With the recent explosion of the sexual liberation and empowerment movement for women, the distinguishing marks between what constitutes a healthy sex life and a sex life that is in response to a traumatic event have been blurred. Sexual trauma can cause a wide array of side effects that can vary for each victim. The response of a victim of sexual trauma can not only be avoiding engaging in sexual acts but also include hypersexuality or the “excessive preoccupation with sexual fantasies, urges or behaviors that … [can] negatively affect your health.”
For a couple of months after the incident, some sexual assault victims remain in a state of confusion and disassociation. They are not reacting the way society would expect them to react to such a terrible occurrence by still having sex with other partners. As survivor KiNG writers eloquently in her article for AfroPunk, “being hypersexual was my way of trying to regain control of the power I lost when I was attacked.” This alternate coping mechanism is rarely discussed and has led many young female victims to never confronting the harsh realities of their trauma. Without the recognition and acceptance of the trauma one has been through, one will always continue being a victim.
In some cases, especially with younger women in their teens and twenties, the sexual trauma one might have been through in their younger years does not register until years later. It’s not until you are old enough to understand what is and isn’t an appropriate touch or comment that you realize what happened was nonconsensual and traumatic. For these cases, the response of hypersexuality to the traumatic experience is exponentially higher and is more likely to deeply affect the victim’s life. This exponential increase could be greatly reduced if more individuals were informed of the common side effect of sexual trauma called hypersexuality or compulsive sexual behavior.
Knowing the definition of hypersexuality and its causes and effects is especially important for the modern-day woman. However, the psychological term of hypersexuality should not be confused with the growing sexual liberation movement for women. Hypersexuality refers to a psychological disorder. Thus, it cannot be used to describe the actions of grown women who are embracing their sexualities after years of sexual repression.
The sexual liberation movement emphasizes the challenge of the traditional, heterosexual relationship and the outdated idea of a woman who only has one sexual partner. WAP by Megan Thee Stallion and Cardi B is a product of the modern version of the female sexual liberation movement. Also, the popularity of OnlyFans as a platform for female sex workers to make money on their rules and accords. The recent surge in porn directed by women for women is also thanks to the sexual empowerment movement, as well as the #MeToo movement and feminism.
Although the sad realities behind hypersexuality must not be forgotten about, it is misleading and incorrect to use it to describe the recent growth of products, artists, and movements that celebrate female sexuality, empowerment, and liberation. We are simply entering a new period in history, one in which female sexuality is celebrated and is no longer taboo.