This number may seem low to some compulsively sexual gay men because these individuals tend to surround themselves with other gay men who are acting out sexually. Research suggests that approximately 10 percent of gay men may be sexually addicted.
And, gay or straight, the goal is generally the same: no strings attached sexual activity (e.g., porn, webcam sex, virtual reality sex, anonymous sex) used to avoid stress, emotional discomfort, and the pain of underlying psychological disorders such as depression, anxiety and unresolved early-life trauma. Gay and straight pornography addicts also act out in similar ways, “losing themselves” in a seemingly endless array of increasingly accessible and affordable graphic imagery. For example, gay male sex addicts use Grindr and Scruff to locate sex partners, whereas heterosexual male sex addicts use Blender and Ashley Madison. They do so in slightly different settings, and they choose women rather than men to look at and/or hook up with. In truth, heterosexual male sex addicts tend to act out in similar ways as gay sex addicts. In other words, sexual orientation and sexual addiction are unrelated. These are similar reasons why heterosexual male sex addicts are compulsively sexual. Rather, they are compulsively sexual in response to their individual emotional/psychological issues and/or their biological predisposition towards addiction. Gay male sex addicts are not compulsively sexual because of their sexual orientation. If you think you might be a sex addict or have a hypersexual disorder, you may want to take our confidential Sex Addiction Screening quiz.