Sexual Communication, Dyadic Adjustment, and Psychosexual Well‐Being in Premenopausal Women with Self‐Reported Dyspareunia and Their Partners: A Controlled Study

Corsini‐Munt

Aerts

et al. 2015

Curr Sex Health Rep

Self Cite

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.

Section: Consequences and Associated Difficultiesmentioning

confidence: 88%

Section: Relationship Factorsmentioning

confidence: 90%

Section: Consequences and Associated Difficultiesmentioning

confidence: 97%

See 1 more Smart Citation

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

Corsini‐Munt

Aerts

et al. 2015

Curr Sex Health Rep

Self Cite

“…Quantitative studies show that women with vulvovaginal pain report feeling uncomfortable discussing sex with their partner [18] and that, in comparison to pain‐free control women, those with dyspareunia report worse dyadic sexual communication [19]. Moreover, greater sexual intimacy, which is defined as self—and partner disclosure about sexuality and partner responsiveness and empathy during and following sexual interactions, is associated with greater sexual satisfaction and function in women with dyspareunia [20].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dyadic Sexual Communication in Pre-Menopausal Women with Self-Reported Dyspareunia and Their Partners: Associations with Sexual Function, Sexual Distress and Dyadic Adjustment

Pazmany

The Journal of Sexual Medicine

Verhaeghe

et al. 2015

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Introduction While there is increasing interest in studying aspects of communication processes in sex research, the association between dyadic sexual communication and relationship and sexuality outcomes has not yet been examined in pre-menopausal women with dyspareunia. Aim To examine the associations between dyadic sexual communication and pain, sexual distress, sexual function and dyadic adjustment in women with self-reported dyspareunia and their male partners. Methods Pre-menopausal women (n = 38; M age = 24.92, SD = 6.12) with self-reported dyspareunia from a community sample and their partners (n = 38; M age = 26.71, SD = 6.59) completed an online survey. The Actor-Partner Interdependence Model was used in order to investigate both actor and partner effects. Main Outcome Measures Both members of the couple completed: (i) the Dyadic Sexual Communication Scale and (ii) the Dyadic Adjustment Scale; women also completed (iii) the Female Sexual Function Index, (iv) the Female Sexual Distress Scale, and (v) a Visual Analogue Scale on pain during intercourse; and men also completed (vi) the International Index of Erectile Functioning. Results Controlling for relationship duration, women's better dyadic sexual communication was significantly associated with their higher levels of sexual function (P = 0.028), lower levels of sexual distress (P = 0.003) and higher levels of dyadic adjustment (P = 0.005), but not with their pain or men's sexual function or dyadic adjustment. Controlling for relationship duration, men's better dyadic sexual communication was associated with their higher levels of dyadic adjustment (P = 0.027) but not with their sexual function, nor with women's sexual function or dyadic adjustment. Conclusions These findings contribute to the theoretical knowledge on interaction processes in couples with dyspareunia and suggest that it may be important to enhance open and direct communication about sexual matters in couples with dyspareunia.

“…In particular, women with PVD report disruptions to all aspects of their sexuality including lower sexual desire, arousal, difficulties with orgasm, and decreased frequency of intercourse in comparison with women without PVD [9–11]. Male partners of women with PVD have been found to experience more erectile difficulties compared with a control group [12,13]. Both members of affected couples report lower sexual satisfaction compared with pain‐free controls or scale norms [8,12,14].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

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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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.