---
title: Does psychotherapy help with premenstrual increases in sexual desire and thoughts?
description: Yes. Psychotherapy reduced sexual distress in three women with cyclical increases in sexual desire before menstruation.
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/premenstrual-hypersexuality-and-its-psychological-implications-a-case-series-2026/
---

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- Does psychotherapy help with premenstrual increases in sexual desire and thoughts?

Case report, 2026

# Does psychotherapy help with premenstrual increases in sexual desire and thoughts?

Yes. Psychotherapy reduced sexual distress in three women with cyclical increases in sexual desire before menstruation.

 Early or limited evidence

Three reproductive-age women with premenstrual increases in sexual desire

## What they did

Case series of three reproductive-age women. All underwent medical evaluations to rule out other conditions. All received individual psychotherapy including education, cognitive techniques, harm reduction and counselling. They were followed for three consecutive menstrual cycles.

## What they found

All three women had increases in sexual desire and intrusive sexual thoughts occurring 7-10 days before menstruation, with symptoms resolving after menstruation. Medical evaluations and hormone tests were normal. After psychotherapy, all three reported less distress and better daily functioning. Sexual distress scores improved by approximately 10-15 points in each case.

## What it means for you

Psychotherapy may help reduce emotional distress from premenstrual sexual arousal, though the cyclical pattern of increased desire continued. This is a rare condition and the sample is very small, so more research is needed to understand it and develop effective treatments.

7-10

Days before menstruation when symptoms occurred

10-15

Points improvement in sexual distress scale per person

3

Number of women in the case series

## About the study

Original title Premenstrual Hypersexuality and its Psychological Implications: A Case Series Authors Akanksha Sharma, Abdul Qadir Jilani, Aditi Bhatia et al. Journal Journal of Psychosexual Health Year 2026 Study design Case report What was tested Individualised psychotherapy including education, cognitive techniques, harm reduction and counselling Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.1177/26318318261475028](https://doi.org/10.1177/26318318261475028)

## Topics

[Cognition, concentration and memory](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-cognition/)[Libido and sexual function](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-sexual-function/)[Psychotherapy, counselling and education](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-psychotherapy/)[Relationships and partners](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-relationships/)[Quality of life and daily functioning](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-quality-of-life/)

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