Anxious and Avoidant Attachment, Vibrator Use, Anal Sex, and Impaired Vaginal Orgasm

Abstract

Introduction Disturbances in intimate relationships are among the risk factors for female sexual dysfunction. Insecure styles of anxious attachment (preoccupations about abandonment) and avoidant attachment (avoidance of closeness in relationships) are robustly associated with sexual problems, relationship difficulties, and several indices of poorer physical and mental health. Similar indices of poorer sexual, relationship, and health functioning are associated with impairment of orgasm triggered by penile-vaginal stimulation (vaginal orgasm), but unrelated or related to greater frequency of other sexual behaviors. However, research examining the differential association of sexual activities with insecure attachment styles has been lacking. Aims The aim of this study was to test the hypotheses that insecure attachment styles are associated with lesser vaginal orgasm consistency, and are unrelated or directly related to greater frequency of other sexual behaviors. Method Seventy coitally experienced women recruited at a Scottish university completed the Revised Experience in Close Relationships scale, and reported their frequency of various sexual behaviors (and corresponding orgasms) in a recent representative month. Main Outcome Measures The main outcome measures for this study are multivariate correlations of various sexual activities with insecure attachment styles, age, and social desirability response bias. Results Anxious attachment was associated with lesser vaginal orgasm consistency, but with higher frequency of vibrator and anal sex orgasms. Avoidant attachment was associated with higher frequency of vibrator orgasms. Neither anxious nor avoidant attachment was associated with lifetime number of penile-vaginal intercourse partners. Conclusions The results provide evidence that inability to attain a vaginal orgasm is associated with anxious attachment, among other indices of poorer mental health and relatedness. Vaginal orgasm might be the relevant sexual activity for the maintenance of a secure attachment style with a sexual partner and/or more insecurely attached women might have difficulties in attaining vaginal orgasms and be more inclined to sexual activities characterized by more emotional and physical detachment, as part of a characterological discomfort with intimacy.

Attachment, Sexual Assertiveness, and Sexual Outcomes in Women with Provoked Vestibulodynia and Their Partners: A Mediation Model

“…Brassard et al (2007) also found that only attachment avoidance was associated with more sexual problems in men, and that this association held only when the women also presented avoidance. On the other hand, our results did not replicate previous findings showing that attachment anxiety was associated with lower sexual functioning and impaired orgasmic response in women (Birnbaum, 2007;Costa & Brody, 2011). This divergence might be explained by the fact that our sample was comprised of women who present with a vulvo-vaginal pain problem known to affect all aspects of sexual function, often to clinical levels (Desrochers et al, 2008).…”

“…However, in a long-term perspective, these non-assertive behaviors may have detrimental effects on pain, sexual functioning and satisfaction. Correlational studies already show that attachment anxiety is associated with poorer sexual experiences (Birnbaum, 2007;Brassard, Peloquin, Dupuy, Wright, & Shaver, 2012;Butzer & Campbell, 2008;Costa & Brody, 2011;Davis et al, 2006;Gentzler & Kerns, 2004) and greater sex-related worries (Birnbaum et al, 2006;Davis et al, 2006). Two studies using a dyadic approach have shown interesting partner effects indicating that an individual's attachment can predict their partner's sexual outcome (Brassard et al, 2012;Butzer & Campbell, 2008).…”

Masturbation is Related to Psychopathology and Prostate Dysfunction: Comment on Quinsey (2012)

“…Greater masturbation frequency is also associated with more dissatisfaction with relationships and less love for partners (Brody, 2010;Brody & Costa, 2009). In contrast, PVI is very consistently related to better health (Brody, 2010;Brody & Costa, 2009;Brody & Weiss, 2011;Costa & Brody, 2011, 2012, better sexual function (Brody & Costa, 2009;Brody & Weiss, 2011;Nutter & Condron, 1983, 1985Weiss & Brody, 2009), and better intimate relationship quality (Brody, 2010;Brody & Costa, 2009;Brody & Weiss, 2011).…”

“…It is difficult to reconcile the view that masturbation improves mood with the findings in both sexes that greater masturbation frequency is associated with more depressive symptoms (Cyranowski et al, 2004;Frohlich & Meston, 2002;Husted & Edwards, 1976), less happiness (Das, 2007), and several other indicators of poorer physical and mental health, which include anxious attachment (Costa & Brody, 2011), immature psychological defense mechanisms, greater blood pressure reactivity to stress, and dissatisfaction with one 0 s mental health and life in general (for a review, see Brody, 2010). It is equally difficult to see how masturbation develops sexual interests, when greater masturbation frequency is so often associated with impaired sexual function in men (Brody & Costa, 2009;Das, Parish, & Laumann, 2009;Gerressu, Mercer, Graham, Wellings, & Johnson, 2008;Lau, Wang, Cheng, & Yang, 2005;Nutter & Condron, 1985) and women (Brody & Costa, 2009;Das et al, 2009;Gerressu et al, 2008;Lau, Cheng, Wang, & Yang, 2006;Shaeer, Shaeer, & Shaeer, 2012;Weiss & Brody, 2009).…”

“…In contrast, masturbation is frequently associated with indices of poorer health (Brody, 2010;Brody & Costa, 2009;Brody & Weiss, 2011;Costa & Brody, 2011, 2012. There are several possible psychological and physiological mechanisms, which are a likely consequence R. M. Costa (&) ISPA-Instituto Universitário, Unidade de Investigação em Eco-Etologia, Rua do Jardim do Tabaco 34, 1149-041 Lisbon, Portugal e-mail: rmscosta@gmail.com of natural selection favoring health processes as cause and/or effect of motivation to search for, and capacity to obtain and enjoy, PVI.…”