title: Changes in sexual arousal as measured by penile plethysmography in men with pedophilic sexual interest.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although pedophilia is defined by a recurrent sexual interest in prepubescent children, little attention has been paid to the stability or fluidity of this sexual interest over time.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the current study was to investigate if patterns of penile tumescence (as a proxy for sexual interest) measured by penile plethysmography testing (PPT) can change.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this retrospective chart review study, PPT results of 43 men diagnosed with pedophilia were collected and analyzed. All participants displayed a pedophilic sexual arousal pattern at the time of their first PPT. To test for change, we compared initial PPT results with subsequent PPT results measured at least 6 months later.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sexual arousal was assessed using PPT by measuring change in penile circumference induced by the presentation of standardized sexual audio stimuli.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Approximately half of the sample (n = 21) displayed a change in PPT results. This change was characterized by a significant decrease of sexual arousal in response to pedophilic (child) stimuli and a significant increase of sexual arousal in response to nonpedophilic (adult) stimuli. No differences between sexual interest changers (ICs) and nonchangers (NC) were found for demographic data or for length of time between assessments. However, between-group comparisons revealed that ICs had significantly lower pedophilic indices at the initial assessment than NCs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results from the current study indicate that relative pedophilic interest, as defined by increase in penile circumference in response to nonpedophilic stimuli as measured by PPT, changed in about 50% of men diagnosed with pedophilia who also had initial pedophilic PPT sexual responses. This represents a significant challenge to the hypothesis that sexual interest in men with pedophilia is unchangeable and should be the focus of future studies.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Sex Research and Forensic Psychiatry, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany; Department of Forensic Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Regensburg, Regensburg, Bayern, Germany.
authors.forename: Karolina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Curry
authors.forename: Rebekah
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ranger
authors.forename: Peer
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Briken
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bradford
authors.forename: John Paul
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Fedoroff
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010378:Pedophilia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D010410:Penile Erection / Q000502:physiology; D010413:Penis / Q000502:physiology; D010991:Plethysmography / Q000379:methods; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology
keywords: Change in Sexual Interest; Pedophilia; Penile Plethysmography; Prepubescent Children; Sexual Arousal; Stability of Sexual Interest