In a decision sparking controversy, the World Health Organization classified compulsive sexual behavior as a mental health disorder in its 11th edition of the International Classification of Diseases, according to CNN.
Here are five things to know:
1. The ICD-11 defines compulsive sexual behavior disorder, commonly referred to as sex addiction, as a "persistent pattern of failure to control intense, repetitive sexual impulses or urges resulting in repetitive sexual behavior."
2. A person with this disorder must experience this behavior over an extended period of time to the point that it interferes with day-to-day responsibilities.
3. Not all clinicians agree with the decision to include the disorder. Some do not believe it is a standalone disorder, while others doubt sex can be addictive and believe labeling it as a disorder may be shaming.
4. The latest edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, which is used as guidance for diagnosing mental health problems, did not include compulsive sexual behavior as a separate category. This is in part because there is limited research on the subject.
5. "For centuries, people have been trying to understand what is the cause of hypersexuality. It has been called all sorts of names over the years, but it's really only been in the last 40 years that we've tried to understand it from an academic perspective," Timothy Fong, MD, an associate clinical professor of psychiatry at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA, told CNN.