Is There a Gender Difference in Strength of Sex Drive? Theoretical Views, Conceptual Distinctions, and a Review of Relevant Evidence

2001/08/01 by Roy F. Baumeister, Kathleen R. Catanese, Kathleen D. Vohs · 18 citations
Psychology · Medicine · #Sexuality, Behavior, and Technology #Sexual function and dysfunction studies #Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior

paper · doi:10.1207/s15327957pspr0503_5

openalex publication_date 2001/08/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/26

Abstract

The sex drive refers to the strength of sexual motivation. Across many different studies and measures, men have been shown to have more frequent and more intense sexual desires than women, as reflected in spontaneous thoughts about sex, frequency and variety of sexual fantasies, desired frequency of intercourse, desired number of partners, masturbation, liking for various sexual practices, willingness to forego sex, initiating versus refusing sex, making sacrifices for sex, and other measures. No contrary findings (indicating stronger sexual motivation among women) were found. Hence we conclude that the male sex drive is stronger than the female sex drive. The gender difference in sex drive should not be generalized to other constructs such as sexual or orgasmic capacity, enjoyment of sex, or extrinsically motivated sex.

Citations

• Sexual Strategies Theory: An evolutionary perspective on human mating.
• Sex differences in how heterosexuals think about lesbians and gay men: Evidence from survey context effects
• Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder: Prevalence and Comorbidity in 906 Subjects
• Testosterone and dominance in men
• Conflict between the sexes: Strategic interference and the evocation of anger and upset.
• Is homophobia associated with homosexual arousal?
• The Janus Report on Sexual Behavior.

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• Self-Determination and Sexual Experience in Dating Relationships
• Gender Differences in Sexual Attitudes and Behaviors: A Review of Meta-Analytic Results and Large Datasets
• A Review of Sex Differences in Sexual Jealousy, Including Self-Report Data, Psychophysiological Responses, Interpersonal Violence, and Morbid Jealousy
• Sexual Fantasy, Masturbation and Pornography Among Egyptians
• The DSM Diagnostic Criteria for Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder in Men
• Prevalence of Low Sexual Desire among Women in Britain: Associated Factors
• Cultural Variations in the Sexual Marketplace: Gender Equality Correlates With More Sexual Activity
• Female extra-pair mating: adaptation or genetic constraint?
• A Sex Difference in the Specificity of Sexual Arousal
• Integration Versus Apartheid in Post-Roman Britain: A Response to Thomas et al. (2008)
• The Economic Returns to Good Looks and Risky Sex in the Bangladesh Commercial Sex Market
• Modulation of late positive potentials by sexual images in problem users and controls inconsistent with “porn addiction”
• Can I trust you? Bidirectional, longitudinal associations between trust and various topics of couple communication
• Gender role [wikipedia]
• Libido [wikipedia]