Sexual Anxiety

Awada, Nayla; Corsini‐Munt, Serena; Bergeron, Sophie; Rosen, Natalie O.

doi:10.1002/9781118775349.ch27

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 54 publications

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“…Interestingly, women's sexual assertiveness was found to be a significant mediator of the relationship between their attachment styles, sexual function and satisfaction. This suggests that anxious and avoidant attachment may limit women's ability to be assertive in their sexuality, and that this lack of assertiveness may in turn lead to less satisfying sexual activities for these couples [47].…”

Section: Rosen Et Al (In Pressmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A study conducted among 254 couples in which the woman suffered from vulvovaginal pain showed that those who had low ambivalence concerning the expression of their emotions, that is, couples who were the most comfortable with their level of expressiveness, had higher sexual satisfaction and sexual function, less depressive symptoms and better dyadic adjustment [47]. This suggests that an emotional regulation that is low in ambivalence for both members of the couple may promote better psychological, sexual and relational outcomes for women and their partners, possibly by facilitating their sharing about intimate aspects of the vulvovaginal pain problem and its impact on their sexuality.…”

Section: Rosen Et Al (In Pressmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Psychosexual aspects of vulvovaginal pain

Bergeron

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Steben

2014

Best Practice & Research Clinical Obstetrics & Gynaecol

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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...

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Section: Rosen Et Al (In Pressmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Rosen Et Al (In Pressmentioning

confidence: 99%

Psychosexual aspects of vulvovaginal pain

Bergeron

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Steben

2014

Best Practice & Research Clinical Obstetrics & Gynaecol

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“…According to Awada et al (2014, 567),sexual anxiety is not considered a disorder. Rather, it is a phenomenon whereby anxiety is experienced in relation to sexuality, often in the context of sexual difficulties and/or relational hardships.…”

Section: Theoretical Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

Integrating Theories of Gender and Sexuality With Deviance: The Case of Prescription Drug Misuse during Sex

Frizzell¹,

Vuolo

Kelly

2021

Gender & Society

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Social scientists have expended substantial effort to identify group patterns of deviant behavior. Yet beyond the ill-conceived treatment of sexual minorities as inherently deviant, they have rarely considered how gendered sexual identities (GSIs) shape participation in deviance. We argue for the utility of centering theories of gender and sexuality in intersectional deviance research. We demonstrate how this intentional focus on gender and sexuality provides important empirical insights while avoiding past pitfalls of stigmatizing sexual minorities. Drawing on theories of hegemonic masculinity, emphasized femininity, and minority stress together with criminological general strain theory, we demonstrate how societal expectations and constraints generate strains among GSI groups that may lead to distinctly patterned deviance, using the case of prescription drug misuse during sex. We employ thematic analysis of 120 in-depth interviews with people who misuse prescription drugs, stratified by GSI. We identify six themes highlighting distinct pathways from strain to misuse during sex for different GSI groups: intimacy management, achieving sexual freedom, regulating sexual mood, performance confidence, increased sense of control, and managing sexual identity conflict. In this article, we demonstrate the empirical and theoretical importance of centering gender and sexuality in deviance research and provide a roadmap for theoretical integration.

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