Examining sexual functioning and disgust in virtual reality: Low sexual interest/arousal and sexual pain moderate disgust toward sexual stimuli

Sexual dysfunctions are highly prevalent, affecting up to one-third of the adult population and significantly impacting mental well-being and intimate relationships. Virtual reality (VR) offers a promising and ecologically valid tool for studying psychological disorders; however, its application to research on sexual functioning remains underdeveloped. Sexual disgust is positively associated with sexual dysfunction symptoms, yet existing research remains scarce and has relied primarily on retrospective questionnaires and computer-based 2D erotic stimuli. This experimental study investigates whether low sexual functioning (i.e., low interest/arousal, lubrication/erection difficulties, orgasmic difficulties, and sexual pain) is linked to disgust toward virtual sexual cues. Seventy individuals completed self-reported measures of sexual functioning and disgust propensity. After completing a VR relaxation task, they participated in two VR-Behavior Avoidance Tests (VR-BAT): one sexual and one non-sexual. Disgust and sexual arousal were measured after the relaxation task and each VR-BAT. Participants also completed a sexual presence questionnaire post-immersion. Bivariate correlations and repeated-measures ANCOVAs were conducted. Results indicate that sexual disgust propensity is positively correlated with disgust ratings in the sexual VR-BAT, while sexual presence is positively associated with sexual arousal. Significant condition × sexual difficulties interaction effects show that reduced sexual interest/arousal and increased sexual pain are linked to heightened disgust exclusively in the sexual VR-BAT condition. These findings provide additional evidence that sexual disgust is associated with impaired sexual interest/arousal and sexual pain. This research highlights the value of VR sexual stimuli in studying sexual functioning and underscores the need for future studies to explore the potential of VR-based interventions in addressing the mechanisms underlying sexual dysfunctions and distress, including sexual disgust.