Digitized using a Konica Minolta 211 PCL Scanner. 300dpi (OCR). / Thesis (MA (Psychology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2006. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Intimate heterosexual relationships play a vital role in shaping the lives of many people, and have therefore become an important topic of research within psychology. The South African population is also currently faced with many prevalent psychosocial problems, such as HIV/Aids, rape, violence against women and divorce, which need to be contextualised within the context of intimate heterosexual relationships. Research on intimate heterosexual relationships has therefore become a priority. In order to determine directions and priorities for such research, the objective of this assignment was to provide a review of selected international and South African research on intimate heterosexual relationships. This review focused on: the definition and operationalisation of intimate heterosexual relationships; the salient theoretical frameworks used; the characteristics of participants; as well as the methodologies employed by relationship researchers. The review highlighted the following: A variety of terms is used by relationship researchers to conceptualise intimate heterosexual relationships which makes it difficult to integrate intimate heterosexual relationship research. Although theoretical frameworks like the social learning theory, cognitive behavioural theory and some metatheoretical perspectives such as postmodernism, feminism and social constructivism are utiiised, South African relationship researchers mostly have an atheoretical approach to research. A review of the research participants revealed that most participants in South African relationship studies are married adults. While the male-female ratio of the participants was balanced, the diversity of the South African population was not well represented in these studies. Researchers mostly used qualitative research strategies and employed the survey method of data gathering. Based on these findings, it was recommended that relationship researchers should recognise the need to clarify the relationship concepts used in their studies; attempt to incorporate better-known relationship theories; ensure that the South African population is well represented; and to combine qualitative research strategies with quantitative research strategies. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMINGE: Intieme heteroseksuele verhoudings speel 'n deurslaggewende rol in die vorming van baie mense se lewens en het daarom 'n belangrike navorsingsonderwerp in sielkunde geword. Die SuidAfrikaanse populasie staar tans verskeie psigososiaie probleme so os MIVNigs, verkragting, geweld teen vrou en egskeiding in die gesig, wat almal binne die konteks van intieme heteroseksuele verhoudings gekonseptualiseer behoort te word. Navorsing oor intieme heteroseksuele verhoudings het daarom 'n prioriteit geword. Ten einde rigtings en prioriteite vir sulke navorsing te bepaal, was die doel van hierdie werksopdrag om 'n oorsig te voorsien van selektiewe internasionale en Suid-Afrikaanse navorsing oor intieme heteroseksuele verhoudings. Hierdie oorsig het gefokus op: die definisie en operasionalisering van intieme heteroseksuele verhoudings; die prominente teoretiese raamwerke wat gebruik is; die karaktereienskappe van die deelnemers; so wei as die metodologiee wat deur verhoudingsnavorsers gebruik is. Die oorsig het die volgende duidelik gemaak: 'n Verskeidenheid van terme word deur verhoudingsnavorsers gebruik om intieme heteroseksuele verhoudings te konseptualiseer en die die integrasie van intieme heteroseksuele verhoudingsnavorsing word daardeur bemoeilik. Alhoewel teoretiese raamwerke soos die sosiale leerteorie, kognitiewe gedragsteorie en sekere metateoretiese perspektiewe soos postmodernisme, feminisme en sosiale konstruktivisme gebruik word, het Suid-Afrikaanse verhoudingsnavorsers grotendeels 'n ateoretiese benadering tot navorsing. 'n Oorsig van die deelnemers van die studies het getoon dat die meeste deelnemers in Suid-Afrikaanse verhoudingstudies getroude volwassenes is. Terwyle die manvrou ratio van die deelnemers gebalanseerd was, is die diversiteit van die Suid-Afrikaanse populasie nie goed verteenwoordig in die studies nie. Navorsers gebruik meestal kwalitatiewe navorsingstrategiee en gebruik grotendeels die opame-metode van dataherwinning. Op grond van hierdie bevindinge, is daar aanbeveel dat verhoudingsnavorsers die behoefte aan die verheldering van verhoudingskonsepte in hulle studies moet herken; moet poog om meer bekende verhoudingsteoriee te inkorporeer; te verseker dat die Suid-Afrikaanse populasie goed verteenwoordig is; en kwalitatiewe navorsingsstrategiee met kwantitatiewe navorsingstrategiee moet kombineer.

Historiskt sett har mycket förändrats inom den kvinnliga sexualiteten, kvinnorna har gått från att inte ha några rättigheter alls till att under 1900-talet få fler och fler rättigheter. Hjärnan har stor betydelse för den sexuella lusten och många faktorer påverkar kvinnans lust. Påverkande faktorer på kvinnors lust och sexualliv efter att de har fött barn är bland annat fysiska, psykiska och hormonella. Syftet med studien är att beskriva kvinnors upplevelse av den sexuella lusten och sexuallivet efter att de har fött sitt första barn. Författarna har intervjuat kvinnor om deras upplevelse av sin sexuella lust samt sexuallivet när barnet var 9-18 månader, då kvinnan förmodas ha uppnått en trygghet i sin föräldraroll. En kvalitativ innehållsanalys med induktiv ansats användes vid analys och tolkning av intervjuerna i syfte att hitta essensen och få fram ett resultat. Förändringen det innebär att bli mamma leder till att den sexuella lusten minskar för flertalet kvinnor. Detta påverkade i sin tur att sexuallivet med partnern minskade i frekvens. En framträdande faktor som påverkade lusten och sexuallivet var trötthet, vilket gjorde att sömnen prioriterades. Kvinnorna kände sig även distraherade av barnets närvaro vid samlag samt att amningen innebar att bröstens syfte förändrades. De flesta kvinnorna upplevde trots allt att mammarollen medfört positiva förändringar för dem själva, hur de såg på sin kropp samt att de fått ett nyvunnet självförtroende. En minskad sexuell lust eller en minskad frekvens av sexuallivet under en period av livet innebar inte att kvinnan upplevde en nedsatt sexuell hälsa. Kvinnorna hade önskat en rakare kommunikation med barnmorskan runt den sexuella hälsan. Det är således av stor vikt att barnmorskor förbättrar sin kunskapsnivå om den kvinnliga sexuella hälsan.Abstract: Historically, much has changed in female sexuality, women have gone from not having any rights at all to in the 1900s getting more and more rights. The brain are important for sexual desire and many factors affect a woman´s desire. Influencing factors on women's desire and intimate sexual relationship after they have given birth include physical, psychological and hormonal. The aim of the study was to describe women's experience of sexual desire and intimate sexual relationship after she has given birth to her first child. The authors have interviewed nine women about their experience of sexual desire and intimate sexual relationship when the child was 9-18 months old, when the woman is believed to have achieved a sense of security in her parental role. A qualitative content analysis with an inductive approach was used in the analysis and interpretation of the interviews in order to find the essence and get a result. The change it means to be a mother leads to a decrease in sexual desire for most women. This in turn affected the intimate sexual relationship with the partner which decreased in frequency. A prominent factor influencing desire and intimate sexual relationship were fatigue, which made sleep a priority. The women also felt distracted by the child's presence during intercourse and that breastfeeding meant that the breasts purpose changed. Most women felt that motherhood after all brought positive changes for themselves, how they viewed their body and that they received a new confidence. A decrease in sexual desire or a decreased frequency of the intimate sexual relationship during a period of life does not mean that the woman experienced decreased sexual health. The women would have preferred a more direct communication with the midwife around sexual health. It is thus very important that midwives improve their level of knowledge about female sexual health. / Program: Barnmorskeutbildning