Content and Valence of Sexual Cognitions and Their Relationship With Sexual Functioning in Spanish Men and Women

The Impact of Intimate Partner Violence on Sexual Attitudes, Sexual Assertiveness, and Sexual Functioning in Men and Women

BACKGROUND

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) causes physical, sexual, or psychological harm. The association between psychosexual (sexual assertiveness, erotophilia, and attitude towards sexual fantasies) and sexual function (sexual desire, sexual excitation, erection, orgasm capacity, and sexual satisfaction), and the experience of physical and non-physical IPV was assessed.

METHODS

Data from 3394 (1766 women, 1628 men) heterosexual adults completed the Spanish version of the Index of Spouse Abuse, scales measuring psychosexual and sexual function, and demographic characteristics were collected.

RESULTS

For men, poorer sexual health was associated with an experience of physical abuse (F = 4.41, p < 0.001) and non-physical abuse (F = 4.35, p < 0.001). For women, poorer sexual health was associated with physical abuse (F = 13.38, p < 0.001) and non-physical abuse (F = 7.83, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

The experience of physical or non-physical abuse has a negative association with psychosexual and sexual functioning in both men and women.

COVID-19 lockdown impact on cognitions and emotions experienced during sexual intercourse

Objectives

To study the impact of COVID-19 lockdown on cognitions and emotions felt during sexual intercourse by analyzing the responses of 1079 French-speaking subjects (338 men, 741 women, median age: 31 years) who participated in an online survey between April 27 and May 11, 2020.

Method

Negative sexual cognitions (NSC), positive sexual emotions (PSE) and negative sexual emotions (NSE) are assessed using a tool inspired by the Sexual Mode Questionnaire. Data are crossed with sociodemographic indicators, information on lockdown modalities, indices on sex life, information on psychological functioning and sexual satisfaction.

Main results

One third of the participants saw a decrease in the frequency of their sexual activities or in their sexual satisfaction. Changes in NSCs were found in 74.4% of subjects (increase: 38.4%; decrease: 36%). Emotional changes are found in between 50.7% (NSC: increase: 20.2%; decrease: 30.5%) and 60.9% (PSE: increase: 24.6%; decrease: 36.3%) of participants. The effect of lockdown on NSC, NSE, and PSE depends on gender at birth, intensity of depressive symptoms, and attachment styles. Women appear to be more vulnerable to lockdown than men. Insecure or depressed subjects also appear more vulnerable. The lockdown impact also depends on changes in the frequency of physical/digital intercourse during lockdown and the modalities of confinement. Changes in NSC, NSE, and PSE had a significant effect on sexual satisfaction during lockdown.

Conclusion

The lockdown impact on sexual emotions and cognitions is non-negligible and greater than the impact on sexual behaviors. Whether it is positive or negative, it asks about the post-confinement repercussions: what becomes of a positive impact with deconfinement? Will the negative impacts be one-off or will vulnerabilities be expressed over the long-term?

Impact du confinement COVID19 sur les cognitions et émotions sexuelles

Objectifs

Etudier l’impact du confinement COVID19 sur les cognitions et émotions ressenties lors des rapports sexuels par l’analyse des réponses de 1079 sujets francophones (338 hommes, 741 femmes, âge médian : 31 ans) ayant participé à une enquête en ligne entre le 27 avril et le 11 mai 2020.

Méthode

Les cognitions sexuelles négatives (CSN) et les émotions sexuelles positives (ESP) et négatives (ESN) sont recensées à partir d’un outil inspiré du Sexual Mode Questionnaire de Nobre et Pinto-Gouveia (2003). Les données sont croisées avec des indicateurs sociodémographiques, des informations concernant les modalités de confinement, des indices sur la vie sexuelle, des informations relatives au fonctionnement psychologique et la satisfaction sexuelle.

Principaux résultats

Un tiers des participants ont vu la fréquence de leurs activités sexuelles ou leur satisfaction sexuelle diminuer. Les CSN ont augmenté chez 38,4 % des sujets et diminué pour 36 % des participants. L’augmentation des ESN concerne 20.2 % des sujets, leur diminution concerne 30,5 %. Les ESP ont augmenté pour 24,6 % des participants et diminué pour 36,3 % d’entre eux. Les femmes, les sujets insécures et ceux présentant des symptômes dépressif apparaissent plus particulièrement fragilisées par le confinement. L’impact du confinement dépend également des changements de fréquence des relations sexuelles physiques/digitales pendant le confinement et des modalités de confinement. Les changements des CSN, des ESN et des ESP ont eu un effet significatif sur la satisfaction sexuelle ressentie pendant le confinement.

Conclusion

L’impact du confinement sur les émotions et cognitions sexuelles est non-négligeable et plus important que l’impact sur les comportements sexuels. Qu’il soit positif ou négatif, il interroge concernant les répercussions post-confinement : quel devenir d’un impact positif avec le déconfinement ? Les répercussions négatives seront-elles ponctuelles ou les vulnérabilités s’exprimeront-elles au long cours ?

Preliminary Evidence on How the Dual Control Model Predicts Female Sexual Response to a Bogus Negative Feedback

The Dual Control Model of sexual response has been mostly tested with men. As such, there is a lack of evidence on how such model applies to women's experience of sexual arousal, particularly when they face a threatening situation such as the threat of sexual performance failure. The aim of the current study was to test whether the Dual Control Model dimensions predict women's sexual responses to a bogus negative feedback about their sexual performance. In addition, 22 women were exposed to a sexually explicit film clip, while their genital arousal was being measured. During this presentation, a bogus negative feedback, aimed at increasing women's anxiety about their sexual performance, was provided. Vaginal photopletismography and self-report questions were used as means to evaluate women's genital and subjective sexual arousal, respectively. The Sexual Excitation/Sexual Inhibition Inventory for Women was further used to capture women's sexual dynamics. Regression analysis on the high-order factors revealed that sexual excitation proneness was the only predictor of the subjective sexual responses, while none of the factors has predicted genital arousal. "Arousability" and "Concerns about sexual function" dimensions predicted subjective sexual arousal. Sexual arousability may prevent women of lowering their subjective sexual responses in a sexually demanding situation, while "Concerns about sexual function" may have the opposite role, thus being a target of clinical interest. This work provides new data on the Dual Control Model of sexual response, and particularly on its role in women's sexual functioning.