"Meh" Teenage Sex Might Have Lasting Effects: A Provocative New Neurodevelopmental Model of Gender Differences in Sex Drive

Title of Event: "Meh" Teenage Sex Might Have Lasting Effects: A Provocative New Neurodevelopmental Model of Gender Differences in Sex Drive

Description of Event:

Why do cisgender women typically report lower sex drive and lower sexual satisfaction than cisgender men — and what does adolescent brain development have to do with it? This one-hour live training introduces a provocative and clinically relevant new model that reframes this long-standing question through a developmental lens, offering fresh insight into the lasting effects of early sexual experience on adult sexuality.

The BLOOM model, just published by top scholars in the field, centers on a near-universal phenomenon: women typically have less pleasurable heterosexual sex than men during adolescence and at sexual debut. What makes this model new and compelling is its focus on when these unsatisfying experiences occur — during a particularly sensitive and neurologically plastic period of adolescent brain development. The model proposes that the absence of positive sexual reward during this critical window may de-incentivize sex for years to come, contributing to the gender differences in sex drive and sexual satisfaction observed in adult populations.

Through clear, accessible, and clinician-friendly language, Dr. Diamond will summarize the BLOOM model, explain what distinguishes it from previous psychological theories of gender differences in sexuality, and explore how it can inform clinical practice by offering a new lens through which to understand the relevance of a client's adolescent sexual history.

Date of Event: 7/28/26

Time of Event: 2:00 PM MST

Location: Online Synchronous

Sex Therapy (ST) Training: 

ST1. Theory and methods of sex-related psychotherapy, including several different models.

Presenter/Speaker: Dr. Lisa Diamond

Company/Organization Sponsor: The Healing Group Institute

Contact Name: Katie Potts

Contact Telephone Number: (309) 530-9375

Contact Email: katie@thehealinggroup.com

Event Website: thehealinggroupinstitute.com

AASECT Approved CEs: 1