Sexual history, attitudes and functioning of obsessive-compulsive patients

An exploratory investigation of sexual history, attitudes and functioning was conducted with 44 obsessive-compulsive outpatients seeking behavioral therapy. Prior to treatment, patients completed a life history questionnaire which requested information about personal and parental attitudes toward sex, current sexual functioning, sexual obsessions, and sexual history. Pretreatment measures of obsessive-compulsive symptomatology revealed a severely obsessional group who were moderately depressed and introverted. Obsessive-compulsives did not appear to differ from normative samples in sexual history or attitudinal variables. One-third of the present sample reported obsessions related to sexual themes. Symptomatology interferred with sexual satisfaction, particularly for those concerned with bodily secretions. Sexual dysfunction, however, was relatively uncommon. Categorizing patients according to the type of obsession (bodily secretion vs. other obsession) or their religious affiliation (Catholic vs. non-Catholic) yielded no differences with respect to sexual history, attitudes and treatment outcome. Some association of early sexual experiences with current sexual dysfunction was observed.