trust. Additionally, funding for further research and awareness campaigns can help educate the public and healthcare providers about the range of sexual and emotional effects on intimate partners. Education and training for therapists are essential to recognize and address the complex repercussions of SA/CSB, equipping them with vital skills to treat impacted partners and support them in reclaiming their sexual well-being and freedom.

Details

Title: "Your Addiction, her Sexual Suffering"-A Qualitative Inquiry into the Effects of Compulsive Sexual Behaviors on Intimate Female Partners
Authors: Fakri Seyed Aghamiri - Alphacrucis University College
Johannes M. Luetz (Corresponding Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Law and Society
Karenne Hills - Australian Institute of Criminology
Publication details: Sexual Health & Compulsivity, Vol.32(4), pp.227-262
Publisher: Routledge
Date published: 2025
DOI: 10.1080/26929953.2025.2481961
ISSN: 2692-9996
Copyright note: © 2025 the author(s). Published with license by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons attribution license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. the terms on which this article has been published allow the posting of the accepted manuscript in a repository by the author(s) or with their consent.
Data Availability: The research data are not publicly available because participants were informed prior to interviews that their data would be stored securely and confidentially.
Grant note: Alphacrucis University College (AC) funded the transcription of the participant interviews.
Organisation Unit: School of Law and Society
Language: English
Record Identifier: 991127004802621
Output Type: Journal article