Objective:

the research was oriented to investigate the correlation between some executive functions (inhibitory control, risk-benefit calculation, cognitive flexibility, the planning ability, and decision making) and the general, dyadic and solitary sexual desire, sexual desire inhibition and disposition to sexual fantasies in a 17-to-30-year-old people sample.

Method:

An observational cross-sectional study in a purposive sample of 64 young college students, aged between17 and -30, who were in a couple relationship at the time of the study and gave their consent for their participation in the research. The participants completed the Neuropsychological Battery of Executive Functions and Frontal Lobes tasks (BANFE for its abbreviation in Spanish): Stroop, card games, card classification and Hanoi Tower, and it was administered the Inhibited Sexual Desire Test, the Sexual Desire Inventory (SDI-2) and the Scale of Attitude Towards Sexual Fantasies.

Results:

The results indicate a correlation between the executive functions and sexual desire; it was found a correlation between total and dyadic sexual desire and disposition towards sexual fantasies with inhibitory control; and the inhibited sexual desire was correlated to planning ability and inhibitory control.

Discussion:

Although the study presents some methodological limitations (size of the sample and need of a more rigorous validation of instruments in the Colombian population), the results confirm previous research findings, allowing to formulate new hypotheses in the field of sexuality and neurosciences. The study findings draw attention to the educational implications aimed to develop the executive functions in adolescents and young people to prevent risky sexual behavior.

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