The Burden of Sexual Problems: Perceived Effects on Men’s and Women’s Sexual Partners

Sexual dysfunction sometimes negatively affects the individual, his or her partner, and the relationship. We investigated the relationship between the distress experienced by men and women with orgasmic phase difficulties and the perceived distress of their partner(s). We also identified predictors of perceived partner distress, and related self and partner distress to severity of the problem and relationship quality. Data were drawn from 374 men with premature ejaculation (PE) and 377 women with anorgasmia who responded to a survey regarding their sexual functioning, including their distress about their condition and the perceived distress of their partners. Results yielded an overall distress score consisting of combined self and perceived partners distress, with women showing a higher overall score and higher perceived partner distress than men. For men, significant predictors of perceived partner distress included self-distress, relationship quality, interest in sex, and arousal difficulty; for women, only the level of self-distress significantly predicted perceived partner distress. These findings indicate the burden of experiencing sexual difficulty, identify factors related to perceived partner distress, and demonstrate differences in self versus partner distress across men and women. Overall, such findings reiterate the strong need for the inclusion of the partner in any attempted remediation of a sexual problem.     

Parent–Adolescent Sexual Communication and Its Association With Adolescent Sexual Behaviors: A Nationally Representative Analysis in the Netherlands

Sexual communication is a principal means of transmitting sexual values, beliefs, expectations, and knowledge from parents to children. Although this area has received considerable research attention, more studies with representative samples are needed to assure that findings are reflective of populations of interest. A nationally representative sample of parent–adolescent dyads (N = 2,965; mean adolescent age = 13.8 years) in the Netherlands was employed to examine the frequency of parent–adolescent sexual communication and its association with adolescent sexual behaviors (defined as sexual initiation, condom use, and contraceptive pill use). Nine communication topics in the areas of anatomy, relationships and rights, and protection and contraception were examined. In all, 75%of parents reported having discussed at least one topic multiple times with their adolescents. Romantic relationships were discussed most frequently. Hierarchical logistic regression analyses indicated that parent–adolescent sexual communication on protection and contraception was positively associated with adolescent sexual initiation and contraceptive pill use but not condom use. This may reflect that adolescents, when they become sexually active, are more likely to discuss sexuality with their parents. Findings are interpreted within the context of Dutch culture, which is generally accepting of adolescent sexuality and characterized by open sexual communication.     

Is High Sexual Desire a Risk for Women’s Relationship and Sexual Well-Being?

Historically, women’s sexual desire has been deemed socially problematic. The growing popularity of the concept of hypersexuality—which lists high sexual desire among its core components—poses a risk of re-pathologizing female sexual desire. Data from a 2014 online survey of 2,599 Croatian women aged 18–60 years was used to examine whether high sexual desire is detrimental to women’s relationship and sexual well-being. Based on the highest scores on an indicator of sexual desire, 178 women were classified in the high sexual desire (HSD) group; women who scored higher than one standard deviation above the Hypersexual Disorder Screening Inventory mean were categorized in the hypersexuality (HYP) group (n = 239). Fifty-seven women met the classification criteria for both groups (HYP&HSD). Compared to other groups, the HSD was the most sexually active group. Compared to controls, the HYP and HYP&HSD groups—but not the HSD group—reported significantly more negative consequences associated with their sexuality. Compared to the HYP group, women with HSD reported better sexual function, higher sexual satisfaction, and lower odds of negative behavioral consequences. The findings suggest that, at least among women, hypersexuality should not be conflated with high sexual desire and frequent sexual activity.     

Examining Heterosexual Women’s Anal Sexual Health Knowledge and Product Use

Prevalence rates indicate that receptive anal sex is increasingly part of heterosexual women’s sexual repertoire. However, there is a body of literature linking this behavior to risk for adverse sexual health outcomes. Women’s anal sexual health knowledge and awareness of behaviors associated with elevated risk have received less attention in the research literature. The aim of the current study was to examine anal sexual health knowledge and product use among heterosexual women aged 18 to 30 years. A total of 33 self-identified heterosexual women recruited from the general population participated in one of six focus groups. The results suggest that knowledge was variable. Salient sexual health themes centered on risks of human immunodeficiency virus/sexually transmitted infections (HIV/STIs), other infections, and physical harm/damage. Product-use themes included cleanliness/hygiene, comfort, and product safety. Participants expressed the desire for anal sexual health education. The results have implications for sexual health research, education, and clinical practice.     

Couples’ Sexual Communication and Dimensions of Sexual Function: A Meta-Analysis

Research and clinical data have shown that couples with sexual problems report a lack of sexual communication. However, no published meta-analyses have evaluated the relationship between sexual communication and sexual function. This meta-analysis examines the correlation between couples’ sexual communication and dimension of sexual function across 48 studies. Sexual communication was positively associated with sexual desire (r = .16), sexual arousal (r = .21), lubrication (r = .17), orgasm (r = .23), erectile function (r = .19), less pain (r = .12), and overall sexual function (r = .35). The effect sizes for sexual desire (r = .21; r = .12) and orgasm (r = .26; r = .16) were higher for women than for men. For overall sexual function, studies with married participants (r = .47) had a larger effect size than studies with participants with multiple relationship types (r = .31) or than studies with dating participants (r = .11). Effect sizes were larger for studies conducted outside of the United States (r = .39) compared to studies conducted in the United States (r = .12). We discuss the importance of addressing the relationship between sexual communication and sexual function, as well as future directions for research in this area.     

Effects of a Mindfulness Task on Women’s Sexual Response

Mindfulness-based interventions are effective at improving symptoms of sexual dysfunction in women. The mechanisms by which mindfulness improves sexual function are less clear. The main objective of our study was to investigate the impact of a mindfulness task on sexual response in women. Forty-one women (mean age = 27.2, SD = 5.6) participated in two laboratory sessions that each included two erotic films and one attention task that were presented in counterbalanced order. Both attention tasks consisted of a six-minute audio recording of either a modified body scan, focusing on genital arousal sensations (mindfulness condition), or a visualization exercise. Subjective and genital sexual arousal were measured continuously during stimulus presentation. The mindfulness task led to greater subjective and lower genital arousal. The agreement of subjective and genital sexual arousal (i.e., concordance) was greater in the mindfulness condition. Trait mindfulness was related to lower sexual arousal but also greater sexual concordance in women. Mindfulness-based interventions that encourage women to focus on physical arousal sensations in the here and now may be associated with women’s improved sexual function by enhancing feelings of sexual arousal during sexual activity and by increasing concordance between subjective and genital sexual arousal.     

The Relationship Between College Women’s Sexual Attitudes and Sexual Activity: The Mediating Role of Body Image

ABSTRACT. This study examined the relationship between sexual attitudes and engagement in sexual activity among a sample of 401 college women. In addition, we investigated the potential role of body image as a mediator of this relationship. Online surveys included self-report measures of sexual attitudes ranging from liberal to conservative, body image satisfaction, and frequency of sexual activity. Results indicated that more liberal sexual attitudes were directly linked with more frequent sexual activity. Whereas mediation was not evident, indirect effects existed such that more liberal sexual attitudes were associated with higher body image satisfaction, which, in turn, was associated with increased sexual activity. Clearly, sexual attitudes and body image are important cognitive factors that affect women's sexual activity, yet each influence alone is not enough to explain the complex process that leads to sexual behavior. Although cross-sectional in nature, our findings suggest that body image and sexual attitudes may work together as a process to affect women's sexual activity.     

A Rapid Review of Sexual Wellbeing Definitions and Measures: Should We Now Include Sexual Wellbeing Freedom?

An increasing number of studies refer to sexual wellbeing and/or seek to measure it, and the term appears across various policy documents, including sexual health frameworks in the UK. We conducted a rapid review to determine how sexual wellbeing has been defined, qualitatively explored and quantitatively measured. Eligible studies selected for inclusion from OVID Medline, PsychInfo, PubMed, Embase, CINAHL were: in English language, published after 2007, were peer-reviewed full articles, focused on sexual wellbeing (or proxies for, e.g. satisfaction, function), and quantitatively or qualitatively assessed sexual wellbeing. We included studies with participants aged 16–65. Given study heterogeneity, our synthesis and findings are reported using a narrative approach. We identified 162 papers, of which 10 offered a definition of sexual wellbeing. Drawing upon a socio-ecological model, we categorised the 59 dimensions we identified from studies under three main domains: cognitive-affect (31 dimensions); inter-personal (22 dimensions); and socio-cultural (6 dimensions). Only 11 papers were categorised under the socio-cultural domain, commonly focusing on gender inequalities or stigma. We discuss the importance of conceptualising sexual wellbeing as individually experienced but socially and structurally influenced, including assessing sexual wellbeing freedom: a person’s freedom to achieve sexual wellbeing, or their real opportunities and liberties.     

Sexual Minorities’ Gender Norm Conformity and Sexual Satisfaction: The Mediating Effects of Sexual Communication,Internalized Stigma,and Sexual Narcissism

Objective: Sexual satisfaction has implications for well-being and may be related to gender norms. This study was conducted to understand the relationship between U.S. sexual minority (SM) individuals’ gender norm conformity and levels of sexual satisfaction, as well as examining the following potential mediators: sexual communication, internalized stigma, and sexual narcissism. Methods and Results: A path analysis (N?=?142) revealed that, for SM individuals, higher conformity to feminine norms was related to lower sexual satisfaction through higher internalized stigma. In addition, higher conformity to feminine norms for SM individuals was positively associated with sexual narcissism. Conclusion: Implications related to sexual satisfaction for SM individuals are discussed.     

Antecedents of Young Women’s Sexual Risk Taking in Tourist Experiences

The purpose of this phenomenological exploration was to shed light on the constellation of factors anteceding young women’s sexual risk taking during their tourist experiences. A total of 15 in-depth interviews (1.5 to 2.5 hours each) with 13 women were conducted and analyzed through the lens of transcendental phenomenology. An analysis of antecedent factors revealed a confluence of sociopersonal characteristics (e.g., sexual definitions, attitudes, double standards, and age) and touristic attributes (e.g., the sense of temporariness/ephemerality, anonymity, and fun-oriented mentality depending on length, destination, and type of tourist experience) that underlie women’s proclivity for and perceptions of sexual risk taking in certain travel scenarios. These result in myriad effects on physical, sexual health, sociocultural, mental, and emotional aspects of women’s health and well-being. While the sociopersonal antecedents highlight the cross-pollination between sex-related perceptions in everyday life and touristic environments, the touristic antecedents emphasize the uniqueness of tourist experiences as the contexts for sexual risk taking. The findings address an underresearched topic in sex and tourism scholarship and offer implications for health education and intervention programs, pointing to the value of constructing the context-specific and gender-sensitive sexual health messages underpinned by the ideas of women’s empowerment and sexual agency.     

What Does Sexual Arousal Mean to You? Women With and Without Sexual Arousal Concerns Describe Their Experiences

Sexual arousal is frequently characterized by both subjective (i.e., mental) and physiological (e.g., genital) components. The nuances of these components, however, are difficult to capture via self-report instruments. Asking women to describe sexual arousal in their own words may therefore enhance our understanding of this construct. In the present study, women with (n = 190) and without (n = 610) arousal concerns were recruited online and wrote about their experience of sexual arousal. Seven clusters of words were extracted using automated text analysis, and the prominence of these clusters was compared between groups of women. The autonomic arousal cluster differed between groups such that women with arousal concerns invoked this cluster significantly less than did women with no such concerns. Furthermore, the context cluster significantly predicted group membership (odds ratio [OR] = 1.063); greater scores on this cluster were associated with arousal concerns. Results suggest that autonomic arousal and relationship factors may play important roles in arousal concerns. It is suggested that clinicians assess for aspects of the sexual relationship that may facilitate or hinder sexual arousal. Clinicians may also consider inquiring about the presence or appraisal of autonomic arousal (e.g., one’s interpretation of an increase in heart rate or respiration) during sexual activity.     

Women’s Political Firsts and Symbolic Representation

ABSTRACT

The extent to which politics is still a “man’s game” is made evident every time a top political office has a female holder for the first time. These incredibly revealing moments may give a new social meaning to women in politics—women’s political presence—and women and politics—gendered social constructions about women’s capacity to rule. This article explores the types of gendered mediation underpinning the representation of first-ever women serving in historically male-dominated political offices in Spain. It shows that gender media frames are pervasive, which may lead to an effective annihilation of women’s symbolic representation.     

Let’s Talk About Sex: Family Communication Predicting Sexual Attitude,Sexual Experience,and Safe Sex Behaviors in Malaysia

Abstract

Objectives: This study examined whether family sexual communication (FSC) can predict sexual attitude, initiation of sexual experience, and practice of safe sex behaviors among unmarried Malaysian young adults. Method: Three hundred eighty Malaysians aged between 18 and 30 years completed an anonymous online survey. Results: Multiple regressions and logistic regression were used in the data analysis. FSC was a significant predictor of sexual attitude, experience, and behaviors. Among the 3 dimensions of FSC, comfort significantly predicted sexual experience, information significantly predicted sexual attitude, and value significantly predicted sexual attitude and behaviors. Conclusion: Parents play a significant role in influencing their children’s sexual attitude, experience, and behaviors.     

Korean Men’s Pornography use,Their Interest in Extreme Pornography,and Dyadic Sexual Relationships

Objectives: The aim of the study was to assess the connections between pornography use (both frequency and interest in extreme pornography) and dyadic sexual relationships. Methods: Six-hundred eighty-five heterosexual South Korean male college students participated in an online survey. Results: The majority (84.5%) of respondents had viewed pornography, and for those who were sexually active (470 respondents), we found that higher interest in degrading or extreme pornography was associated with the experience of role-playing sexual scenes from pornography with a partner, and a preference for using pornography to achieve and maintain sexual excitement over having sex with a partner. Conclusions: The findings were consistent but with differences from a U.S. study with the same methodology, suggesting that attention should be paid to cultural differences.     

A Developmentally Relevant Approach to Classifying Nonconsensual Sexual Experiences in the Study of Women’s Sexual Well-Being

In this article we propose a sexual developmental approach to classifying the onset of nonconsensual sexual experiences (NSEs) that differs from the traditional age cutoff approach. Online measures of sexual self-schemas, sexual response, and sexual functioning were administered to 797 women with and without NSE histories. Women were grouped based on when their NSEs first occurred in reference to their age of menarche and age of their first consensual sexual experience (i.e., premenarche onset, postmenarche preconsensual onset, postconsensual onset, and no NSEs). Between-group analyses assessed differences in sexual well-being and structural equation modeling (SEM) assessed measurement invariance across the four groups. Women with NSE onset postmenarche but before their first consensual sexual experience reported significantly more conservative-embarrassed sexual self-schemas than did women with no NSEs. Women with NSE onset postmenarche and post–first consensual sex had significantly less sexual satisfaction than did women with no NSE histories. The other groups did not significantly differ from each other. The model demonstrated partial indicator-level metric noninvariance, suggesting that the various indicators of sexuality contributed differentially to the overall sexual well-being across these groups of women. The results support the use of the developmentally informed approach to classifying NSEs when assessing female sexual well-being.     

Women and Nature: Three Women Talk About Their Experience

People often think about women's special relationship to nature. Some say women tend to have a greater appreciation of nature, but what deserves our attention is women's intimacy and affection for nature. It is as if nature is a fundamental drive in their lives. Here are three women's personal experience with nature.     

Women’s and men’s work,housework and childcare,before and during COVID-19

Review of Economics of the Household - Evidence from past economic crises indicates that recessions often affect men’s and women’s employment differently, with a greater impact on...