Gender Differences in the Relationship of Sexual Functioning with Implicit and Explicit Sex Liking and Sex Wanting: A Community Sample Study.

The present study aimed to investigate associations of automatic and controlled cognition with sexual functioning, and moderation of these associations by working memory capacity in a community sample of heterosexual women (N = 65) and men (N = 51). Participants performed two single-target Implicit Association Tests (ST-IATs) to assess implicit liking and wanting of erotic stimuli. The Sexual Opinion Survey (SOS) was used to assess explicit liking of sex. The International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) and the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) were used to assess sexual function. Working memory capacity was assessed using the Towers of Hanoi task and mood using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). In female participants, higher levels of sexual functioning co-occurred with stronger implicit associations of erotic stimuli with wanting, whereas implicit sex liking was unrelated to level of sexual functioning. In male participants, higher levels of sexual functioning co-occurred with lower implicit liking of erotic stimuli, whereas implicit sex wanting was unrelated to sexual functioning. Higher erotophilia scores were related to higher levels of sexual functioning in both women and men, but anxiety and depression symptoms were unrelated to sexual functioning. Working memory capacity did not moderate the associations between erotophilia and sexual functioning.

Associations Between Personality Disorder Characteristics, Psychological Symptoms, and Sexual Functioning in Young Women.

BACKGROUND: Recently, the etiology of sexual dysfunctions in women has been approached from different angles. In clinical practice and in previous studies, it has been observed that women with sexual problems experience anxiety problems and express more rigid and perfectionistic personality traits than women without these problems. AIM: To investigate whether personality disorder characteristics according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition, Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR) and psychological symptoms are associated with sexual problems in women. METHODS: 188 women 18 to 25 years old participated in this cross-sectional study. Questionnaires measuring sexual functioning (Female Sexual Function Index), personality disorder characteristics (Assessment of DSM-IV-TR Personality Disorders Questionnaire), and psychological symptoms (Brief Symptom Inventory and Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale) were used. OUTCOME: The main outcome measure used was sexual functioning assessed by self-report. RESULTS: Results, using analysis of variance, indicated that women with sexual problems report significantly more cluster A (specifically schizoid) and C (specifically avoidant and obsessive-compulsive) personality disorder characteristics than women without sexual problems. Furthermore, using multiple regression analyses, higher cluster A (specifically schizoid) and lower cluster B (specifically borderline and antisocial) personality disorder characteristics indicated lower levels of sexual functioning. Psychological symptoms partly mediated the effect of cluster A personality disorder characteristics on sexual functioning. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: The results of this study indicate that clinical practice should extend its scope by focusing more on improving adaptive personality characteristics, such as extraversion and individualism seen in cluster B personality characteristics, and decreasing the perfectionistic, introvert, and self-doubting characteristics seen in cluster C personality characteristics. STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS: Because of the correlational design and use of self-report measures, causal relations cannot be established between personality disorder characteristics and sexual functioning. CONCLUSION: Overall, the results indicate that personality disorder characteristics can play an important associative role in the development and maintenance of sexual functioning problems in women. Grauvogl A, Pelzer B, Radder V, van Lankveld J. Associations Between Personality Disorder Characteristics, Psychological Symptoms, and Sexual Functioning in Young Women. J Sex Med 2018;15:192-200.

Disgust and Sexual Arousal in Young Adult Men and Women.

Previous research suggested that disgust may interfere with healthy sexual functioning by demonstrating that women with sexual pain disorders are characterized by heightened disgust propensity, relatively strong (physiological and subjective) disgust responses when exposed to sexual stimuli, and relatively strong automatic sex-disgust memory associations. To broaden the understanding of the relationship between sex and disgust, Study 1 tested the relationship between trait disgust and sexual functioning in both men (N = 109) and women (N = 187), and showed that specifically for women both relatively high disgust propensity and high sensitivity were related to lower sexual functioning. Study 2 focused on healthy young adults (N = 19 men and N = 24 women), and tested the relationship between trait disgust and automatic sex-disgust associations as well as the predictive value of trait disgust propensity for participants' level of sexual arousal while watching an erotic video. Participants completed a single-target Implicit Association Task and self-report measures of trait disgust propensity, disgust sensitivity, and sexual functioning. Furthermore, genital and subjective sexual arousal was measured, while participants were watching neutral and erotic video clips. Women showed stronger sex-disgust associations and reported higher disgust propensity than men. Overall, indices of trait disgust and sex-disgust associations were not strongly associated with sexual functioning or sexual arousability. Unexpectedly, specifically in men, high levels of trait disgust sensitivity predicted higher levels of genital and subjective sexual arousal. Overall, no strong evidence was found to support the view that, among young adults without sexual difficulties, high trait disgust or relatively strong automatic sex-disgust associations are associated with low sexual functioning and low sexual arousal.

A new instrument to measure sexual competence and interaction competence in youth: psychometric properties in female adolescents.

The Sexual Competence and Interaction Competence in Youth is a self-report questionnaire that aims to measure sexual competence and interaction competence in adolescents. The study sample consisted of 276 female undergraduate students (M = 20.95 years, SD = 2.00 years). The factor structure of the questionnaire was calculated on full sample data. A subsample was used to calculate the validity and internal consistency (N = 236; M = 20.88 years, SD = 1.96). The test-retest reliability was also calculated in a subsample (N = 82; M = 21.45 years, SD = 1.74 years). On the basis of an exploratory factor analysis, 8 factors were extracted: (a) communication about sex, (b) refusing sex, (c) positive sexual attitudes, (d) male role in sexual interaction, (e) contraceptive use, (f) not suppressing problems and desires regarding sex, (g) sexual assertiveness, and (h) sexual hedonism. The subscales possess adequate internal consistency and moderate to excellent test-retest reliability. A higher order principal component analysis revealed a 2-factor structure that appears to adequately represent the sexual competence and interaction competence constructs. Furthermore, convergent and discriminant validity were considered to be good. The results indicate that the Sexual Competence and Interaction Competence in Youth may be a useful instrument to measure sexual and interaction competence among adolescents.

The Partner's presence in the sex research lab differentially affects sexual arousal in women and men.

INTRODUCTION: The present study addressed the ecological validity of the individual-focused experimental paradigm in sex research. AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of partner presence vs. absence in the laboratory testing situation, and of manipulation of attentional focus, on genital and subjective sexual arousal of healthy women and men. METHODS: Sexually functional heterosexual men (n = 12) and women (n = 12) and their partners participated in this study. During partner presence, the partner sat opposite to the participant; self-focused attention was experimentally manipulated by introducing, respectively, a semi-reflecting glass pane, and a wall-mounted camera. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Perceived state self-focused attention and genital and subjective sexual arousal during presentation of audiovisual erotic film stimuli were assessed. RESULTS: Partner presence resulted in higher perceived self-focus (η(p)(2) = 0.22) and lower genital responses to erotic stimulation (η(p)(2) = 0.21). The interaction of partner presence and increased self-focused attention differentially affected genital arousal in female and male participants (η(p)(2) = 0.38). The mean genital response in men was lower during private self-focus than during non-self-focus with the partner present but was higher during private self-focus with the the partner absent (η(p)(2) = 0.23). The genital response in women to public self-focus was lower than to private self-focus and to non-self-focus with their partner present (η(p)(2) = 0.36). With the partner absent, the genital response in women to private self-focus was lower than to non-self-focus (η(p)(2) = 0.23). Retrospective subjective arousal of women was higher with partner present (M = 3.2) than with partner absent (M = 2.9), whereas men reported higher retrospective subjective arousal with their partner absent (M = 3.5) than present (M = 3.1). CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that mere presence of the partner impacts the sexual response differentially in women and men. Enhancing the ecological validity of the individual-based laboratory paradigm for sex research warrants closer examination in future research.

Research into the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of brief, free of charge and anonymous sex counselling to improve (mental) health in youth: design of a randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: The capacity to form romantic relationships and sexual health of adolescents in the Netherlands are compromised by several factors, including young age of first intercourse and adolescent depression. Several thresholds like own expenses, trust and embarrassment prevent adolescents to seek help for their sexual problems. To overcome these thresholds, brief sex counselling has been developed. It has been used since 2006 within the Rotterdam-Rijnmond Public Health Service, but there is lack of information about the (cost-) effectiveness. In the current study we will evaluate the (cost-) effectiveness of brief sex counselling for sexual problems in adolescents and young adults between 18 and 25 years of age. METHODS: In a randomised controlled trial we will compare (1) brief sex counselling with (2) intensive sexological treatment, and (3) delayed treatment (waiting list). Embedded in this RCT will be a trial-based economic evaluation, looking at the cost-effectiveness and cost-utility of brief sex counselling versus the two other interventions. Four hundred fifty adolescents (aged 18-25) with sexual problems will be recruited among the persons who visit the Public Health Service (PHS) and through various websites. After a screening procedure, eligible participants will be randomly allocated to one of the three intervention groups. Primary outcome measure of the clinical evaluation is the severity of sexual problems. Other outcomes include psychological distress, especially depression. The economic evaluation will be performed from a societal perspective. Costs will be assessed continuously by a retrospective questionnaire covering the last 3 month. All outcome assessments (including those for the economic evaluation) will take place via the internet at baseline, and at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months after baseline. DISCUSSION: The proposed research project will be the first study to provide preliminary data about the effect and cost-effectiveness of brief sex counselling in youth in comparison with intensive sexological treatment and delayed treatment. It is anticipated that positive results in (cost-) effectiveness of the proposed intervention will contribute to the improvement of sexual health care for adolescents and young adults. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study has been registered at the Netherlands Trial Register, part of the Dutch Cochrane Centre (NTR1952).