The Role of Orgasmic Difficulty in Attributing Cause for Positive and Negative Sexual Outcomes in Women: The Importance of Cross-Cultural Analyses.

Studies investigating women's attributions for positive and negative sexual experiences have been slow to adopt a cross-cultural perspective, resulting in a perspective defined by Western experiences. This cross-cultural analysis examined such attribution processes in 88 Pakistani and 187 USA women, and identified differences related to orgasmic difficulty and country-of-origin. Pakistani and USA women differed on both self-blame and relationship blame related to negative sexual outcomes, an effect intensified in Pakistani women who reported orgasmic difficulty during partnered sex. Differences are interpreted within a cultural context and underscore the importance of addressing women's sexual experiences in a more global context.

Attribution patterns related to positive and negative sexual experiences in married Pakistani women with differing levels of orgasmic difficulty.

Studies using Western samples have found that people with sexual problems attribute negative sexual experiences more to themselves whereas those without sexual problems attribute negative sexual experiences more to external factors such as the particular situation or even the partner. While attribution patterns vary across sex, age, dysfunction status, and generations, to date no studies have investigated how they might vary across cultures. We compared attribution patterns of (presumed) heterosexual/cisgender Pakistani women with varying levels of orgasmic difficulty (OD) on hypothetical scenarios presenting either positive or negative partnered sexual outcomes, with attributions to four possible targets: self, husband, situation, and relationship. Similar to previous research using Western samples, Pakistani women with greater OD were more likely than non-OD counterparts to blame themselves and their partners for negative sexual experiences. In contrast with prior research, for Pakistani women, attributions were distributed widely across all targets, including relationship factors (e.g., compatibility and communication). Specifically, Pakistani women tied their explanations for both positive and negative sexual outcomes more strongly to assessment of their relationship with their husband. The way in which women with sexual difficulties in non-Western cultures interpret their sexual experiences suggests the need for remediation strategies sensitive to socio-sexual scripts of the culture.

Cross-Cultural Analysis of Sexual Response and Relationship Satisfaction in Women With and Without Orgasmic Difficulty During Partnered Sex.

Objective To investigate how orgasmic difficulty may impact women's sexual/relationship quality depending upon their cultural origin. Method: We used a cross-sectional, multinational survey designed to assess orgasmic difficulty during partnered sex and other sexual/relationship factors in 88 Pakistani and 188 U.S. women. Results: Pakistani women reported less orgasmic difficulty than U.S. women, but those Pakistani women having orgasmic difficulty reported lower relationship satisfaction, less interest in sex, and greater difficulty becoming sexually aroused compared to U.S. respondents with orgasmic difficulty. Conclusions: The presence of orgasmic difficulty affected sexual and relationship factors more in Pakistani women than U.S. women.