The Peak of Pleasure: US Southern Black Women's Definitions of and Feelings Toward Sexual Pleasure

Physical Aspects of Sexuality, Attachment, and Sexual Satisfaction

Healthy sexuality includes relational, emotional, and physical elements as noted in the sexual wholeness model. Genital acceptance (emotional comfort with reactions to genitalia) and physical sexual knowledge (knowledge of the physical aspects of sex) are two areas of physical relationships that may be associated with sexual satisfaction. Attachment is a factor that has been associated with sexual relationships and may be an intervening variable between the physical aspects of sex and sexual satisfaction. Data from a dyadic sample of 515 couples were analyzed. Structural equation modeling was used to estimate the direct and indirect actor and partner effects of physical sexual knowledge and genital acceptance on sexual satisfaction, working through mechanisms of anxious and avoidant attachment. Findings revealed that genital acceptance and physical sexual knowledge, particularly knowledge about the female body, were associated with lower levels of insecure attachment and greater satisfaction with sexual relationships.

Rapping about pleasure: the role of Black women's rap music in shaping Black women's sexual attitudes

Black women's sexuality has historically been constrained by stereotypes and a discourse focused on risks rather than pleasure. Early Black women rappers initiated vital conversations about sexual pleasure, with contemporary Black women rappers continuing to challenge norms and define Black women's sexualities. Grounded in Hip-Hop Feminism and Sexual Script Theory, this study explores how Black women interpret and find meaning in sexual pleasure-focused lyrics in Black women's rap music and how these interpretations shape their sexual self-concepts and navigation of systemic oppression. Through semi-structured interviews with 20 Black women aged 20-42 years who frequently listen to Black women rappers, thematic and discourse analysis identified three key themes: (a) prioritising sexual pleasure as a means of self-empowerment; (b) practising assertiveness as a means to achieving sexual pleasure; and (c) celebrating the body as an act of sexual pleasure. Black women rappers' unapologetic discussion of sexual pleasure empowers Black women to reclaim sexuality on their own terms, independent of dominant societal narratives. This study extends existing literature on Hip-Hop Feminism by demonstrating the transformative potential of culturally relevant media in fostering sex-positive attitudes and advocates for incorporating these messages into sexual health education for Black women.

The Prioritization of Women's Orgasms During Heterosex: A Critical Feminist Review of the Implications for Women's Sexual Liberation

Orgasm is considered by many to be an essential part of women's ideal sexual experiences. As a result, sexual liberation narratives have often advocated for the prioritization of women's orgasms - particularly during heterosex - framing them as a central indicator of "good," healthy, liberated sex. However, scholars have increasingly critiqued these narratives, arguing that they result in an orgasm imperative that has negatively impacted women's sexual lives. Perspectives that promote the prioritization of women's orgasm and those that warn against the negative repercussions strive for the same thing - to draw attention to women's sexuality in ways that will lead to more pleasurable, enjoyable, and equitable sex for women overall. Yet, together, they offer contradictory messages about the role that women's orgasms can or should play in women's sexual liberation. For example, one could argue that it perhaps makes sense to prioritize women's orgasms given that they often are highly pleasurable for women, center a unique form of embodied pleasure, and offer a supposedly clear objective for women and their men partners. On the other hand, such narratives frame women's orgasm absence as abnormal, concede to men's sexuality in problematic ways, and constrain more comprehensive possibilities for women's sexual pleasure. In this critical feminist review, I offer a summative outline of these and other contradictions, focusing on how narratives prioritizing women's orgasms can have simultaneous benefits and negative repercussions when it comes to (1) women's sexual pleasure, (2) the medicalization/pathologization of women's orgasms, and (3) heterosex norms.

An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of Black Women's Meaning and Experiences of Sexual Anxiety

Sexual anxiety can activate the stress response cycle during sex, compromising a woman's ability to experience sexual pleasure. Black women face additional cultural and contextual factors, such as hypersexualization, partner scarcity, and higher rates of sexual trauma that may increase the magnitude, frequency, and odds of experiencing sexual anxiety. However, limited research has explored this phenomenon among Black women. Thus, we sought to qualitatively explore how N = 25 premenopausal Black women living in the southern United States make meaning of experiences with sexual anxiety. We analyzed the interview data using an interpretive phenomenological approach. Three components of the phenomenon of sexual anxiety were gleaned: 1) causes of sexual anxiety, 2) characteristics of sexual anxiety, and 3) coping strategies. Each component included three to six elements of meaning making. For these Black women, causes of sexual anxiety included fears of sexual pain, partner unfamiliarity, previous traumas, mental health concerns, and intersecting socio-structural factors. Characteristics of sexual anxiety included mental, somatic, and emotional elements. Coping strategies included having a reassuring and supportive sex partner, supporting themselves with affirmations and mindfulness, attending therapy, and using substances. Through reflection about their perceived causes of, experienced characteristics of, and intentional coping with sexual anxiety, meanings were co-constructed through an intersectional frame. Implications for intersectionality-informed interventions and suggestions for mental health professionals and partners are discussed.

What Sexual Problems Does a Sample of LGB+ People Report Having, and How Do They Define Sexual Pleasure: A Qualitative Study to Inform Clinical Practice

Introduction: Sexual pleasure is a human right and a central aspect of human sexuality that contributes significantly to people's overall well-being, making it an essential element to consider in clinical settings. This study aims to expand the understanding of sexual pleasure by examining how LGB+ people (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and other minority sexual orientations)-who perceived having a sexual problem-define solitary and partnered sexual pleasure. Methods: A cross-sectional exploratory qualitative study was conducted online. The current study included 85 people who self-identified as LGB+ and reported experiencing a sexual problem. Data analysis was performed using summative content analysis. Results: The results for solitary sexual pleasure comprised the creation of 5 categories (Enhancing the relationship with oneself, Specification of solitary pleasure, Negative experience, Unrestrained experience and A goal). For partnered sexual pleasure, 9 categories were created (The perks of being with another, Openness to experience, A result of sexual techniques, Psychophysiological experience, Misconceptions about sexual pleasure, Absence of intrapersonal constraints, Undesirable feelings, Explicit consent, and Absence of interpersonal constraints). Discussion: Despite reporting sexual problems, most participants reported having experienced sexual pleasure, and were able to define it. This study provided a deeper understanding of the perspectives on and experiences of sexuality among LGB+ people who experience sexual problems. Our findings highlight that current diagnostic criteria (e.g., DSM-5) do not seem to align with the problems reported by this sample population (the problems presented are beyond their sexual function). This reinforces the importance of viewing sexual problems from a perspective that goes beyond the categorial psychopathology model. Our study's findings may offer valuable insights for the evaluation and treatment of sexual problems, where sexual pleasure is considered a crucial aspect of sexual well-being.

From Sin to Sexual Self-Awareness: Black Women's Reflection on Lifetime Masturbation

To date, there has been very little empirical research on Black women's masturbation practices and views on masturbation. This study fills the gap by exploring the messages Black women received about masturbation and self-pleasure and the sources of these messages using valence theory. Data were collected in 2021 from 242 Black women who participated in a survey during phase one of the triphasic Big Sex Study. Thematic analysis was used to analyze this short-form qualitative data. Results indicated a range of responses, with mixed messages reported more than negative, positive, and neutral messages. The three primary sources of messages were religion, family, and friends. There were several themes across the valence of messages including the development of positive messages, sexual self-awareness, masturbation as sin, health benefits and consequences, relationship difficulties, devaluation, and masturbation as dirty and gross. These results provide a basis for sexuality professionals to improve sociocultural knowledge about masturbation beliefs, practices, and message sources among Black women.

Sexual Repertoire, Duration of Partnered Sex, Sexual Pleasure, and Orgasm: Findings from a US Nationally Representative Survey of Adults

In a confidential U.S. nationally representative survey of 2,525 adults (1300 women, 1225 men), we examined participants' event-level sexual behaviors, predictors of pleasure and orgasm, and perceived actual and ideal duration of sex, by gender and age. Event-level kissing, cuddling, vaginal intercourse, and oral sex were prevalent. Sexual choking was more prevalent among adults under 40. While women and men reported a similar actual duration of sex, men reported a longer ideal duration. Participants with same-sex partners reported a longer ideal duration than those with other-sex partners. Finally, findings show that gendered sexual inequities related to pleasure and orgasm persist.