Titled "Sex Addiction and Women," the study attributes this growth to the widespread availability of porn and other sex-related sites on the Internet and claims that between one and two percent of women in the United Kingdom suffer from Internet sex addiction.
Internet sex addiction was previously thought to be a male obsession, but researchers are tracking an unprecedented trend that defies current understanding of the sexual habits of men and women.
The study equates the rise in sex addiction among women to recent rises in alcoholism and drug use. Previously, researchers say, sex addiction went unreported among women, whereas men were more likely to report their problems and get help.
"I think the Internet has played a part in the increase," said Dr. Sidney Crown, a London-based psychiatrist and sex counselor. "Sexual appetite can always be titillated and appetite for anything can lead to addiction. It is also the case that society is now much more permissible; if, a few years ago, a woman had openly said she wanted sex, it would have raised eyebrows. It is more acceptable now."
Similarly, other doctors and professionals that have noted the increase of Internet sex addiction equate the addictive element of the web to crack cocaine. Some mental health professionals claim to have treated dozens of women for online sex addiction over recent months, ranging in ages from 19-60-years-old.