La presente investigación examinó la relación que existe entre la ansiedad rasgo y estado con el deseo sexual en universitarios de sexo masculino y femenino de Lima Metropolitana. Se aplicó el Inventario de Ansiedad Rasgo-Estado (IDARE) adaptado por Alarcón, R. y la Prueba de Deseo Sexual elaborada en el Taller de Elaboración de Pruebas de la Universidad Ricardo Palma por Aristondo, J., Bayona, C., Huamaní, C., y Marzuka, N., en una muestra de 113 participantes hombres y mujeres de las universidades PUCP, URP y ULIMA de la ciudad de Lima. Se utilizaron los estadísticos Rho de Spearman, Alpha de Cronbach, Kolmogorov- Smirnov y t de student con un nivel de significatividad de 0.05. The present investigation examined the relationship that exists between trait anxiety and been with the sexual desire in male and female university students of Lima Metropolitan The adapted Trait-State Anxiety Inventory (IDARE) was applied by Alarcón, R. and the Test of Sexual Desire prepared in the Elaboration Workshop of Tests of the Ricardo Palma University by Aristondo, J., Bayona, C., Huamaní, C., and Marzuka, N., in a sample of 113 male participants and women from the PUCP, URP and ULIMA universities in the city of Lima. HE used Rho statistic from Spearman, Alpha from Cronbach, Kolmogorov- Smirnov and student t with a significance level of 0.05.

Malgré le rôle central qu’ils jouent dans la sexualité, le désir sexuel et le comportement sexuel restent mal compris – particulièrement chez les couples. La rareté des résultats empiriques dans ce domaine contribue à l’écart qui existe actuellement entre la recherche en sexualité et la pratique clinique, et peut impacter négativement la qualité des soins disponibles aux nombreux couples qui consultent pour des problèmes de désir sexuel - la plainte la plus courante en thérapie sexuelle. L'objectif des trois articles de cette recherche doctorale était d'aider à combler cette lacune en étudiant le désir sexuel dans le cadre d’une perspective relationnelle. L’hypothèse de départ de ce travail était que le bien-être de chaque partenaire est influencé en interaction avec l’autre partenaire, et que cette influence est médiée en partie par le comportement sexuel du couple. Les résultats obtenus appuient cette hypothèse : Ils suggèrent que les interactions positives pendant les rapports sexuels, telles que les motivations d'approche « pour soi » et « pour l’autre » des deux partenaires et les comportements génitaux et affectifs du couple sont associées à une plus grande satisfaction sexuelle et à un plus fort sentiment d’intimité (étude 1). À l'inverse, les difficultés sexuelles telles que le faible désir sexuel sont associées à des restrictions de comportement sexuel et à l'insatisfaction sexuelle (étude 2). De même, les asynchronies entre partenaires telles que les décalages de désir sexuel sont associées à une plus grande détresse sexuelle (étude 3). Enfin, la troisième étude commence à établir une direction et une portée à ces associations, en suggérant que les problèmes de décalage de désir sexuel prédisent la détresse sexuelle d'un jour à l'autre, et que ces associations quotidiennes sont reflétées par des associations plus distales sur des périodes d’un an ou plus. Ces résultats sont cohérents avec les recherches récentes sur la régulation émotionnelle en sexualité, et plus spécifiquement, avec des modèles où le désir sexuel joue un rôle régulateur, médié par des variations de comportement sexuel. Il est espéré qu'au-delà de ces contributions conceptuelles, la présente recherche sera utile aux cliniciens. En particulier, ces résultats soutiennent les thérapies qui se concentrent sur les interactions quotidiennes entre les partenaires pour aider les couples aux prises avec des problèmes de désir sexuel. / Despite the central role they play in sexuality, sexual desire and sexual behaviour remain poorly understood in committed couples. The paucity of empirical results in this area contributes to the distance between research and clinical practice, and negatively impacts the quality of care offered to the many couples seeking help for sexual desire issues – the most common complaint in sex therapy. The objective of the three articles in this doctoral research was to help address this gap by studying sexual desire within a relational perspective, working from the assumption that each partner’s wellbeing was influenced by that of the other partner, and that this influence was mediated in part by the couples’ sexual behaviour. Results from this research suggest that positive interactions during sex, such as self- and other-approach motives and genital and affective behaviours, are associated with greater sexual satisfaction and intimacy (study 1). In contrast, sexual difficulties such as low sexual desire are associated with restrictions in sexual behaviour and sexual dissatisfaction (study 2), and asynchronies between partners such as sexual desire discrepancy are associated with sexual distress (study 3). Furthermore, the third study begins to establish a direction and span to these associations, by suggesting that issues with sexual desire discrepancy are predictive of sexual distress from one day to the next, and that these daily associations are mirrored by more distal associations spanning a year or more. These results are consistent with recent research on emotional regulation in sexuality, and more specifically, with proposals that sexual desire plays a regulatory role in the couple, mediated by variations in sexual behaviour. It is hoped that, beyond these conceptual contributions, this research will be of use to clinicians. In particular, these results support the use of therapies that focus on everyday interactions between partners to help couples struggling with sexual desire issues.

Using latent growth curve modeling, this longitudinal study examined the patterns of the discrepancy between desired and actual frequency of sexual intercourse for 331 married couples over a period of 5 years. In addition, couple insecure attachment and control variables such as age, length of relationship, income, race, and education were used to predict each partner's sexual desire discrepancy (SDD) and its change over the 5 year time period. Participants were asked to report their actual frequency of sexual intercourse and their desired frequency in each wave of data collection. Discrepancy scores were created for each year by subtracting the reported actual frequency from the reported desired frequency separately for wives and for husbands. In terms of change over time, findings showed a significant change across time for wives with a trend toward less discrepancy over time. Husbands' discrepancy scores were higher than wives and remained stable over the five years. Insecure attachment predicted the average SDD for husbands. Wife income predicted the change in SDD over the five years for husbands but not for wives. Wife race predicted the average SDD for husbands. Implications for research and clinical use are highlighted.

Thesis (DPhil (Social Work))--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / It is a common phenomenon that women’s sexual desire diminishes in relationships, yet, to date, limited research has been done locally on this topic. International studies indicate that low sexual desire affects more than half of women, and that an even greater proportion of women indicate that they have sexual intercourse with their husbands without they themselves having a desire to do so. In spite of this, there is an expectation in society that couples should continue to have an active sex life. Low sexual desire may lead to distress in the individual or discord in the couple, and in this aspect the practitioner can render a service. The aim of this study was to gain a better understanding of the life-world of women with low sexual desire towards their life-partners, and the extent to which this causes her distress or impedes on her relationship. The objectives of the study thus included providing an overview of models of sexual response, an evaluation of the diagnostic criteria for sexual dysfunctions, and an exploration of factors affecting the experience of sexual desire, including the role of social scripts on sexual behaviour. The context for the study is provided by a review of relevant literature, and a qualitative study with a phenomenological interpretative approach was executed. Data gathering focused on a nonprobable purposive sample of ten participants, and used an interview schedule with open-ended questions. Seven themes emerged from the analysis of the data, namely (1) perceptions of sexual desire, (2) experience of sexual desire, (3) experience of sex life without desire, (4) the perceived impact of low desire on the individual or the relationship, (5) personal reasons for decline in desire, (6) relationship factors affecting sexual desire, and (7) the experience of low desire in the socio-cultural context. It was found that ‘desire’ is difficult to conceptualise, that women put a higher premises on the emotional component of desire, and that there is a difference between innate sexual desires and desire that is evoked by stimuli. Reasons for low sexual desire include an array of personal medial, psychological, and life context factors, and in many cases the lack of desire is specific to the present life-partner. Women are especially sensitive to a wide variety of aspects in the relationship and with regards to their partners, and it emerged that even in happy and intimate relationships low sexual desire is experienced. Women experience a loss of emotional intimacy as a result of low sexual desire but do not necessarily feel that their low desire is abnormal. The impact on the relationship is limited mostly because women concede to sex for many reasons, including a need for emotional intimacy. Many strategies, including faking orgasms, are implemented to cope with sexual relationships in the absence of desire. It also appears that social scripts have a big influence on the inception of negative perceptions on sexuality, and generate unreasonable and idealistic expectations of sexual experiences in long-term relationships. Several recommendations flowed from the findings and conclusions. The most important recommendation is that professional people should gain a deeper understanding of the complexity of the phenomenon of low desire in women, in order to render a more effective therapeutic intervention.

BAKGRUND: Prostatacancer (PCa) är den vanligaste cancerformen bland män i Sverige. Efter kirurgisk behandling, radikal prostatektomi (RP), drabbas många av urininkontinens och sexuella besvär. Studier på kvinnor visar att urininkontinens påverkar sexuell lust men det finns få liknande studier bland män. SYFTE: Syftet med studien är att jämföra självskattad sexuell lust bland män med och utan inkontinens, ett år efter RP. METOD: Denna kvantitativa tvärsnittstudie utgår från enkätmaterial insamlat i en pågående prospektiv studie. Data insamlat bland 1751 män, ett år efter RP, har analyserats och jämförts mellan två grupper (fall-kontrollstudie). RESULTAT: Resultatet visar att män med urininkontinens skattar lägre sexuell lust, ett år efter RP, än män utan urininkontinens samt att de i högre grad beskriver tanken på ett fortsatt liv med sina sexualproblem med negativa begrepp. KONKLUSION: Män som genomgått RP, och i synnerhet de som har urininkontinens, har nedsättningar i sexuallivet. Sjuksköterskan bör uppmärksamma och ge tid till samtal om påverkan på sexuallivet efter RP, med både patient och partner. Ökad kunskap inom området bidrar till ökad förståelse, och behövs för att sjuksköterskor ska kunna hjälpa dessa patienter. Nedsatt sexuell lust hos män är ett outforskat område och vidare forskning behövs. / BACKGROUND: Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common form of cancer among Swedish men. Urinary incontinence and sexual dysfunction are two side effects that many men experience after surgery, radical prostatectomy (RP). Previous studies show that urinary incontinence has negative effects on women’s sexual desire. Few similar studies concern men. AIM: The aim of the study is to compare self-reported sexual desire among men with and without urinary incontinence, one year post-surgical treatment (RP). METHOD: This quantitative, cross-sectional study is based on a self-reported survey from an ongoing prospective study. Data collected from 1751 men, one year post-treatment, have been analyzed and compared between two groups (case-control study). RESULT: The result shows that men with urinary incontinence after RP have less sexual desire than men without urinary incontinence. These men are also less satisfied with the idea of spending the rest of their lives with their sexual problems. CONCLUSION: Men that have undergone RP, especially the ones who have urinary incontinence, experience sexual dysfunction. Nurses need to acknowledge and initiate dialogues with patients and their partners about effects on sexual life after RP. Research concerning men’s sexual desire will help nurses’ knowledge and ability to discuss sexual problems. More studies about men’s reduced sexual desire are necessary.

The comorbidity between female sexual dysfunction (FSD) and major depressive disorder (MDD) is well documented; however, the mechanism(s) underlying the relationship between these disorders has not been defined. The literature has associated the adrenal hormones cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) with FSD and MDD, suggesting a biological mechanism that may elucidate the comorbidity between these disorders. Based on evidence pointing to a high cortisol/DHEA ratio (C/D Ratio) in MDD and low DHEA in FSD, this study investigated if the potential association between a high C/D Ratio and FSD would be greater for women with a history of MDD when compared to women without a history of MDD. Two groups of women (MDD history group; control group), each with a range of sexual function, collected saliva samples, completed questionnaires, and participated in a clinical interview and a psychophysiological assessment. Results did not support the hypothesis that the relationship between the C/D Ratio and sexual function would be greater for women with a history of MDD. Relevant to the effects of hormones on sexual function, a higher C/D Ratio was associated with lower frequency of sexual activity and lower sexual assertiveness. Results also showed DHEA positively associated with overall frequency of sexual activity, while cortisol was associated with lower subjective assessment of sexual desire/arousal prior to erotic stimuli. Lastly, secondary analyses revealed a positive association between DHEA and frequency of sexual activity, which was mediated by women's sexual desire. These results suggest that the effects of the C/D Ratio on FSD are not associated with a history of MDD. Results also point to contrasting roles for C/D Ratio and DHEA in FSD. In particular, a high C/D Ratio may have inhibitory effects on frequency of sexual activity and sexual assertiveness, while high DHEA may have facilitatory effects on sexual activity frequency through heightened sexual desire. Lastly, high cortisol may predispose women to have a negative assessment of sexual stimuli. These findings contribute to a further understanding of the roles of the C/D Ratio, DHEA, and cortisol in female sexuality and offer support for future studies investigating the role of these hormones in FSD.

The comorbidity between female sexual dysfunction (FSD) and major depressive disorder (MDD) is well documented; however, the mechanism(s) underlying the relationship between these disorders has not been defined. The literature has associated the adrenal hormones cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) with FSD and MDD, suggesting a biological mechanism that may elucidate the comorbidity between these disorders. Based on evidence pointing to a high cortisol/DHEA ratio (C/D Ratio) in MDD and low DHEA in FSD, this study investigated if the potential association between a high C/D Ratio and FSD would be greater for women with a history of MDD when compared to women without a history of MDD. Two groups of women (MDD history group; control group), each with a range of sexual function, collected saliva samples, completed questionnaires, and participated in a clinical interview and a psychophysiological assessment. Results did not support the hypothesis that the relationship between the C/D Ratio and sexual function would be greater for women with a history of MDD. Relevant to the effects of hormones on sexual function, a higher C/D Ratio was associated with lower frequency of sexual activity and lower sexual assertiveness. Results also showed DHEA positively associated with overall frequency of sexual activity, while cortisol was associated with lower subjective assessment of sexual desire/arousal prior to erotic stimuli. Lastly, secondary analyses revealed a positive association between DHEA and frequency of sexual activity, which was mediated by women's sexual desire. These results suggest that the effects of the C/D Ratio on FSD are not associated with a history of MDD. Results also point to contrasting roles for C/D Ratio and DHEA in FSD. In particular, a high C/D Ratio may have inhibitory effects on frequency of sexual activity and sexual assertiveness, while high DHEA may have facilitatory effects on sexual activity frequency through heightened sexual desire. Lastly, high cortisol may predispose women to have a negative assessment of sexual stimuli. These findings contribute to a further understanding of the roles of the C/D Ratio, DHEA, and cortisol in female sexuality and offer support for future studies investigating the role of these hormones in FSD.

Romantic couples with children struggle to balance the needs of their romantic relationships with the responsibilities of parenting and mothers report difficulty viewing themselves as sexual beings after having children. Understanding the risk and protective factors for sexual and relational outcomes for couples with children or those that may have children in the future may provide insight into the dynamics of these couples and the ways in which parents can preserve relational health over time. The current study utilized Basson’s Model of Sexual Response (2000) as a conceptual theoretical framework and the Actor Partner Interdependence Model (APIM; Kenny et al., 2006) as an analytic framework for conducting couple-level research on sexual desire, sexual satisfaction, relationship satisfaction, sexual rewards and costs, and infidelity. The current study had the following four aims: 1) to develop and validate a reliable tool to measure individuals’ Attitudes Towards Mothers as Sexual Beings (ATMSB) in a sample of couples with and without children. 2) to assess differences in ATMSB and sexual/relational outcomes of ATMSB among couples with children and couples without children, 3) to examine the role of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) in influencing sexual and relational outcomes among couples with children, and 4) to investigate the impact of positive communication, partner appraisals, and sexual rewards and costs on sexual and relational outcomes among couples with children. The current study collected data from 294 individuals in mixed sex (one man and one woman) couples through an online questionnaire. In the first study, the ATMSBscale items were developed and an exploratory factor analysis was conducted yielding the following three scale factors: 1) Quality of Motherhood and Sexuality, 2) Mothers’ Sexual Functioning, 3) Mothers’ Sexual Pleasure and Enjoyment with high construct validity. A series of multiple linear regressions and structural equation models (SEM) were conducted predicting sexual desire, sexual satisfaction, relationship satisfaction, and desire discrepancies. Results indicated that ATMSB total scores and individual subscale scores predicted sexual satisfaction, relationship satisfaction, dyadic sexual desire and desire discrepancies with varying actor and partner effects among men and women with children and without children. These results indicated that when men and women endorse beliefs that mothers and sexuality are compatible, they have higher levels of sexual and relational health within the couple. Additionally, couples with children had more positive ATMSB overall and there were similarities and differences in the impact of ATMSB (and subscales) on sexual and relational outcomes between couples with children compared to those without children. In the second study, the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) score on sexual desire, desire discrepancies, sexual satisfaction, relationship satisfaction, sexual rewards and costs, and infidelity was measured among couples with children. A logistic regression and a series of multiple linear models were conducted with results indicating that for women, ACE score predicted the equality of sexual costs (EQcst). For men, higher ACE scores predicted a greater likelihood of engaging infidelity. Results from the SEM indicated that men’s ACE score predicted women’s sense of equality of sexual costs among partners (EQcst). These results indicate that ACE scores are associated with negative sexual and relational outcomes among couples with children. In the third study, the impact of positive communication, partner appraisal, and rewards and costs of the sexual relationship on sexual desire, desire discrepancies, sexual satisfaction, and relationship satisfaction was measured among couples with children. A series of multiple linear regressions and a SEM were conducted with results indicating that when individuals engage in more positive communication strategies, they have significantly higher levels of sexual satisfaction and relationship satisfaction as do their partners. More positive partner appraisals were associated with higher levels of relationship satisfaction for men and women and their partners. As a whole, a number of risk and protective factors were identified for sexual and romantic relationships among couples with children. Implications for future research, clinical work and health promotion programing targeting parents are discussed.

The objective of this thesis was to determine whether evaluative body image, affective body image, and behavioural body image were predictive of women’s sexual desire, arousal and orgasm. Results are based on self-report and body composition data from 88 women (a subset of a larger data set including men) in heterosexual romantic relationships at the time of data collection. Hierarchical multiple regression indicated that poor evaluative, affective and behavioural body image were detrimental to women’s sexual functioning. Specifically, dissatisfaction with one’s body predicted decrements in desire (β = -.31, p <.05) and arousal (β = -.35, p <.01). Similarly, feeling that others evaluate one’s body negatively, predicted decrements in desire (β = .22, p <.05) and arousal (β = .35, p <.01). Feeling negatively about one’s appearance predicted decrements in arousal (β = .26, p <.05). Negative thoughts and feelings about one’s body that influence sexual behaviours (body image self-consciousness) predicted decrements in arousal (β = -.37, p <.01) and orgasm (β = -.25, p <.05). Implications for public health messages, treatment programs, sexual problem assessments and directions for future research are discussed. / Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council

Motivations for sex have an impact on sexual desire, and relationship and sexual satisfaction. However, it is not known whether motivations for pretending orgasm similarly impact these constructs. In three studies, North American men and women (N = 525) in committed relationships between the ages of 18 and 29 were recruited via Amazon Mechanical Turk to complete an online survey. In Study 1, exploratory factor analysis revealed that motives for feigning orgasm could be organized into six categories: Intoxication, Partner Self-Esteem, Poor Sex/Partner, Desireless Sex, Timing, and Insecurity, which together comprise the Motives for Feigning Orgasms Scale (MOFO). Motives were found to affect women’s satisfaction, but not their desire, while motivations were not found to be impactful among men. In Study 2, confirmatory factor analysis was performed on the MOFO and, in Study 3, its test-retest reliability was assessed. The findings of this research support and inform current sexual scripts.