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

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

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

• Libido
• Human sexual activity
• Human sexuality
• Sexual attraction
• Sexual arousal
• Sexual motivation and hormones

References

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