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Sex Anxiety Inventory

Does sex provide you with more fear than it does pleasure? Take this test to find out if you have 'sex anxiety.'

Mark Travers, Ph.D.

By Mark Travers, Ph.D.

December 3, 2024

Mark Travers, Ph.D., is the lead psychologist at Awake Therapy, responsible for new client intake and placement. Mark received his B.A. in psychology, magna cum laude, from Cornell University and his M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Colorado Boulder. His academic research has been published in leading psychology journals and has been featured in The New York Times and The New Yorker, among other popular publications. He is a regular contributor for Forbes and Psychology Today, where he writes about psycho-educational topics such as happiness, relationships, personality, and life meaning. Click here to schedule an initial consultation with Mark or another member of the Awake Therapy team. Or, you can drop him a note here.

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Sexual anxiety is when an individual experiences excessive fear, worry or discomfort related to sexual activities, intimacy or performance. These issues can be rooted in past trauma, societal pressures or cultural stigmas.

Over time, unresolved sexual anxiety may contribute to greater psychological challenges, and may even impact one's overall quality of life. It can have profound impacts that often extend beyond the bedroom, as these effects can create a cycle of emotional challenges. For some, this may manifest as avoidance—which can lead to isolation and difficulties in forming meaningful connections.

Taking the Sex Anxiety Inventory can help identify concerns related to sexual well-being. The scale helps individuals identify specific triggers, fears or patterns contributing to their anxiety. Gaining insight through the scale empowers individuals to understand their fears more clearly, making it easier to seek targeted support. It can be a starting point for professional conversations, as it can pave the way for healing and personal growth.

You can take this test here. Follow all of the steps to receive your results.

References: Janda‚ L. H.‚ & O’Grady‚ E. E. (1980). Development of a Sex Anxiety Inventory. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology‚ 48. 169-175.

Step 1: Rate the following statements based on how much you agree with them on a scale of strongly disagree to strongly agree.

1. Extramarital sex can break up families.

2. Sex can cause as much anxiety as pleasure.

3. Masturbation causes me to worry.

4. After having sexual thoughts, I feel jittery.

5. I feel scared at first during foreplay.

6. Initiating sexual relationships is a very stressful experience.

7. Oral sex would terrify me.

8. I feel nervous about initiating sexual relations.

9. When I meet someone I'm attracted to, I feel nervous.

10. When I was younger, I felt nervous about having sex.

11. When others flirt with me, I don't know what to do.

12. Group sex would scare me to death.

13. If in the future I committed adultery, I would probably get caught.

14. I would feel too nervous to tell a dirty joke in mixed company.

15. Dirty jokes make me feel uncomfortable.

16. When I awake from sexual dreams, I feel tense.

17. When I have sexual desires, I worry about what I should do.

18. If in the future I committed adultery, I would worry about my spouse finding out.

19. Buying a pornographic book would make me nervous.

20. Casual sex can hurt many people.

21. Extramarital sex can damage one's career.

22. Sexual advances leave me feeling tense.

23. When I have sexual relations, I worry about being discovered.

24. When talking about sex in mixed company, I feel nervous.

25. If I were to flirt with someone, I would worry about their reaction.

0 of 0 questions answered

Step 2: Enter your age, gender, region, and first name so we can provide you with a detailed report that compares your test scores with people similar to you.

What is your age?

What is your gender?

What region of the world do you live in?

What is your first name?

Step 3: Check to make sure you've provided answers to all of the statements/questions above. Once you've done that, click the button below to send your responses to Awake Therapy's Lead Psychologist, Mark Travers, Ph.D. He will provide you with an overview of how you scored relative to others (all answers are anonymized and confidential to protect users' privacy). He can also answer any follow-up questions you may have.