Prevalence of Sexual Addiction in an Inmate Population at the Muret Detention Center in Haute-Garonne (PAS-CD)

Sexual addiction, also known as hypersexuality or compulsive sexuality, is a human sexual behavior that results in a continuous and persistent search for sexual pleasure. Replacing the former terms satyriasis and nymphomania, the World Health Organization (WHO) ICD-11 has referred to this disorder as "compulsive sexual behavior disorders".

From multiple causes (iatrogeny, neurological causes, psychiatric causes, psychopathological hypotheses), but still only partially known, the inclusion of this disorder among impulsivity-related disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorders or addiction-related disorders is still debated in the scientific literature. Thus, in the absence of sufficient robust scientific data, DSM-5 refused to include this disorder in its classification.

However, the consequences of this disorder on the psychosocial functioning of individuals are not negligible, which can go as far as the precipitation of a transition to an heteroaggressive act which can thus lead to incarceration.

The prevalence of this disorder in the general population is estimated between 2 and 6% based on current literature data. This rate appears to be higher among men and more specifically among sex offenders.

However, some authors have noted that the difficulty in determining a clear prevalence of sexual addiction may be related to the still poorly defined diagnostic criteria for this disorder as well as the choice of measurement tools.

In the inmate population, to our knowledge, there are no French prevalence studies of this disorder. In addition, no studies have been conducted to compare the prevalence of sexual addiction among sex offenders (SASO) with that among non-sex offenders (SANSO).

We hope that better screening for addiction would enable better management of patients with this disorder, promoting their psychosocial rehabilitation and well-being, so as to prevent the recurrence of a transition to sexual arousal.