The influence of female power in marriage on sexual behaviors and attitudes: a holocultural study

Gender power and marital relationship as predictors of sexual dysfunction and sexual satisfaction among young married couples in rural China: a population-based study

OBJECTIVES

To investigate associations between gender relationships and sexual dysfunction (SD) of younger married couples living in rural China.

METHODS

An anonymous cross-sectional population-based survey study was conducted in a rural area in Hunan, China. A random sample of 298 couples were recruited. Self-reported SD, sexual satisfaction, and variables related to gender power and marital relationship were measured.

RESULTS

Of the respondents, 28.2% and 45.6% of the husbands and wives were having at least one of the studied SDs, respectively. The results of the multivariate analyses showed that husbands not reporting a quality marital relationship (odds ratio [OR] 4.27, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.13 to 8.57), who mistrusted their wives (OR 9.14, 95% CI 4.22 to 19.78), who claimed themselves as the decision-maker regarding condom use (OR 2.41, 95% CI 1.20 to 4.85), and whose wife scored lower in the relationship control subscale of the sexual relationship power scale (OR 2.83, 95% CI 1.15 to 6.95) were more likely than other husbands to have at least one SD. Wives who were not trusted by their husbands (OR 2.94, 95% CI 1.39 to 6.25), whose husbands were more powerful than they were in general decision-making (OR 1.98, 95% CI 1.14 to 3.43), and who scored lower in the relationship control subscale (OR 3.77, 95% CI 1.65 to 8.62) were more likely than other wives to have at least one SD.

CONCLUSIONS

Gender relationships, including the quality of the marital relationship, mutual trust, decision-making, and relationship control, were significantly associated with SD. Gender inequality has been observed and needs to be taken into account in promoting sexual health among married couples living in rural China.

PSYCHOLOGY AND THE STUDY OF MARITAL PROCESSES

The divorce rate in the United States is extremely high. It is estimated that between 50% and 67% of first marriages end in divorce. For second marriages, failure rates are even higher. There are strong negative consequences to separation and divorce on the mental and physical health of both spouses, including increased risk for psychopathology, increased rates of automobile accidents, and increased incidence of physical illness, suicide, violence, homicide, significant immunosuppression, and mortality from diseases. In children, marital distress, conflict, and disruption are associated with depression, withdrawal, poor social competence, health problems, poor academic performance, and a variety of conduct-related difficulties. Though intervention techniques might be expected to reduce these grim statistics, our best scholars have concluded that marital therapy is at a practical and theoretical impasse. This article discusses the progress of research on the study of marriage.