Introduction: Hormonal contraception is available worldwide in many different forms. Fear of side effects and health concerns are among the main reasons for not using contraceptives or discontinuing their use. Although the safety and efficacy of contraceptives have been extensively examined, little is known about their impact on female sexual function, and the evidence on the topic is controversial.Aim: To review the available evidence about the effects of hormonal contraceptives on female sexuality in order to provide a position statement and clinical practice recommendations on behalf of the European Society of Sexual Medicine.Methods: A comprehensive review of the literature was performed.Main Outcome Measure: Several aspects of female sexuality have been investigated, including desire, orgasmic function, lubrication and vulvovaginal symptoms, pelvic floor and urological symptoms, partner preference, and relationship and sexual satisfaction. For each topic, data were analyzed according to the different types of hormonal contraceptives (combined estrogen-progestin methods, progestin-only methods, and oral or non-oral options).Results: Recommendations according to the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine 2011 Levels of Evidence criteria and specific statements on this topic, summarizing the European Society of Sexual Medicine position, were developed.Clinical Implications: There is not enough evidence to draw a clear algorithm for the management of hormonal contraception-induced sexual dysfunction, and further studies are warranted before conclusions can be drawn. A careful baseline psychological, sexual, and relational assessment is necessary for the health care provider to evaluate eventual effects of hormonal contraceptives at follow-up.Strengths & Limitations: All studies have been evaluated by a panel of experts who have provided recommendations for clinical practice.Conclusion: The effects of hormonal contraceptives on sexual function have not been well studied and remain controversial. Available evidence indicates that a minority of women experience a change in sexual functioning with regard to general sexual response, desire, lubrication, orgasm, and relationship satisfaction. The pathophysiological mechanisms leading to reported sexual difficulties such as reduced desire and vulvovaginal atrophy remain unclear. Insufficient evidence is available on the correlation between hormonal contraceptives and pelvic floor function and urological symptoms.

Introduction: The literature showed the need for a better understanding of the male sexual response, which has historically been considered as simpler and more mechanistic compared with that in women.Aim: To examine the literature on biopsychosocial factors associated with the level of sexual desire in men and discuss some interesting directions for future research.Methods: A systematic literature review was conducted.Main outcome measures: 169 articles published in Google Scholar, Web of Science, Scopus, EBSCO, and Cochrane Library about male sexual desire and related biopsychosocial factors.Results: We found a lack of multidimensional studies on male sexual desire. Most existing research has focused on hypoactive sexual desire disorder in coupled heterosexual men. Biological factors play important roles in the level of sexual desire, but they are insufficient to explain the male sexual response. Psychological, relational, and sexual factors (eg depression, anxiety, emotions, attraction, conflicts, communication, sexual functioning, distress, satisfaction) are involved in the development/maintenance of lack of sexual interest in men. Cultural influence is also relevant, with cognitive factors linked to gender roles and sexual scripts of masculinity identified as important predictors of low sexual desire.Conclusion: Male sexual desire is characterized by an interplay among biological, psychological, sexual, relational, and cultural elements. This interplay merits further study to better understand how sexual desire works and how treatments for low sexual interest could be improved.

Objective: This study investigates affective and sexual dimensions in partners involved as caregivers of Alzheimer dementia (AD) subjects. A negative correlation between burden of the caregiver and sexual‐affective quality of life was assumed. Design and methods: Hundred participants with AD partner (33 male, 67 female), aged between 55 and 85 years were recruited and data were collected from the Caregiver Burden Inventory scale and a semi‐structured interview that included demographic information, medical history, relationship and sexual satisfaction, and current sexual function. AD group was compared with a control group (CG) (N = 100) matched for age, sex, education and marital status on measures of the semi‐structured interview. Data were analysed using frequency count, univariate analysis (chi‐squared and ANOVA) and bivariate correlation. Results: The findings revealed that mean burden level was 31.59 (SD 19.51). A difference between experimental and CGs was found for sexual and affective marital satisfaction (p < 0.05). The same variables showed a rather negative correlation with total burden levels (r = −0.374, p < 0.001; r = −0.448, p < 0.001).

Background: The literature lacks studies of the male sex drive. Most existing studies have focused on hypoactive sexual desire disorder in coupled heterosexual men, highlighting some of the main related biological, psychological, and social factors. Aim: To evaluate the role of selected psychological and social variables affecting male sexual desire such as quality of life, sexual function, distress, satisfaction, psychological symptoms, emotions, alexithymia, couple adjustment, sexism, cognitive schemas activated in a sexual context, sexual dysfunctional beliefs, and different classes of cognitions triggered during sexual activity about failure anticipation, erection concerns, age- and body-related thoughts, erotic fantasies, and negative attitudes toward sexuality. Methods: A wide self-administered survey used snowball sampling to reach 298 heterosexual Italian men (age = 32.66 ± 11.52 years) from the general population. Outcomes: 13 questionnaires exploring psychological and social elements involved in sexual response were administrated: International Index of Erectile Function, Short Form 36 for Quality of Life, Beck Depression Inventory–II, Symptom Check List–90–Revised, Toronto Alexithymia Scale, Premature Ejaculation Severity Index, Sexual Distress Scale, Sexual Satisfaction Scale, Dyadic Adjustment Scale, Ambivalent Sexism Inventory, Sexual Modes Questionnaire, Sexual Dysfunctional Belief Questionnaire, and Questionnaire of Cognitive Schema Activation in Sexual Context. Results: Results showed lack of erotic thoughts (β = −0.328), fear (β = −0.259) and desire to have a baby (β = −0.259) as the main predictors of the level of sexual desire in this group. Energy-fatigue, depression, premature ejaculation severity, sexual distress, compatibility, subjective sexual response, and sexual conservatism had a weaker effect on sexual desire. Sexual functioning (13.80%), emotional response (12.70%), dysfunctional sexual beliefs (12.10%), and negative automatic thoughts (12.00%) had more variable effects on sexual drive. Clinical Translation: Analyzed variables could represent important factors that should be considered in the assessment of desire concerns and discussed in therapy. Strengths and Limitations: The strength of this study is the analysis of novel psychological and social factors on male sexual desire. Recruitment and sample size do not allow generalization of the results, but some crucial points for future research and clinical practice are discussed. Conclusion: Our findings showed that male sexual desire could be affected by many psychological and social elements. Other factors remain to be explored, in their direct and interactive effects, aiming to better explain male sexual desire functioning.

Sexual abuse is a heterogeneous phenomenon. The literature on sexual offenders considers risk factors in the individual and familial history as well as precursors such as cognitive distortions, defence mechanisms and moral disengagement (MD) mechanisms. This study investigates the MD in sex offenders and non-sex offenders in a sample of 362 males comprising a control group of 268 non-offenders, a group of 42 detained sex offenders and a group of 52 detained non-sex offenders. Participants were administered a semi-structured interview and the Moral Disengagement Scale (MDS). The results show a significant difference between the jailed participants (non-sex offenders and sex offenders) and controls; offenders were found to generally display overall higher levels of MD. Among the jailed participants, sex offenders seem to make more use of MD mechanisms than non-sex offenders.