Daniele Mollaioli

• Doctor of Psychology
• Researcher at University of Messina

Objectives Faking orgasm is an under-researched aspect of sexual behavior, particularly among men, despite its prevalence in discussions surrounding sexual health. This study explores the interrelations between Big-5 personality traits, adult attachment styles, and sexual functioning in the context of faking orgasm, with the goal of advancing under...

Objectives Ejaculatory disorders (EjD) are the most prevalent sexual concerns for men and cover a spectrum of issues, including premature, delayed, anhedonic ejaculation, and anejaculation, all of which impact a man’s sexual well-being and quality of life. Understanding specific ejaculatory patterns can aid in better diagnosing and managing these d...

Objectives Female orgasmic experience and intensity depend on several biological, anatomical, cultural, psychological and relational factors, yet studies have not explored how receptiveness to different stimulations (clitoral, vaginal, or both) affects subjectively perceived orgasmic intensity. Using data from sexually active, heterosexual women in...

Objectives Sex devices are tools that can improve the sexual health of users, but their effects on sexual outcomes in partnered intercourse have seldom been evaluated. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between partnered and solitary use of sex devices and different sexual health outcomes among sexually active women aged 18-35 in...

Objectives Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a prevalent condition among young men, often attributed to a combination of physiological and psychological factors. Attachment theory suggests that early experiences of parental care and overprotection can influence relational styles in adulthood, potentially impacting sexual health. However, no studies have...

Objectives In the andrological setting, partners play a pivotal role in understanding the causes, risk factors, treatment choices, and may offer support in all the facets of Erectile Dysfunction (ED) management or, vice-versa, may attempt to sabotage the therapeutical output. We thus aimed to study the extent of partner involvement, their psycholog...

Objectives Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder, consisting of inattentiveness, hyperactiveness, and impulsiveness as the core symptoms. Additionally, emotional regulation difficulties are observed as a prominent feature of ADHD. Limited data are available regarding the effects of ADHD on adults’ sexual b...

There is a lack of data on the prevalence of object and body parts (foot, etc.) fetishes in non-Western societies, and on the connection between fetishism and some clinical and socio-cultural variables. This study aims to determine the prevalence of object/foot fetishes in an Iranian population and to examine their association with depression, anxi...

Bondage/discipline, Dominance/submission, Sadism/Masochism (BDSM) is a multifaceted spectrum of consensual sexual practices, that has long intrigued the psychological community for its implications on mental health and personality. While previous research has shed light on its psychopathological aspects, less is known about the distinct psychosexua...

Background: Sex devices are tools that can improve the sexual health of users, but their effects on sexual outcomes in partnered intercourse have rarely been evaluated. Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between partnered and solitary use of sex devices and different sexual health outcomes among sexually active women aged...

Female orgasmic experience and intensity depend on several biological, anatomical, cultural, psychological and relational factors, yet studies have not explored how receptiveness to different stimulations (clitoral, vaginal, or both) affects subjectively perceived orgasmic intensity. Using data from sexually active, heterosexual women in two Italia...

Area 8A has traditionally been considered to be the frontal eye field (FEF), i.e. the area for the motor production of eye movements. However, recent research has shown that the FEF lies posteriorly in premotor area 6. Research in macaque monkeys has demonstrated that, in contrast to premotor area 6, which is involved in the production of motor act...

Background Among the plethora of urogynecological conditions possibly affecting women, some of them, less explored, have significant impacts on sexological and psychological health, with a mutual influence. Aim The aim of this study was to investigate the sexological and psychological correlates of four urogynecological pathologies in a sample of...

Introduction Erectile dysfunction (ED) or premature ejaculation (PE) can severely affect the quality of life and wellbeing of both couple members. Sexual health care providers, including andrologists and sexologists, should perceive ED/PE as a collaborative health issue for men and their sexual partners. Thus, this study was designed to better unde...

If talking about paedophilia evokes extremely strong and “disturbing” feelings, as any other type of male-related paraphilia does, the effect of discussing female paedophilia is even greater. Female paedophilia is mainly a sore spot, an uncomfortable phenomenon disrupting those rational, social, cultural and emotional certainties that make up the e...

To understand the act of sexual offending the considerations, research say, must start earlier in the life of the individual. A variety of factors and their interaction can set off a process as soon as in childhood, through different and often convoluted pathways. This chapter reviews the current state of research and draws conclusions on its major...

Metaverse is the implementation of an Internet-based hypothetical meta-universe, which should facilitate an immersive experience in meeting people, working, shopping and other leisure activities. Immersive reality makes it possible to feel involved in a virtual environment using the mechanism of the "embodied simulations", i.e., the capacity to evo...

Objectives Internal working models (IWM) represent the internal representation about the self, expressed by a sense of self-worth (+) or self-blaming (-), and significant others, expressed by the expectation of availability and support (+) or indifference (-), guiding the interpersonal strategies to regulate intimate affects and choosing romantic a...

Objectives No information exists about the impact of ageism and dysfunctional beliefs on quality of sexual life of elderly people, considering several sexual orientations. Aim of this study was to evaluate: (1) the presence of “ageism” in elderly heterosexual and homosexual persons (2) the impact of ageism on sexual activity/sexual satisfaction of...

Sociosexual Orientation has been described as “individual differences in willingness to have sex with people with whom there is no emotional relationship”. This study aims to investigate a possible correlation between Sociosexual Orientation (SO) and the Capacity to Love (CTL) and explore differences in well-being or distress between sociosexual pe...

Background: Limitation to the capacity to love is often a feature of a suffering personality. Aim: We aimed to investigate the role of the capacity to love in hypersexual behavior, considering both distress and defense mechanisms as possible psychological mediators. Methods: Through an online platform, we recruited a convenience sample of 521...

: Premature ejaculation (PE), despite its wide prevalence, is largely underdiagnosed and undertreated. Being a multifactorial dysfunction with strong cultural characteristics, PE requires skillful attitudes in the psychosexological support, necessary to manage the patient's and the couple's expectations, as well as in the medical treatment. Dapoxet...

Objectives We aimed to investigate to what extent COVID-19 affected erectile function in affected patients. Methods We reviewed data from the [email protected] online survey (performed between April 7th and May 4th, 2020 in Italy; Mollaioli et al, J Sex Med. 2021 Jan;18(1):35-49) to retrieve a sample of Italian male sexually active subjects with r...

Objectives We aimed to investigate the difference in perceived intensity of orgasm among women experiencing clitoral or vaginally activated orgasm (VAO). Methods We reviewed data from the [email protected] online survey (Mollaioli et al, J Sex Med. 2021 Jan;18(1):35-49) to retrieve a sample of heterosexual Italian sexually active female subjects....

Background The integrity of the neural pathways that link genital sensitive areas to the brain and the correlation with subjective sensations in transgender women with gender dysphoria after gender affirming surgery (GAS) have not been explored in detail and remain controversial, so far. Aim To test with electrophysiology the integrity of the nerv...

The use of Dating Applications (DAs) is widespread, and in some cases could be associated with psychosexological issues. Hence, we decided to investigate hypersexual behavior and depression symptoms among DA users and non-users. We recruited a snowball convenience sample of 1000 subjects through an online platform in 2020 for a cross-sectional stud...

Objectives The quality of sexual life of elderly people represents an understudied topic of sexual medicine and of psycho-sexology. Hence, we aimed to evaluate the association of specific psycho-relational variables, such as intimacy, increased affective gestures towards a partner (AGtP), daily shared activities, and dyadic satisfaction, with the p...

Introduction: Long term complications of COVID-19, the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2, involve many organ systems, dramatically worsening the quality of life, and finally contributing to impaired physical functioning. Despite the presence of well-identified pathogenetic mechanisms, the effect of "Long COVID" on sexual health has been only margin...

Introduction The “lost penis syndrome” (LPS) is a term often used in non-clinical settings to describe the subjective perception of the loss of cutaneous and proprioceptive feelings of the male organ during vaginal penetration. Although deserving clinical attention, this syndrome did not receive any consideration in the medical literature. Notwiths...

In the field of female sexuality, the existence of the so-called “G-spot” represents a topic still anchored to anecdotes and opinions and explained using non-scientific points, as well as being overused for commercial and mediatic purposes. Purpose of Review The scope of this review is to give an update on the current state of information regardin...

Restriction measures enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic had severe effects on male sexual and reproductive health. We aimed to investigate the real-life impact and perception of sexual function in 2020 in Italy, as the first Western country experiencing a national lockdown by measuring relative search volume for keywords pertaining to sexual heal...

Introduction Hypersexuality is a complex behavioral dysfunction concerning the excess of sexual activities. In this study, we aim to investigate the role of attachment styles, post-traumatic and depression symptoms in hypersexual behavior. Methods We recruited through an online platform a snowball convenience sample of 1025 subjects (females: n=73...

Background: Vulvo-Vaginal Atrophy (VVA) affects about fifty percent of postmenopausal women, contributing more vulnerable sexual and psycho-relational equilibrium. To date, no psychometric instruments have been designed to assess the impact of coital pain associated with VVA on sexual quality of life. Aim: To validate a new psychometric tool, th...

Background: Erectile dysfunction (ED), as the hallmark of endothelial dysfunction, could be a short- or long-term complication of COVID-19. Additionally, being ED a clinical marker and predictor of Non-communicable Chronic Diseases, particularly cardiovascular, subjects with ED could potentially have a higher risk of contracting COVID-19. Objecti...

Background. Diabetes mellitus (DM), one of the worldwide leading causes of death, is associated with a plethora of micro- and macro-vascular complications which should be carefully investigated and, in case, treated in order to improve quality of life and reduce the risk of premature mortality. Objective To investigate and report current evidence...

Introduction Strategies of harm reduction (HR) include policies and community-based measures aimed to reduce the risk of self-harm while continuing potentially hazardous behaviors, such as illegal drug, alcohol, and tobacco use. Objectives To assess whether and to which extent strategies of HR could have beneficial, or harmful, effects on sexual a...

Sentiment analysis (SA) is a technique aimed at extracting opinions and sentiments through the analysis of text, often used in healthcare research to understand patients’ needs and interests. Data from social networks, such as Twitter, can provide useful insights on sexual behavior. We aimed to assess the perception of Valentine’s Day by performing...

Introduction. Hypersexuality is a clinical condition regarding the psychopathology of sexual behavior. In this study, we aimed to investigate the role of trauma, through the post-traumatic stress-disorder (PTSD), depression, shame and guilt on the hypersexual behavior. Methods. Through an online platform, a convenience sample of 1025 subjects was r...

Background The COVID-19–related lockdown has profoundly changed human behaviors and habits, impairing general and psychological well-being. Along with psychosocial consequences, it is possible that sexual behavior was also affected. Aims With the present study, we evaluated the impact of the community-wide containment and consequent social distanc...

The present study aims to evaluate the relationship in women between a history of physical/sexual abuse and the preferences regarding the choice of a partner for a short/long-term relationship in terms of male facial dimorphism, and to assess their sexual functioning. We enrolled 48 abused women and 60 non-abused women. Facial preferences were eval...

PurposeThe COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the SARS-CoV-2, represents an unprecedented challenge for healthcare. COVID-19 features a state of hyperinflammation resulting in a “cytokine storm”, which leads to severe complications, such as the development of micro-thrombosis and disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). Despite isolation measures, t...

Introduction. Hypersexuality is characterized by excess of sexual activities, obsession of sex and related consequences. On the other hand, the assessment of problematic sexuality includes several psychometric tools to screen hypersexual behavior. Hypersexual Behavior Inventory is one of these, although its Italian version is not current available....

Introduction Insecure attachment styles and immature or neurotic defense mechanisms are related to psychological distress. However, their mutual interaction in influencing psychological distress deserves further investigation. Methods One-thousand-one-hundred-twenty-nine University students were evaluated using the Global Severity Index of Symptom...

Introduction. Insecure attachment styles and immature or neurotic defense mechanisms are related to psychological distress. However, their mutual interaction in influencing psychological distress deserves further investigation. Methods. One-thousand-one-hundred-twenty-nine University students were evaluated using the Global Severity Index of Sympto...

Sexual health is strictly related with general health in both genders. In presence of a sexual dysfunction, the expert in sexual medicine aims to discover the specific weight of the physical and psychological factors can cause or con-cause the sexual problem. At the same time, a sexual dysfunction can represent a marker of the future development of...

Purpose: The aim of this study was to compare the initial request for sexual consultation with the final diagnosis and to evaluate the limits of the active andrological anamnesis concerning unclassified male sexual dysfunction. Methods: In this 12-year observational retrospective study, we collected data from patients referring to an andrologica...

Introduction: Masculinity and femininity constitute the gender role construct into the general concept of sexual identity. Aim: To investigate the relationships of attachment style, sexual orientation and biological sex with the gender role. Methods: A convenience sample of 344 subjects (females = 207; males = 137) was recruited. Main outcome...

Sexual minorities experience racial crimes like as members of the other minority groups (black people, poor people..). The study of this phenomenon is essential to favorite the development of preventive policies in all countries. Previous studies demonstrated the relationship between attachment style and homophobia. In particular the secure attachm...

Both Masculinity and Femininity traits are differently present in both male and female genders and represent an integrant part of personality. The aim of this study was to evaluate a potential relationship between Masculinity/Femininity traits and Attachment Styles.

Genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM) is found to be the most important cause of genitopelvic pain disorders among menopausal women. The term GSM includes genital symptoms (dryness, burning and irritation), sexual symptoms (lack of lubrication, discomfort or pain) and urinary symptoms (urgency, dysuria and recurrent urinary tract infections). I...

Among behavioral addictions, problematic Internet use and online pornography consumption are often cited as possible risk factors for sexual dysfunction, often with no definite boundary between the two phenomena. Online users are attracted to Internet pornography because of its anonymity, affordability, and accessibility, and in many cases its usag...

The female orgasm represents one of the most complex functions in the field of human sexuality. The conjunction of the anatomical, physiological, psycho-relational and socio-cultural components contributes to make the female orgasm still partly unclear. The female orgasmic experience, its correlates and the relation with sexual desire, arousal and...

Sociocultural prejudices and pressures may impair the mental health of bisexual people. We aim to evaluate psychological status according to sexual orientation in a sample of Italian university students, with specific attention to bisexuality and its frequency. Among a recruited sample of 551 university students, we found the following percentages...

The female orgasm represents one of the most complex phenomena in the field of Sexual Medicine. The conjunction of the anatomical, physiological, psycho-relational and socio-cultural components contributes to make the female orgasm still partly unclear. The female orgasmic experience, its correlates and the relation with sexual desire, arousal and...

SUMMARY Sexuality in patients with first episode psychosis Psychotic spectrum diseases, as schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder and bipolar disorder with psychotic symptoms are dramatic pathologies characterized by several medical comorbidities, as sexual dysfunctions. Sexuality, in fact, in psychotic patients is often seriously compromised...

Objective: The aim of this investigation was to evaluate defence mechanisms and attachment styles in paranoid ideation through a cross-sectional design with sequential recruitment of subjects. Methods: Five hundred and fifty non-clinical subjects were recruited from university students. A psychometric protocol comprising paranoid ideation scale...

Abstract Introduction Personality disorders impair several aspects of intrapsychic and interpersonal life. In particular, mating strategies and sexual functioning could manifest in different and/or dysfunctional ways in people with personality disorders. Aim To describe, through a comprehensive review of the literature, the mating strategies and s...

Introduction Sexual dysfunctions are frequent in patients with mental illnesses. In particular, anxious and depressive symptomatology often impacts on sexual functioning. Objectives The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between sexual function and psychological symptoms in a group of male patients with depression and anxiety disor...

The diagnosis of any type of tumor always involves hurt and grief at the loss of everlasting health – a fact that we all take for granted. A tumor is an intimation of mortality. Therefore, a common consequence of a cancer diagnosis is a negative impact on psychological well-being and consequently on sexual health. Frequently, consequences can be ob...

Introduction: To evaluate the impact of voluntary termination of pregnancy (VTOP) on the psycho-sexological well-being of females before/six months after the abortion. Methods: A sample of 194 women was recruited from three obstetrics and gynaecological divisions. The women were evaluated for the variables “sexual functioning” with the Female Sexua...

PurposeThe aim of this study was to investigate homophobic attitudes in three European countries: Italy, Albania, and Ukraine. One thousand and forty-eight students were recruited in Italian (n = 766), Albanian (n = 180), and Ukrainian (n = 102) university centers. MethodsA socio-demographic questionnaire and Homophobia Scale (HS) were administered...

A large body of literature on diminished ejaculatory disorders has been generated without the use of a clear diagnostic definition. Many studies have not distinguished between the orgasm and ejaculation disorders leading to doubtful results. Delayed ejaculation (DE) is one of the diminished ejaculatory disorders, which range from varying delays in...

To the best of our knowledge, no psychometric tools have been specifically developed to measure if premature ejaculation (PE) is related to low sexual pleasure in terms of perception of orgasmic intensity. Hence, the aim of this study was to evaluate if men with PE suffer from a low perception of orgasmic intensity using a new tool, the 'Orgasmomet...

Introduction: Testosterone is fundamental for psychological, sexological, cognitive, and reproductive aspects, and its lack or reduction largely impacts the quality of life in males and females. Aim: Therefore, the aim of this review is to describe the role of testosterone in the neurophysiology of the brain and related aspects regarding the qua...

Conventional theories and therapies for premature ejaculation (PE) are based on assumptions not always supported by evidence. This review of the current literature on the physiology of the ejaculatory control, pathogenesis of PE, and available therapies shows that PE is still far from being fully understood. However, several interesting hypotheses...

IntroductionHomophobic behavior and a negative attitude toward homosexuals are prevalent among the population. Despite this, few researches have investigated the psychologic aspects associated with homophobia, as psychopathologic symptoms, the defensive system, and attachment styles.AimThe aim of this study was to investigate the psychologic factor...

The assessment of sexual function is fundamental to the Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART). Nevertheless, it is still not a common clinical routine among infertility centres. The aim of this survey is to describe the main aspects of sexological screening that are considered in Italian centres of ART. After the consensus of the Italian Society o...

Purpose The assessment of sexual function is fundamental to the Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART). Nevertheless, it is still not a common clinical routine among infertility centres. The aim of this survey is to describe the main aspects of sexological screening that are considered in Italian centres of ART. Methods After the consensus of the...

Introduction: The Homophobia Scale (HS) is a valid tool to assess homophobia. This test is self-reporting, composed of 25 items, which assesses a total score and three factors linked to homophobia: behavior/negative affect, affect/behavioral aggression, and negative cognition. Aim: The aim of this study was to validate the HS in the Italian cont...

Appendix S1 Italian version of Homophobia Scale.*

Introduction There is evidence that women's preferences for facial characteristics in men's faces change according to menstrual phase and sexual hormones. Literature indicates that the pregnancy is characterized by a specific sexual hormonal pattern with respect to all other physiological conditions concerning the sexual hormone status during the r...

The literature suggests that the serum testosterone level required for maximum androgen receptor (AR) binding may be in the range of nanomolar and above this range of concentrations; this sexual hormone may not significantly affect tumour biology. This assumption is supported by clinical studies showing that cell proliferation markers did not chang...

Sexual and eating behaviors have a double common matrix from a psychological and neurophysiological perspective. Psychoanalysis has linked the concept of libido to the concept of hunger, highlighting the same function of these primary instincts, i.e., satisfaction. Moreover, the same neuroanatomic areas, localized in the hypothalamic regions, are i...

The aim of this study was to investigate attachment styles in a group of women and men with sexual dysfunction. We recruited 44 subjects (21 women and 23 men) with sexual dysfunction and 41 subjects (21 women and 20 men) with healthy sexual function as the control group. Validated instruments for the evaluation of male and female sexual dysfunction...

IntroductionDifferences in facial preferences between heterosexual men and women are well documented. It is still a matter of debate, however, how variations in sexual identity/sexual orientation may modify the facial preferences.AimThis study aims to investigate the facial preferences of male-to-female (MtF) individuals with gender dysphoria (GD)...

Sexual assistance may have some aspects that resemble prostitution and others that might lead one to think of sexual assistants as similar to a group of subjects whose sexual object is disability (devotees). In this study, we investigate whether a rigorous selection and training process on the part of specialised organisations may reduce the risk o...

The atypical sexual offenders treating in this chapter are the female paedophiliacs, the sexual offenders with intellectual disabilities and the sexual abusers in a context of religion. The first paragraph concerns the sexual abuse perpetrated by women. Female paedophilia is an uncomfortable phenomenon disrupting rational, social, cultural and emot...

Objectives To describe the different approaches to the treatment of premature ejaculation (PE), with a final focus on integrated treatment, as conventional theories and therapies for PE are based on an organic or psychogenic dichotomy. Methods We list the principal hypotheses of the causes and therapy of PE on the basis of psychological and medica...