Sexual desire
Sexual desire is a motivational state and an interest in “sexual objects or activities, or as a wish, or drive to seek out sexual objects or to engage in sexual activities”. Symphorophilia is a paraphilia in which sexual arousal involves staging and watching a disaster, such as a fire or a traffic accident. The term was coined by John Money in his 1984 paper Paraphilias: Phenomenology and classification, formed from the Greek "συμφορά" ("symphora"), meaning "to bring together", and "-philia", meaning "love".
Definition[edit]
Sexual desire is a subjective feeling state that can "be triggered by both internal and external cues, and that may or may not result in overt sexual behavior". The sexual desire spectrum is described by Stephen B. Levine as: wanting "to be with another person in a sexual way, to have their attentions, their affections, their bodies, their approval". He describes it as being more than just a sexual act and more about personal desire and passion.
Factors affecting sexual desire[edit]
Sexual desire can be spontaneous or responsive. Sexual desire is dynamic, can either be positive or negative, and can vary in intensity depending on the desired object/person. The sexual desire can be a mere fantasy or can be carried out with one or more partners. It can also be directed outwards - towards others, or inwards - towards the self.
See also[edit]
- Libido
- Human sexual activity
- Human sexuality
- Sexual attraction
- Sexual arousal
- Sexual motivation and hormones
References[edit]
<references />
Ad. Transform your health with W8MD Weight Loss, Sleep & MedSpa

Tired of being overweight?
Special offer:
Budget GLP-1 weight loss medications
- Semaglutide starting from $29.99/week and up with insurance for visit of $59.99 and up per week self pay.
- Tirzepatide starting from $45.00/week and up (dose dependent) or $69.99/week and up self pay
✔ Same-week appointments, evenings & weekends
Learn more:
- GLP-1 weight loss clinic NYC
- W8MD's NYC medical weight loss
- W8MD Philadelphia GLP-1 shots
- Philadelphia GLP-1 injections
- Affordable GLP-1 shots NYC
|
WikiMD Medical Encyclopedia |
Medical Disclaimer: WikiMD is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Content may be inaccurate or outdated and should not be used for diagnosis or treatment. Always consult your healthcare provider for medical decisions. Verify information with trusted sources such as CDC.gov and NIH.gov. By using this site, you agree that WikiMD is not liable for any outcomes related to its content. See full disclaimer.
Credits:Most images are courtesy of Wikimedia commons, and templates, categories Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY SA or similar.
Translate this page: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
தமிழ்,
తెలుగు,
Urdu,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
বাংলা
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
Greek,
português do Brasil,
polski,
română,
русский,
Nederlands,
norsk,
svenska,
suomi,
Italian
Middle Eastern & African
عربى,
Turkish,
Persian,
Hebrew,
Afrikaans,
isiZulu,
Kiswahili,
Other
Bulgarian,
Hungarian,
Czech,
Swedish,
മലയാളം,
मराठी,
ਪੰਜਾਬੀ,
ગુજરાતી,
Portuguese,
Ukrainian


