Updated
Original VAYEMA symptom and impact self-check – not a validated scale
Sexual behaviour and control
Answer the symptom statements below to see which experiences and areas of daily life you report as most affected. These are original VAYEMA questions, not a validated diagnostic scale. No clinical severity or probability score is calculated.
Answers are processed only in this page by this assessment. They are not submitted, monitored or automatically saved. No name, email or account is required. Use a private device and clear your answers when finished.
For adults aged 18 and over. This self-check cannot diagnose or rule out a condition. Concerns about a child require an age-appropriate professional assessment.
Thinking about the past four weeks, how well does each statement describe your experience?
Additional context – not included in any questionnaire score
These are original VAYEMA questions, not a diagnostic instrument or a validated severity scale. They summarise the experiences you select and do not predict a diagnosis or future harm. Background condition information; this source does not endorse this self-check.
What the assessment is trying to understand
The professional considers whether there is a persistent pattern of impaired control with significant distress or functional harm, or whether another explanation better fits. The ICD-11 discussion of compulsive sexual behaviour disorder makes clear that high desire and moral disapproval alone are insufficient. A careful assessment therefore asks about the nature of the difficulty rather than treating frequency or a self-applied label as a diagnosis.
The outcome may be a working diagnosis, a recommendation for another kind of support or a need for further information. All can be useful. You do not need to prove a disorder before your distress can be discussed. Ask about the clinician’s experience and what the appointment covers. An administrative inquiry about availability or fees is separate from this clinical evaluation and should not be presented as an instant diagnostic decision.
Begin with the concern, not a detailed sexual history online
You can start by saying that a behaviour feels difficult to control, is displacing important parts of life or is causing distress. The clinician can then explain what further information is relevant and why. You may also say that the topic feels embarrassing or difficult to describe. A useful professional response makes the conversation more manageable rather than requires explicit detail as proof of seriousness.
The worksheet is not the appropriate place for images, account access, browsing records or identifying information about other people. Keep preparation broad. If a clinician needs more detailed history, discuss it through an agreed clinical channel with privacy explained. The amount of detail shared should serve the assessment, not satisfy curiosity or turn an already difficult first step into an unnecessary written record of sensitive experiences.
Explain control, timing and consequences in everyday language
Useful observations include what you intended, what happened instead and the effect on your day. You might describe repeatedly losing time, missing sleep or finding it difficult to change a pattern despite wanting to. Approximate timing and a few representative examples are sufficient to begin. A clinician can ask more precise questions if they are needed, rather than expect a complete diary before agreeing to see you.
The sequence matters: whether the concern is longstanding, appears in particular circumstances or began alongside another health change. Include periods when the pattern is less difficult as well as those when it is more disruptive. An honest account with uncertainties identified is more useful than a polished story designed to obtain a particular label. Do not test yourself by provoking urges or repeating behaviour to generate evidence for an assessment.
Separate high desire from impaired control
Sexual desire and behaviour vary between people. A professional should not infer disorder from a large number, a consensual preference or a lifestyle that differs from their own. The important questions concern control, functioning and the context of distress. Sexual orientation or gender identity should not be treated as something the assessment is trying to correct.
The sexual-medicine approach to CSBD emphasises avoiding overpathologising sexual diversity. It is reasonable to ask how a clinician works with different identities, cultures and values. You should be able to discuss your own goals without being pushed towards the professional’s idea of a normal sexual life. A respectful assessment can take harm seriously while recognising that sexuality itself is not the problem to be eliminated.
Understand the source of distress and values conflict
The clinician should ask whether distress mainly reflects consequences and impaired control, conflict with personal values, another person’s disapproval or a combination. Distress entirely related to moral judgement is not sufficient for CSBD, but it can still be painful and appropriate to discuss. Your beliefs should be heard rather than mocked or automatically treated as the cause of everything.
Equally, having a values conflict does not automatically rule out a separate behavioural difficulty. The assessment needs to hold both possibilities. You might ask how the professional distinguishes them and how that changes the recommendation. This helps avoid two unhelpful outcomes: diagnosing addiction from guilt alone, or dismissing genuine loss of control because the person also has religious or cultural concerns. No online score can resolve that nuanced discussion by itself.
Review mood, medicines and other possible explanations
A broad assessment may consider mood episodes, neurological health, medication effects, substance use, anxiety and other conditions. A sudden increase in sexual behaviour alongside markedly reduced sleep or altered judgement requires different questions from a persistent pattern across stable periods. The WFSBP guidance outlines why these clinical distinctions matter.
Tell the professional about relevant starts, stops and prescription changes, but do not adjust treatment yourself. The mania guide provides related background. Unwanted sexual thoughts and checking rituals may also require consideration of OCD, rather than assumption of sexual intent or CSBD. The aim is an accurate formulation that guides care, not a quick label based on the topic of a thought.
Sexual health and safety have separate assessment needs
A medical concern about infection, contraception, pain or a recent exposure may need a sexual-health service. The NHS sexual-health directory describes available kinds of support in England; arrangements differ elsewhere. Seek appropriate local advice promptly for time-sensitive concerns. An ordinary mental-health appointment or worksheet cannot replace relevant testing, treatment or specialist support after assault.
Consent, coercion and actual safety concerns should be addressed directly and individually. A diagnosis does not excuse harm, and it does not automatically establish that someone is dangerous. If there is immediate danger or risk of acting in a way that harms yourself or another person, seek suitable urgent local help. Nothing entered here is monitored or transmitted, so writing an urgent concern in the worksheet will not alert a clinician.
What a screening scale can and cannot add
Formal screening measures can organise selected symptoms when they are appropriate for the setting and population. They still require interpretation, including the distinction between impairment and moral distress. Tools labelled sex addiction tests online may use different definitions and thresholds. A result cannot independently establish CSBD, distinguish every other condition or identify the safest treatment setting.
The prompts on this page are not a reproduction or shortened version of a validated scale. They deliberately have no diagnostic total. Repeatedly completing online tests may not provide the certainty you are seeking, particularly when shame or intrusive thoughts are part of the concern. Bring the underlying experiences to a professional rather than treating agreement between several quizzes as clinical confirmation. You can seek support with no test result at all.
Privacy, partner involvement and useful questions
Ask how the clinical conversation will be recorded, who may receive information and what the limits of confidentiality are. A partner can provide agreed observations or receive separate support, but should not automatically have access to everything you discuss. If you would like them to attend, clarify the purpose and whether private time with the clinician is also available.
Useful questions include what the assessment suggests, what remains uncertain and what kind of professional input is recommended. You may ask about the evidence for therapy, medication only if relevant, and how progress would be reviewed. Partner and family support has a different role from your individual assessment. Neither funding care nor concern about a relationship makes a proxy diagnosis of an absent person reliable.
Turning the assessment into a proportionate next step
The recommendation should connect the identified needs with a clear plan. It may involve psychological treatment, sexual-health care, support for another condition or a specialist referral. Ask who provides each part, the initial format, likely costs and the first review point. Our treatment guide explains those discussions without prescribing a programme for every person.
A VAYEMA assessment begins that conversation, with expertise and availability confirmed individually. The understanding guide is optional background. Clear the worksheet when finished; an optional downloaded file remains under your control and should be kept private. Preparation is not an eligibility test and should never postpone appropriate help for urgent health or safety concerns.
Frequently asked questions about compulsive sexual behaviour assessment
Is this a sex addiction test with a score?
No. It is an original, unscored preparation tool. It does not diagnose CSBD or another condition and cannot determine risk or treatment. A professional assessment considers control, consequences, values and other possible explanations rather than relies on a number alone.
Do I need to tell the clinician every detail immediately?
You can begin with a broad account and explain what feels difficult to discuss. The clinician should clarify why more information is needed and provide an appropriate setting. No explicit material or detailed history is required in the ordinary website inquiry or preparation worksheet.
Can guilt and loss of control happen together?
They can. A careful assessment distinguishes distress entirely due to moral disapproval from significant behavioural dysregulation, while recognising that both may be present. Your values should be respected without being used as proof of diagnosis or a reason to dismiss actual difficulties.
Will high frequency automatically mean a disorder?
No. Frequency alone does not establish CSBD. The clinician considers choice, control, functional impact, distress and context. Consensual sexual diversity and high desire should not be pathologised simply because they differ from someone else’s expectations.
Can my partner arrange support without me?
They can seek guidance for their own concerns and ask about practical arrangements. That is different from diagnosing or treating an absent adult through their account. Your participation, privacy and appropriate consent remain important when an individual assessment is arranged.
Will typing an urgent concern send an alert?
No. Entries are not sent to the clinic or monitored. Use an appropriate direct clinical or emergency service for urgent health or safety concerns. The worksheet is only an optional preparation aid and must not replace or delay that contact.
Resources and references
[1] Kraus and colleagues: CSBD and its diagnostic boundaries
[2] Sexual-medicine perspective on CSBD assessment and treatment
[3] WFSBP: broad clinical assessment of compulsive sexual behaviour