HOCD is a form of OCD. OCD is a mental health condition that can cause a person to have intrusive and reoccurring thoughts and images, as well as feel compelled to repeat specific behaviors.
A person who has OCD may feel extreme distress or upset due to these repeated thoughts or compulsions. However, they may be unable to prevent them from occurring.
A person experiencing SO-OCD may find that they are unable to prevent certain thoughts or behaviors that focus on their sexuality.
With this condition, a person who is heterosexual may have fears that they are attracted the members of the same sex.
However, it is important to note that this form of OCD is not limited to those who are heterosexual. A person who experiences same-sex attraction can have intrusive thoughts that cause them to fear that they are in denial about being heterosexual.
These thoughts can be distressing, as a person’s sexual orientation can be an important part of their identity.
Those who experience this form of OCD are typically concerned about losing their identity and living an inauthentic life. It does not mean that they have negative views toward those who have sexual orientations that differ from their own.
A study from 2015 found that 11.9% of people who seek treatment for OCD experience HOCD.