International Sex Survey

Mission Statement

Healthy sexuality is an integral part of the human experience and well-being. However, some sexual behaviors (e.g., compulsive sexual behaviors) may result in significant psychological distress or functional impairment in different life domains (e.g., occupational issues or sexual function problems; Bőthe et al., 2021; Kraus et al., 2018). Therefore, it is essential to systematically examine why and for whom different sexual behaviors may result in optimal or adverse outcomes. The overarching aim of the International Sex Survey (ISS) is to (1) validate publicly available scales that can reliably assess different sexual behaviors that may be used in future research and practice, (2) examine risk and protective factors contributing to problematic and non-problematic sexual behaviors (with special attention to compulsive behaviors and problematic pornography use), and (3) identify populations being at risk of developing problematic sexual behaviors that may be targeted in preventions and interventions.