@2025 Afarand., IRAN

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ISSN: 2252-0805    The Horizon of Medical Sciences 2018;24(1):61-66

Background
Addiction is defined as a disease of the brain that is characterized by the search and use of drugs and consequences of narcotics [1]. … [2]. Over the last decade, research on sexual behaviors that are extreme, problematic, and out of control has increased dramatically [3]. By introducing these behaviors as behavioral addictions, a platform has been provided for a better understanding of these behaviors as initial addictive processes [4-6].
Previous Studies
To support the concept of sex addiction, numerous studies have shown that problem-based sexual behaviors and drug consumption disorders are common in clinical features and similar biological processes [7]. … [8]. Because HD (hypersexual disorder) is more in line with the addictive model [6, 9], we used it in this study. … [10-15]. Studies on people with drug abuse history involved in hypersexual behaviors have resulted in significant results. For example, Rosenbloom et al. in their study on the executive areas of alcoholic hypersexual people have highlighted the central role of frontal cortex, corpus callosum, cerebellum, and areas associated with white matter in these people [16]. … [17-25].
Aim(s)
Considering the importance of this issue and its research in the field of pathologic sexual behaviors in people with drug use disorder and the lack of research literature in the country in identifying the factors associated with hypersexual disorder [26], the present study was conducted with the aim of comparing hypersexual disorder and its dimensions in patients with drug use disorder and normal people.
Research type
This descriptive research is of causal-comparative type.
Research society, place and time
This research was conducted on people with drug use disorder and normal people who referred to mid-term addiction treatment center in Tabriz during September to December in 2016.
Sampling method and number
The first group included 100 people with drug abuse disorder who were selected using convenience sampling method and according to the criteria for entering and leaving. Due to the lack of knowledge of exact and real society size, the sample size was determined by type of research. According to Delawar [27] who believes that for experimental and causal research, a sample size of 30 people per group is recommended, the choice of this sample size was certainly more than suggested idea. The normal group also included 100 people who were selected according to demographic data of people with drug use disorder and the criteria for entering and leaving the general population. The latter group had no history of drug abuse and matched with the group of people with drug abuse disorder in terms of age, gender, and education. Inclusion criteria included being male, age 18 to 45, and having a minimum education level of junior high school. For participants in the group with drug use disorder, there were also certain other criteria included having a favorable general condition after taking detoxification period for taking the test, a lack of psychiatric illnesses such as psychosis, as well as disorders associated with addiction, which, by interviewing clinical diagnosis by the general practitioner of addiction center and psychologist were controlled.
Used devices&materials
Demographic information and drug use patterns including age, level of education, marital status, history of drug use or drug addiction, and the type of drug were collected by a researcher-made questionnaire. Also Hypersexual Behavior Inventory (HBI) was used. This questionnaire was developed by Reid et al in 20122 to more accurately assess the behaviors of people involved in HD, proposed by Kafka for the diagnostic and Statistical manual of Mental disorders (DSM-5) [10]. This tool includes 19 self-report questions that examine hypersexual behaviors in these dimensions: control, consequences, and copying. Individuals, rate their responses on a five-scale Likert Scale. Responded scores range from one (never) to five (always) that score above 53 is considered as clinical diagnostic criteria [28]. Reliability analysis was calculated using cronbach`s alpha coefficient and high internal consistency has been obtained (0.90, 0.95, 0.91, and 0.89 for the overall scale and subscales of control, copying, and consequences respectively). The confirmatory factor analysis was also desirable and the overall validity of test and retest was high (p<0.01; r=0.91). The psychometric properties of this inventory has been reported as optimal in Iran by Shalchi and Seyed Hashemi. The results of the confirmatory factor analysis have also shown a good fit [29]. Data were analyzed using SPSS 22 software. Independent T-test was used to compare hypersexual-disorder in the two groups and multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was used to compare the dimensions of hypersexual disorder.
Findings by Text
The mean age in subjects with drug abuse disorder and normal people was 32.03±6.14 (in the range of 18-45 years) and 30.32±5.94 (in the range of 18-42 years) years respectively and the two groups were almost identical in terms of the demographic characteristics (Table 1).The mean age of onset of drug intake was 21.88±5.12 years in persons with drug abuse disorder (Table 2).The mean scores of sexual hyperactivity disorder and its dimension in subjects with drug abuse disorder was higher than those of normal subjects. 13% of hypersexual disorder scores were attributed to drug abuse disorder group (p<0.001; Table 3).
Main comparison to the similar studies
… [30-38].In a study that Berberovic conducted on a sample of 1711 Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina students, it has been shown that drug abuse highly predict sexual coercion among students [39]. Kalichman and Cain in their study of 492 men and 193 women in a clinic for infectious sexually transmitted infections have shown that sexual coercion was associated with alcohol and other drug use, but this relationship was not found between sexual coercion and sexual risks [40]. Hartman et al. in their study that compared the treatment outcome of sex addiction in two groups of people with and without drug abuse, showed that when sex addiction is treated with drug addiction simultaneously, results are better than treatment of only one addiction (sexual or narcotic). Also, studies that have examined pathological sexual behaviors in people with drug abuse disorder and did not directly investigate drug hypersexual disorder, have reported the similar results. For instance, Ramrakha et al., analyzing the data from a 1037 samples of men and women across New Zealand, have shown a risk of drug abuse disorder with an increase in the number of sexual partners for men and women [42]. Also, in another large sample in Sweden, Langstrom and Hanson found that sexual behavior was associated with heavy drinking of alcohol and illicit drug use [43].
Suggestions
It is suggested that future studies examine the women with drug abuse disorder using the addiction and hypersexual measurement tools designed specifically for women and study be conducted to determine the prevalence and distribution of this disorder based on different types of drugs. Based on the results of this empirical study and research, in clinical practice, relying on these evidences, necessary actions can be provided to initiate interventions and plan treatment programs based on hypersexual disorder/sexual addiction in people with drug abuse disorder to prevent the problems of increasing drug consumption, sexually transmitted disease, and the created problems in social and individual performance of these people.
Limitations
Of the limitations of this study is the focus of research on male gender because HBI has been designed to measure male hypersexual behaviors. Therefore, women with drug use disorder were not involved in the research. As a result, it is impossible to generalize the results of research to all affected people, especially women. Another limitation of this research is the number of samples that limited the identification of level of hypersexual disorder based on the type of drug.
Conclusions
Hypersexual disorder and its dimensions are more in people with drug abuse disorder compared to normal people.
Acknowledgments
Thanks to all the loved ones who helped us in collecting information, especially all the subjects of this research.
Conflict of interest
Non-declared
Ethical Permissions
The researchers followed all the ethical codes related to human cases and obtained necessary permissions from the competent authorities.
Funding Sources
This research has been conducted without the financial support of a specific institution.

TABLES and CHARTS

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