Women and the web: Cybersex activity and implications

Women are often omitted from discussions of cybersex activity, yet women are over-represented among those who are rated as cybersex-compulsive. Failure to consider females' problems with their Internet sexual expression leaves this special population at risk and without helpful clinical resources. This article examines how women's web use compares with men's, why females are overlooked in their Internet behaviours, offers details of women's on-line activity, and suggests implications for women themselves and for those who treat them. Women's cybersex activities are contrasted with a model of healthy sexuality, which illustrates potential problems with females' Internet sex behaviours. Specific considerations are offered for clinicians who treat women who are caught in the web of on-line sex.