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By Melissa Fleur Afshar
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Women have less desire for sex—because of hormones, evolution, etc.—that's what they say. But new findings have put paid to this myth, arguing instead that early negative sexual experiences play a key role in shaping women’s interest in sex later in life.
The study led by psychology researchers at Canada's University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM) examines why a perceived “libido gap” emerges between men and women during adulthood.
Drawing on evidence from more than 300 scientific studies across psychology, public health and related fields, the researchers conclude that differences in desire are better explained by learning and experience than by hormones or innate sex differences.
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“Our findings in general raise the possibility that the sexual desire difficulties faced by up to 55 per cent of women can be traced to their earliest and least equitable experiences with sex,” said paper author Diana Peragine in a statement.
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A New Way of Understanding Sexual Desire
The review focuses on young adulthood, particularly the period around ages 17 and 18, when many people in Western countries experience major life changes, including first love and first sexual experiences.
According to the researchers, this developmental window is especially important because the brain is highly sensitive to learning from new experiences.
Using the large body of research they analyzed, the UTM team developed what they call the Biodevelopmental Learning Opportunities and Outcomes Model. The model links early sexual experiences to later levels of sexual interest, suggesting that what people learn during their first encounters with sex can shape their desire well into adulthood.
Rather than viewing the libido gap as biologically fixed, the model traces it back to what the researchers describe as a “pleasure gap” between women and men during their earliest sexual experiences. This gap, they argue, is most pronounced at the very time when the brain is primed to form lasting associations.
The study outlines how young women are more likely to face a cluster of negative experiences during first‑time sex. Compared with men, women are more likely to describe early sexual encounters as painful rather than pleasurable and to feel self‑conscious about their bodies. They are also more likely to experience social consequences, such as the loss of friendships.
In addition, women face greater physical risks during early sexual activity, including sexually transmitted infections, pregnancy, miscarriage and obstetric complications. Taken together, the researchers describe these overlapping pressures as a “perfect storm” that can shape how some women come to associate sex with discomfort, anxiety or risk rather than pleasure.
The findings suggest that early sexual experiences are not just formative but also represent a critical opportunity for intervention. The researchers identify this stage of life as a window in which better sexual education could help reduce long‑term disparities in sexual desire.
Importantly, the study argues that low sexual desire in women should not automatically be treated as a hormonal imbalance or medical problem. By reframing the libido gap as a developmental and educational issue rather than a biological inevitability, the study offers a new way for health professionals to think about sexual desire.
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Reference
Peragine, D. E., Impett, E. A., & VanderLaan, D. P. (2026). Least Equal When Most Teachable: The Biodevelopmental Learning Opportunities and Outcomes Model of Gender Differences in Sexuality. Personality and Social Psychology Review. https://doi.org/10.1177/10888683251391836
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