High Emotional and Sexual Satisfaction Among Partnered Midlife Canadians: Associations with Relationship Characteristics, Sexual Activity and Communication, and Health

Determinants of Sexual Health Status of Menopausal Women in Osun State, Nigeria

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to assess sexual health status and associated factors in menopausal women.

METHODS

The study employed a descriptive, cross-sectional design. It included 420 menopausal women aged 40-65 years from Ilesa West Local Government Area of Osun State. A structured questionnaire was used, and the data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics.

RESULTS

The mean age of the study respondents was 54.74 ± 5.49 years. A little over half (52.4%) of the respondents exhibited good sexual health status, whereas 47.6% had poor sexual health status. Logistic regression analysis revealed that lack of financial resources (P = 0.01; odds ratio [OR], 4.00; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.45-11.02), loss of partner (P = 0.01; OR, 9.18; 95% CI, 2.89-29.09), and limited communication with partner (P = 0.01; OR, 3.12; 95% CI, 1.51-6.46) were predictors of poor sexual health status.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides insight into the determinants of the sexual health status of menopausal women, which may help health care providers and policymakers develop effective strategies to improve the sexual health of menopausal women.

Romantic Attachment and Sexual Desire: The Role of Desire Target

Attachment insecurities are characterized by distinct approaches to intimacy and sex, yet their roles in sexual desire remain largely unexamined. Drawing from theories of attachment and behavioral motivation, the current study investigated the role of attachment insecurities in sexual desire and how that role differs by desire target. The Sexual Desire Inventory provided both a general dyadic desire measure and a measure differentiating between partner-specific desire and desire for an attractive potential sexual partner (attractive other desire). In a sample of 321 young adults (51% men), two structural equation models (SEMs) were compared, each with attachment predicting desire: a Dyadic Combined model and a Partner Type model. Models accounted for gender, relationship status, sexual identity, racial/ethnic identity, number of previous sexual partners, and measurement error. Preliminary confirmatory factor analyses indicated adequate factor loadings (>.40) for both desire measures, yet superior fit for the partner type measure. In the SEMs, the Partner Type model outperformed the Dyadic Combined model across all indices. Attachment avoidance predicted lower partner-specific desire, yet higher attractive other desire. Attachment anxiety predicted higher partner-specific desire, yet was unrelated to attractive other desire. Findings suggest the discomfort with intimacy characterized by attachment avoidance deters interest in sex with romantic partners, yet may enhance sexual interest in nonattachment figures. Several discrepant associations across desire measures indicate that distinguishing between desire targets is critical for fully understanding individual differences in desire. Partner-specific sexual desire may be a unique experience that should not be conflated with other forms of sexual desire.

Sexual Desire Emerges from Subjective Sexual Arousal, but the Connection Depends on Desire Type and Relationship Satisfaction

According to models of responsive sexual desire, desire emerges from sexual arousal. This study examined how sexual desire type (dyadic-partner, dyadic-other, solitary) and relationship satisfaction affect the connection between subjective sexual arousal (SSA) and desire. Women (N = 100; 27% with sexual interest/arousal disorder symptoms) reported SSA while viewing a sexual film. Solitary and dyadic responsive sexual desire were assessed immediately before and following the film (immediate desire) and three days later (delayed desire). SSA predicted higher immediate solitary desire. SSA also predicted higher immediate dyadic desire, and this link was stronger for those with higher relationship satisfaction; for those with low relationship satisfaction, SSA was unrelated. For delayed desire, SSA predicted higher dyadic-partner desire, regardless of relationship satisfaction. SSA also predicted higher dyadic-other desire, yet this association was stronger for those with low relationship satisfaction; for those with high relationship satisfaction, SSA was unrelated to dyadic-other desire. Findings support the theoretical premise that desire emerges from arousal, but that this connection is dependent upon additional factors, specifically the target and timing of desire and participants' current relationship quality. Relationship satisfaction may affect the motivational value of sex with (and without) a current partner.

Body image self-consciousness, sexting, and sexual satisfaction among midlife Canadians

Life circumstances at midlife are often different than those for younger adults (e.g., relationship type and duration, physical health, experience of sexual problems), and these circumstances impact experiences of sexuality and sexual behaviour. Past research on sexual behaviours like sexting, which has been primarily conducted on young people, may not generalize to middle-aged adults. Sexting may be a beneficial activity for midlife adults in long-term relationships who are seeking private and convenient ways to communicate sexual interest. Furthermore, as in younger samples, sexting may be associated with body image and sexual satisfaction. A cross-sectional study with a sample of 640 midlife (40–59 years old) married Canadians was conducted to address these suppositions. Structural equation modelling was used to test the factorial validity of a body image self-consciousness (BISC) scale and to investigate the connections between BISC, sexting frequency (to communicate sexual interest, to initiate sexual activity, and that include a picture), and sexual satisfaction. Almost one-half of participants (43%) reported sexting to communicate sexual interest, 37% sexted to initiate sexual activity, and 18% sexted sexy pictures of themselves. Women with lower levels of BISC were more likely to sext (communicate, initiate, and pictures), and men with lower levels of BISC were more likely to send sexts with pictures. Both men and women with lower levels of BISC and those who engaged in sexting to communicate sexual interest had higher levels of sexual satisfaction. Sexting may be an opportunity for busy marital partners to engage in technology-mediated sexual activity when apart. The current results indicate that technology-mediated sexual communication has similar psychological mechanisms to face-to-face interactions and that sexting may be a beneficial behaviour for sexual satisfaction within midlife marriages.

Expectations and Sexual Desire in Romantic Relationships: An Experimental Investigation of Pleasure and Emotional Closeness Expectancies among Young Adults

Drawing from expectancy-value theory, the current study documented expected likelihoods (i.e., expectancies) of orgasm, non-orgasmic sexual pleasure, and emotional closeness during sex with a romantic partner, then tested their causal roles in sexual desire. Participants (N = 582, 50.3% women) were drawn from college student and online samples of young adults in the US. Expectancies were high overall; men reported much higher orgasm expectancies than women and this gender difference was larger in the college sample. Using a within-subjects, factorial experimental design, hypothetical vignettes manipulated participants' expectancies (high/low) pertaining to sex with a romantic partner. Multilevel models indicated emotional closeness expectancies had the strongest effects on men's and women's desire. Orgasm expectancies had stronger effects among the online sample, yet had the weakest effects on desire overall. Both emotional closeness and non-orgasmic pleasure expectancies had stronger effects on women's desire than on men's. Findings indicate young adults' expectations for their romantic sexual experiences may play strong roles in stimulating or stifling their sexual desire, suggesting some desire differences may be partially explained by differences in expectancies, and underscore sex as an important mechanism for fostering intimacy and experiencing pleasure for both young men and young women. Implications for clinical practice are discussed.

Influence of modafinil on early ejaculation - Results from a double-blind randomized clinical trial

BACKGROUND

For men, early ejaculation is a serious health concern. Here, we tested the influence of modafinil (Profinil®) on early ejaculation. To this end, we performed a double-blind randomized clinical trial among men with early ejaculation.

METHODS

A total of 46 men with early ejaculation (mean age: 37.35 years) and in stable marital relationships with regular weekly penile-vaginal intercourse were randomly assigned either to the modafinil (100 mg) or to the placebo condition. Compounds were taken about 4-6h before intended penile-vaginal intercourse. At baseline and four weeks later at the end of the study, participants completed a series of self-rating questionnaires covering early ejaculation. Female partners also rated their male partners' early ejaculation profile.

RESULTS

Dimensions of early ejaculation improved over time, but only so in the modafinil condition, while no improvements were observed in the placebo condition.

CONCLUSIONS

Among male adults in stable marital relationships with regular weekly penile-vaginal intercourse modafinil improved dimensions of early ejaculation, always compared to placebo. Given the strong effect of modafinil on cognitive-executive processes, it is conceivable, that modafinil acted both via physiological and cognitive-executive pathways.

Women's sexual satisfaction in the context of midlife relationships: examining an ecological model

This study examined an ecological model of sexual satisfaction in midlife women. Participants were 1,411 midlife women who participated in the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study. Regression analyses were used to test the hypothesis that an ecological model - including the macrosystem level variable of religiosity, the exosystem level variables of SES, social support, and parenthood, the mesosystem level variables of affectual solidarity, relationship length, and sexual functioning, and the microsystem level variables of age, negative affect, and physical health - would together predict sexual satisfaction. Partial support for an ecological understanding of sexual satisfaction was found.

Influence of Lisdexamfetamine Dimesylate on Early Ejaculation-Results from a Double-Blind Randomized Clinical Trial

BACKGROUND

Among male sexual dysfunctions, erectile dysfunction and early ejaculation have the highest prevalence rates. Here, we tested the influence of lisdexamfetamine dimesylate (Vyas®) on early ejaculation. To this end, we performed a double-blind randomized clinical trial among males with early ejaculation.

METHODS

A total of 46 males with early ejaculation (mean age: 35.23 years) and in stable marital relationships with regular weekly penile-vaginal intercourse were randomly assigned either to the lisdexamfetamine dimesylate condition (30 mg) or to the placebo condition. Compounds were taken about six hours before intended penile-vaginal intercourse. At baseline and four weeks later at the end of the study, participants completed a series of self-rating questionnaires covering early ejaculation. Female partners also rated participants' early ejaculation profile.

RESULTS

Compared to the placebo condition, dimensions of early ejaculation improved over time in the lisdexamfetamine condition, though improvements were also observed in the placebo condition.

CONCLUSIONS

Among male adults in stable marital relationships with regular weekly penile-vaginal intercourse, lisdexamfetamine dimesylate improved dimensions of early ejaculation. Given that improvements were also observed in the placebo condition, psychological factors such as increased attention to early ejaculation and favorable expectations of the compound should be considered.

Sexual satisfaction in nasopharyngeal carcinoma survivors: Rates and determinants

OBJECTIVES

Sexual health problems have been identified as an unmet need in head and neck cancer (HNC) survivors. In particular, little is known about such outcomes in survivors of nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A cross-sectional study of NPC survivors with ≥4y follow-up was undertaken. Sexual satisfaction was assessed using the optional "I am satisfied with my sex life" item of the FACT-H&N. Other patient-reported outcomes measures were also captured including fatigue (FACIT-F), HNC symptom burden (MDASI-HN), emotional distress (HADS) and frontal function (FrSBE). Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to determine factors influencing sexual satisfaction.

RESULTS

The sexual satisfaction item was answered by 85/103 (83%) enrollees. Female (p < 0.001) and non-partnered (p = 0.0045) patients were more likely to abstain from answering. The distribution of responses were: "very much" (26%), "quite a bit" (21%), "somewhat" (20%), "a little bit" (13%) and "not at all" (20%). Sexual satisfaction was associated with multiple patient-reported measures on univariate analysis, including quality of life, fatigue, a priori selected HNC symptoms (pain, taste), emotional distress, frontal lobe function, body image and relationship strength. On multivariate analysis, only relationship strength and emotional distress remained significant. Sociodemographic factors (age, sex, marital status) and other selected orofacial toxicities were not significant.

CONCLUSIONS

Nearly half (47%) of our sample reported being in the higher satisfaction range. While reassuring in the context of comparative population level data, a number of factors including toxicity, psychological and social factors were associated with sexual satisfaction responses. Prospective evaluation of this unmet need is required.