Impact of male partner responses on sexual function in women with vulvodynia and their partners: A dyadic daily experience study.

The Journal of Sexual Medicine

et al. 2015

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Introduction Women with provoked vestibulodynia (PVD) experience a recurrent vulvo-vaginal pain triggered primarily during sexual intercourse. Although affected couples report adverse effects on their sexual and global romantic relationships, few studies have examined interpersonal factors that may influence their sexual and relationship satisfaction. Cross-sectional studies have shown that greater partner solicitous and negative responses and lower facilitative responses are associated with poorer sexual and relationship satisfaction in women with PVD. Aim The aim of this study was to investigate the within-person associations between partner responses to painful intercourse and the sexual and relationship satisfaction of affected couples. Methods In a dyadic daily experience study, 69 women (Mage = 28.46, SD = 6.66) diagnosed with PVD and their cohabitating male partners (Mage = 30.29, SD = 8.13) reported on male partner responses, as well as sexual and relationship satisfaction on sexual intercourse days (M = 6.81; SD = 5.40) over 8 weeks. Main Outcome Measures Dependent measures were the (i) Kansas Marital Satisfaction Scale and (ii) Global Measure of Sexual Satisfaction Scale. Results On sexual intercourse days when women perceived more facilitative partner responses than usual and on days when they perceived lower negative partner responses than usual, they reported higher sexual and relationship satisfaction. On sexual intercourse days when men reported more solicitous responses than usual, both they and their female partners reported lower sexual satisfaction. Conclusions Interventions aimed at improving the day-to-day sexual and relationship satisfaction of couples with PVD should target increasing facilitative and decreasing negative and solicitous partner responses.

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 85%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Daily Associations Between Partner Responses and Sexual and Relationship Satisfaction in Couples Coping with Provoked Vestibulodynia

Rosen

Muise

The Journal of Sexual Medicine

et al. 2015

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“…In crosssectional and daily diary studies, greater facilitative partner responses were associated with women's lower intercourse pain [67] and better sexual functioning [68], as well as couples' greater relationship and sexual satisfaction [69,67]. Conversely, greater negative and solicitous partner responses are associated with greater pain [26,67,70,71] and more depressive symptoms in women [72], as well as lower sexual functioning [68] and relationship and sexual satisfaction in couples [69]. Whereas facilitative responses may promote couples' use of adaptive coping strategies and shared emotion regulation in the face of pain, solicitous and negative partner responses may reinforce avoidance of pain and sex and disrupt couples' pain-related coping and emotion regulation.…”

Section: Relationship Factorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Female Sexual Pain Disorders: a Review of the Literature on Etiology and Treatment

Corsini‐Munt

Aerts

et al. 2015

Curr Sex Health Rep

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Female sexual pain disorders, although highly prevalent and increasingly studied, remain a distressing complaint for women and their partners. Empirical evidence points to a multifactorial conceptualization of the etiology, course, and associated difficulties of sexual pain; thus, treatment options span the medical, pelvic floor rehabilitation psychological and multimodal. Given the interpersonal context in which sexual pain occurs, recent work has underscored the importance of considering the dyadic framework in research and treatment. This review presents understanding from across disciplines focusing on the impact of sexual pain on the woman and the couple, proposed etiologic pathways and risk factors related to its development and course, and current treatment options. Recommendations for research point to an urgency for multidisciplinary exchanges in the development of conceptual models and refinement of targeted interventions.

“…) recently completed a two-month daily diary study involving 69 heterosexual couples coping with vulvodynia [43]. They found that a woman's pain during intercourse increased on days when she perceived greater solicitous and negative partner responses, and when her male partner reported greater solicitous and lower facilitative partner responses.…”

Section: Rosen Et Al (In Pressmentioning

confidence: 99%

Psychosexual aspects of vulvovaginal pain

Best Practice & Research Clinical Obstetrics & Gynaecol

Likes

Steben

2014

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Vulvovaginal pain problems are major health concerns in women of childbearing age.Controlled studies have shown that vulvovaginal pain can adversely affect women and their partners' general psychological well-being, relationship adjustment and overall quality of life. These women have significantly lower levels of sexual desire, arousal, and satisfaction, as well as a lower intercourse frequency than normal controls. They also report more anxiety and depression, in addition to more distress about their body image and genital self-image. Empirical studies indicate that specific psychological and relationship factors may increase vulvovaginal pain intensity and its psychosexual sequelae. Randomized clinical trials have shown that psychosexual interventions, namely cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), are efficacious in reducing vulvovaginal pain and improving associated psychosexual outcomes. Women reporting significant psychological, sexual and/or relationship distress should be referred for psychosexual treatment. A multimodal approach to care integrating psychosexual and medical management is thought to be optimal.Keywords: vulvovaginal pain, vulvodynia, provoked vestibulodynia, psychological adjustment, sexual function, cognitive-behavioral therapy 3 Vulvovaginal pain problems are major health concerns in women of all ages. As conditions which are often misdiagnosed, mismanaged, trivialized or ignored, they entail a great personal cost to patients and a significant financial cost to society [1]. A case in point is vulvodynia: a population-based study suggests that the lifetime cumulative incidence of vulvodynia is 16% [2, 3] and its incidence is thought to be increasing in young women [4,5]. In fact, many women suffering from vulvovaginal pain are under the age of 30, with community estimates showing that one in five women aged 18-29 report chronic dyspareunia [6]. In addition to disrupting all aspects of sexual function, controlled studies have shown that vulvovaginal pain can adversely affect women and their partners' general psychological well-being, relationship adjustment and overall quality of life [7, 8]. Because of their deleterious impact on sexuality and romantic relationships, vulvovaginal pain problems may indeed carry a heavier psychosocial burden in comparison to other pain problems common in women, with many patients reporting feelings of shame, inadequacy and low self-esteem [9]. Further, up to 45% of women with vulvodynia report a comorbid-pain condition, and having a comorbidity is associated with increased feelings of isolation and invalidation [10]. In terms of helpseeking behaviors, epidemiological results indicate that only 60% of women who report chronic vulvovaginal pain seek treatment, and 40% of these never receive a formal diagnosis [5]. A recent study involving a community sample showed that women saw an average of five physicians before diagnosis [10]. The quality of health care received by this patient population is thus less than optimal. It has been suggested that a multi...