The Sex Drive Is Increased by Sexual Fantasies

Too much imagination is not only the "fuel" of human technological and scientific development, but also of the human sex life. This is the conclusion reached by researchers at the Department of Personality, Evaluation and Psychological Treatment of the University of Granada (Universidad de Granada), after investigating some psychological factors like erotophilia (positive attitude towards sexuality), sexual fantasies and anxiety linked to sex drive in humans.

They employed an adapted Sexual Desire Inventory by Spector, Carey and Steinberg to assess the solitary sexual motivation and the drive in having sexual intercourse with another person (didactic sexual desire). "It gives relevant information about possible disagreements in sexual desire that may appear in a couple", said co-author Juan Carlos Sierra Freire.

Loss of sexual desire is one of the basic factors known to induce sexual dysfunction in the Spanish women.

The team found a crucial link between sexual desire and erotophilia in men. Men react more positively at sexual stimuli and thoughts, accepting them without difficulties. Sexual fantasies increased sexual drive in men. Still, some types of fantasies, like sadism, can inhibit a male's sex drive.

In women, too, the level of sexual fantasies was linked to higher sex drive. However, "women normally present more anxiety disorders than men" and anxiety was found to dictate women's sexual appetite.

The research was made on 608 volunteers aged 13 to 43. 32% of the men with low libido had also low erotophilia and few sexual fantasies, while 18% of the women with low libido was linked to higher anxiety and low levels of sexual fantasies. Psychological factors were found to be sex specific.

Sex drive is linked to the female's arousal and orgasm. Sexual intercourse lacking desire affects negatively these sexual responses. "This first stage is the most complex because it is influenced by many factors", said Sierra.

Sexual drive is linked to social, psychological, and neurophysiologic factors, that's why adequate neurohormonal activity with a proper sexual stimulation are required for maintaining the woman's sexual desire. "Besides this complexity, there is no comparison model, as occurs in the men's excitation stage, where it is possible to determine the degree of excitation depending on the erection. Education on sexual stimulation and response as well as healthy attitudes towards sexuality is extremely important. In this way, sexual intercourse for those people will be more pleasurable and with less probability of having sexual dysfunctions." said Sierra.

Sexual fantasies are already used in sex therapy to decrease anxiety towards sexual intercourse, if there is no organic cause (hormonal or of any other nature).