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.
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
Topics
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