Currently, no validated instrument exists for assessing the subjective experience of orgasm in the gay population. The Orgasm Rating Scale (ORS), previously validated in the heterosexual population, comprises four dimensions: Affective, Sensory, Intimacy, and Rewards. This study validated it for sexual relationships in the gay population by obtaining its factorial invariance by sexual orientation and sex, its internal consistency reliability, and evidence of validity in its relationship with other variables. We assessed 1600 cisgender Spanish adults–heterosexuals, gays, and lesbians–divided into 4, sex-based groups of 400 each, according to the Kinsey scale scores. Participants reported recent experiences of orgasm in the context of sexual relationships and responded to the ORS and other scales assessing attitude toward sexual fantasies and sexual functioning. The ORS structure showed a strict multigroup-level invariance by sexual orientation and sex, confirming its four-dimensional structure. The subjective orgasm intensity was associated with a positive attitude toward sexual fantasies and sexual functioning. Scores obtained on the Affective, Intimacy, and Rewards dimensions confirmed the ability to discriminate between gay people with and without orgasmic difficulties. The ORS’s Spanish version presents good psychometric properties as a validated scale to evaluate the subjective experience of orgasm in the gay population.

The tridimensional sexual desire proposal (i.e., dyadic to partner, dyadic to attractive other and solitary) has been empirically supported. However, solitary sexual desire and its relationship to other dimensions of sexual functioning has received less attention. Hence, we examined the capacity of solitary sexual desire to explain the subjective orgasm experience (Study 1) and sexual arousal (Study 2) in the context of solitary masturbation. Study 1, composed of 2406 heterosexual adults (M age = 39.72, SD = 11.81), assessed for solitary sexual desire, dyadic sexual desire, and the intensity of the subjective orgasm experience obtained through solitary masturbation, along with other associated parameters. Study 2, consisting of 41 heterosexual young people (M age = 22.49, SD = 3.17), evaluated the genital response (penile circumference/vaginal pulse amplitude) and subjective arousal to sexually explicit films related to solitary masturbation. In both men and women, solitary sexual desire accounted for a significant percentage of the subjective orgasm experience obtained through solitary masturbation. In addition, in women, the propensity for sexual arousal was explained by solitary sexual desire. It is concluded that solitary sexual desire -as opposed to dyadic- is important to explain sexual arousal and orgasm in the solitary masturbation context. These results highlight the importance of addressing sexual desire in the solitary context, given its implications with other dimensions of sexual functioning.

Background The assessment of sexual functioning requires accurate and reliable measures as well as short and easy to apply. The Arizona Sexual Experience Scale (ASEX), which provides a quick, easy, and nonintrusive assessment of sexual functioning in men and women, is a clear example of a commonly used scale that satisfies these qualities. Aim The study sought to examine measurement invariance and differential item functioning (DIF) by sexual orientation of the Spanish version of the ASEX. Methods A confirmatory factor analysis was performed on a sample of 1600 adults (800 gay and 800 heterosexual individuals), testing measurement invariance of the ASEX by sexual orientation in men and women separately, and calculating its reliability and DIF. Outcomes The measure provided by the Spanish version of the ASEX is reliable and valid for assessing the sexual functioning of gay men and lesbians, but comparisons by sexual orientation are not recommended for men. Results The results of the confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the unidimensional structure of the ASEX already found in the Spanish validation with heterosexual people. Measurement invariance showed that, in the men’s sample, the factor structure of the ASEX only reached the weak level of invariance, whereas in the women’s sample, strict invariance by sexual orientation was reached. The internal consistency reliability was adequate, with better coefficients in women than in men. No significant DIF was observed in either men or women. Clinical Implications Clinicians should further their training in sexual and gender diversity as approaches such as affirmative LGBT psychotherapy gain popularity, and they must have access to assessment instruments that are psychometrically robust enough to be used with this population. Strengths and Limitations This research has some limitations. Because the distribution was administered solely through social media platforms, those without access to social media were unable to participate. Beyond these restrictions, however, the findings are thought to be significant from a research and clinical perspective since measurement invariance is a step that is often excluded when using an instrument validated in a mostly heterosexual sample. Conclusion Validating assessment tools in gay men and lesbians is essential because sexual functioning is a crucial concept in sexual health. The findings of this study suggest that the Spanish version of the ASEX offers valid and reliable measures of sexual functioning for both heterosexual and gay people, though there would be bias in comparing men of both orientations.

The aim of this study was to explain the masturbation frequency and sexual relationships in adolescents based on age, religious adherence, erotophilia, attitudes toward sexual fantasies and masturbation, and the traditional sexual double standard. A sample of 1120 Peruvian adolescents aged 13–17 years responded to a socio-demographic questionnaire and different scales about sexuality. The frequency of masturbation and sexual relationships, as well as in the sexual attitudes evaluated differed by sex, with boys scoring higher. The masturbation frequency was explained by erotophilia in boys, and by positive attitudes toward sexual fantasies in both sexes. The frequency of sexual relationships was explained by age and positive attitudes toward sexual fantasies in boys and only by the latter in girls. Positive attitudes toward sexual fantasies stand out as a variable for understanding sexual activity in adolescents.