Sexual shame: a narrative review

Abstract Introduction Sexual shame, a nuanced subset of general shame, is relatively nascent in the sexual wellbeing literature. Resulting from negative self-evaluation, sexual shame may be activated by sexual experiences, thoughts, desires, and behavior and involves feeling inherently flawed and abnormal as a sexual being. Sexual shame’s impact on sexual wellbeing can be intuited from related research. Trauma-related shame, for example, is a critical target for clinical treatment, and sex guilt is known to impact sexual wellbeing. Sexual shame, while related to these concepts, is distinct and deserves a deeper understanding of its unique role in sexual wellbeing. Objectives This narrative review provides an overview of the sexual wellbeing research that intentionally measures sexual shame. Methods A literature search was conducted through PsychInfo, PsycARTICLES, and PubMed using the search term sexual shame. Articles were included if they were empirical studies published in English that presented original findings and explicitly measured sexual shame as a key variable. Results Sexual shame is linked to numerous facets of sexual wellbeing. It is a significant consequence after nonconsensual sexual experiences and acts as a mechanism for sexual dysfunction. Sexual shame plays a key role in the cycle of hypersexuality, either perpetuating it or promoting help-seeking behavior. Sexual shame may be an important contributor to general sexual dysfunction, especially in women, but the results are mixed. When individuals believe they are transgressing religious sexual norms, sexual shame is higher, especially regarding pornography use and masturbation. Conclusion A clearer understanding of sexual shame’s role in sexual wellbeing is vital as it holds significant relationships to numerous components of sexual wellbeing. The current research has methodological limitations regarding measurement (eg, unvalidated measures, conflation with related concepts). Future research must prioritize justified, validated measures of sexual shame to better understand this key factor in sexual wellbeing.