The “Good-Enough Sex” model for couple sexual satisfaction

Abstract

The “Good-Enough Sex” model presents a commonsense yet comprehensive perspective that challenges simplistic notions of sex and encourages couples to pursue positive, realistic meaning in their intimate lives. With the Good-Enough Sex model, intimacy is the ultimate focus, with pleasure as important as function, and mutual emotional acceptance as the environment. Sex is integrated into the couple's daily life and daily life is integrated into their sex life to create the couple's unique sexual style. Living daily life well – with its responsibilities, stresses, and conflicts – provides the opportunity to experience sexual interactions in a subtly yet distinctively personalized and enriched way. Sex at times is experienced as pleasure, stress relief, mature playfulness, and on another occasion as a spiritual union. Intimate couples can value multiple purposes for sex and use several styles of arousal. Good-Enough Sex is congruent with the couple's genuine lifestyle. Good-Enough Sex recognizes that among satisfied couples the quality of sex varies from day to day and from very good to mediocre or even dysfunctional. Such reasonable expectations are an important feature of sexual satisfaction as well as inoculating the couple from disappointment and sexual problems in the future. The Good-Enough Sex perspective serves as the foundation for relationship and sexual satisfaction.     

Sexual compatibility among Iranian couples: a qualitative study

Sexual compatibility increases the stability of marriage and partners’ relationships and decreases sexually transmitted diseases. This qualitative study using a content analysis approach was conducted with 36 married men and women. Interviews were conducted for data collection. As the main theme of this study, “couple's sexual companionship” emerged as the main theme of sexual compatibility, that means couples’ participation for fulfilling each other sexual needs and solving problems arising from sexual discrepancies based on sexual understandings, sexual agreements and interests for continuing the sexual relationship with the aim of mutual sexual satisfaction. Sexual compatibility did not necessarily mean similarities, as during the marital life sexual discrepancies were inevitable. However, compatible couples encountered such a situation based on understandings, agreement and love. Active participation in sexual relationships, forgiveness and consideration, no huffing, mutual respect, flexibility and an occasional use of non-penetrative sexual relationships, sexual conversation with spouses, patience and development of the sexual relationship were the prominent feature of sexually compatible couples.     

A Social‐Cognitive Sexual Counseling Intervention Post‐MI—Development and Pilot Testing

PURPOSE: Individuals experiencing myocardial infarction (MI) report anxiety, depression, diminished quality of life (QOL), and reduced sexual activity. DESIGN AND METHODS: We examined return to sexual activity post‐MI, and pilot tested a comprehensive sexual counseling intervention based on social‐cognitive theory. The intervention in this pretest/posttest preexperimental study used an informational video, newsletters, and telephone counseling, with cardiac patients (N= 10) and partners (N= 3). Measures included QOL; knowledge; sexual anxiety, depression, self‐efficacy, and satisfaction. FINDINGS: At 8 weeks, only 60% had returned to sexual activity, with low QOL and sexual satisfaction for patients and partners. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Supportive interventions by nurses are needed to assist MI patients and partners return to sexual activity.     

Empathic sexual responses in heterosexual women and men

Two distinct empathic sexual responses have been mentioned anecdotally in the literature: (1) an increase in physiological sexual arousal in response to the sexual arousal of the partner (empathic turn-on) and (2) a decrease in physiological sexual arousal in response to lack of sexual arousal in the partner (empathic turn-off), but to our knowledge this is the first systematic study of the phenomenon. There were 722 women and 415 men who participated in the anonymous computer survey. Of the total of 1137 participants, 90.5% agreed that they had experienced empathic turn-on, 69.1% agreed that they had experienced empathic turn-off, 64.4% agreed that they had experienced both empathic turn-on and turn-off and only 4.7% had experienced neither, χ ² (1, n = 1137) = 19.484, p < .001. Sexual satisfaction of participants was significantly lower at the levels of partner's orgasm likelihood below 0.5 than above 0.5 in both men and women when analyzed separately. Both men and women were more likely to express multiple or sustained orgasms (instead of single orgasms) with a good partner than while masturbating. Empathic sexual responses can modulate the sexual arousal of both men and women by increasing sexual arousal when the partner is aroused and decreasing sexual arousal when the partner is not sexually responsive.     

SEXUAL RELATIONSHIPS IN MARRIED DEMENTIA SUFFERERS

Objectives. To determine the proportion of couples, one of whom suffers from dementia, continuing with a sexual relationship, their level of satisfaction with their sexual relationship and the associations of remaining sexually active. Design. A survey of married couples enrolled in a prospective dementia study. Setting. Psychiatric services and a memory clinic Sample. The partners of 47 married patients with mild to moderate dementia. Measures. The assessment included the GMS/HAS/SDS package, the Marital Intimacy Scale (with some additional questions regarding sexual relations), the CAMCOG, the Carers Stress Scale, the Cornell Depression Scale and the Burns Symptom Checklist. Dementia was diagnosed according to DSM-III-R, McKhann, McKeith, Hachinski and HAS AGECAT criteria. Results. Forty partners completed the study. Nine (22.5%) continued to have a sexual relationship, all of whom were satisfied with the situation. Twelve (38.7%) of the carers who were not sexually active were dissatisfied with the absence of a sexual relationship. There was a trend for male carers to be more likely to be involved in a continuing sexual relationship. Dissatisfaction with the absence of a sexual relationship was significantly associated with a diagnosis of vascular dementia in the patient and showed a trend towards an association with younger patient age. Conclusions. Nearly a quarter of married dementia sufferers are involved in a continuing sexual relationship, emphasizing the importance of further research in this area. © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Sexual surrogate partner therapy

Recently, scholars have become interested in the impact of culture on people's attitudes, emotions, and behavior. In this study, it was predicted that culture and gender would have an impact on people's sexual self-schemas – especially, women's self-schemas. It was also predicted that couples that verified one another's sexual self-schemas would be more satisfied than those couples that did not. Contrary to the predictions, race did not prove to be a good predictor of either women's or men's sexual self-schemas. However, self-construal was a significant predictor of women's sexual self-schemas. Again, contrary to prediction, whether or not couples verified one another's sexual self-schemas did not appear to be an important predictor of either sexual or general relationship satisfaction. Some unexpected findings were found, however. Women who perceived their partners to be passionate and men who perceived their partners to be romantic were more sexually and generally satisfied in their relationships than were their peers. Men were also less satisfied if they viewed their partners as more shy/embarrassed sexually. These data demonstrate that culture (as indicated by self-construal) may influence how women see themselves sexually and that perception (for both men and women) of their partner's sense of sexual self are important predictors of sexual and relationship satisfaction.     

Late positive potential to explicit sexual images associated with the number of sexual intercourse partners

Risky sexual behaviors typically occur when a person is sexually motivated by potent, sexual reward cues. Yet, individual differences in sensitivity to sexual cues have not been examined with respect to sexual risk behaviors. A greater responsiveness to sexual cues might provide greater motivation for a person to act sexually; a lower responsiveness to sexual cues might lead a person to seek more intense, novel, possibly risky, sexual acts. In this study, event-related potentials were recorded in 64 men and women while they viewed a series of emotional, including explicit sexual, photographs. The motivational salience of the sexual cues was varied by including more and less explicit sexual images. Indeed, the more explicit sexual stimuli resulted in enhanced late positive potentials (LPP) relative to the less explicit sexual images. Participants with fewer sexual intercourse partners in the last year had reduced LPP amplitude to the less explicit sexual images than the more explicit sexual images, whereas participants with more partners responded similarly to the more and less explicit sexual images. This pattern of results is consistent with a greater responsivity model. Those who engage in more sexual behaviors consistent with risk are also more responsive to less explicit sexual cues.     

Effect of erectile dysfunction medications on coexisting sexual dysfunctions in couples: Partners' Preference Study

There is sparse information on how treatments for erectile dysfunction (ED) affects couples. This study investigated the effects of ED treatments on 100 heterosexual couples' sexual functioning and whether function achieved using a short-acting versus a long-acting ED medication differed significantly. Couples were randomized to use tadalafil or sildenafil for each of two 12-week study phases; they completed questionnaires (International Index of Sexual Function and Female Sexual Function Index) and kept sexual event diaries. All participants experienced significant improvements over baseline sexual functioning, while the men used short- or long-acting ED medications with no significant differences related to the duration of drug action recorded for either the men or women. Despite this lack of difference in efficacy there was a strong preference by women (79%) and their partners (16%) for the longer-acting medication. The reasons for this warrant further investigation. Understanding the effects on couples of the use of ED medications is a necessary aspect of ensuring ongoing sexual satisfaction in couples treated for ED.     

Good gets better? Examining the impact of prescribed sexual activity on long-term heterosexually configured couples’ sexual and relationship satisfaction

ABSTRACT

Although correlates and predictors of sexual and relationship satisfaction are frequently investigated, few studies have systematically examined approaches that are designed to enhance such endpoints among couples. This study evaluated the impact of a six- to eight-week intervention consisting of prescribed sexual activity with and without a sex toy among a community sample of 49 couples in heterosexual relationships. While quantitative analyses did not reveal statistically significant differences among standardized outcome measures, post hoc ceiling effects were noted, and open-ended responses analyzed using thematic analysis indicated the majority of men (75.5%) and women (79.5%) perceived that their sexual relationship satisfaction had improved as a result of participating in the intervention. Seven themes were developed to describe the ways that satisfaction increased over the course of the study: (1) introducing something fun and novel; (2) giving and receiving pleasure; (3) relating and communicating; (4) making time and space in one's relationship for sex and pleasure; (5) increasing emotional closeness; (6) increasing women's comfort with sex; and (7) validating strengths and barriers within the relationship. The findings of this study suggest specific relationship-enhancing effects of prescribed sexual activity for couples.     

Sexual satisfaction in Chinese gay and bisexual men: relationship to negative sexual minority identity and sexual role preference

The present study explored the relationships among sexual satisfaction, sexual minority identity, and sexual role preference (top, bottom, and versatile) in a sample (N = 403) of Chinese men who self-identified as either gay or bisexual. Participants completed online the New Scale of Sexual Satisfaction, Lesbian and Gay Identity Scale, and a survey of sexual role preference. The New Scale of Sexual Satisfaction comprises two factors: (1) personal experiences and sensations (ego focused), and (2) participants’ perceptions of partner reactions and sexual activity in general (partner/activity focused). The hierarchical multiple regression model revealed that internalized homonegativity (the degree of negativity the participant associates with their sexual minority identity) significantly predicted ego-focused and partner/activity-focused sexual satisfaction. There were significant differences in ego-focused sexual satisfaction among sexual role preference groups (top, bottom, and versatile). Participants in the top (preferring the insertive position) and versatile (preferring either position) groups scored higher on ego-focused sexual satisfaction compared to those in the bottom (preferring the receptive position) group (M_tops = 3.12, M_versatiles = 3.23, M_bottoms = 2.98, p < .05). These findings indicated that reducing internalized homonegativity could be a complementary treatment for sexual satisfaction in gay and bisexual men.     

Sexuality in individuals with traumatic brain injury and their partners

Whilst previous research has detailed the impact of TBI on an individual’s sexuality, few studies have investigated couples’ sexuality where one partner has sustained a TBI. The study assessed sexual function in individuals with TBI and their partners. Fifty five individuals who had sustained TBI and their partners completed the Derogatis Interview for Sexual Function—Self Report (DISF-SR). All participants scored below the 50th percentile in relation to norms. Whilst participants with TBI obtained lower T-scores than partners on all subscales (except for sexual behaviour/experiences where scores were equivalent), as well as the total score, none of these differences was significant. Item analysis indicated that female participants with TBI reported significantly lower scores than female partners on frequency of having normal lubrication. Normative comparisons revealed that approximately one-third of individuals with TBI and one-fifth of their partners scored below the second percentile. Given the high frequency of sexual problems in individuals with TBI, which also impact their partners, addressing sexual problems should be a priority in rehabilitation and beyond.     

Intimacy in the Midst of Caregiving: Examining Relationship and Sexual Satisfaction of Parents Raising Children with Special Needs

The present study examined relationship and sexual satisfaction of parents of children with special needs. The impact of role differentiation, coping styles, and sexual desire on relationship and sexual satisfaction were measured, as well as the link between relationship and sexual satisfaction of parents (N = 62). Results from the study indicate that several dimensions were significantly correlated with both sexual (e.g., reframing coping strategies and sexual desire) and relationship (e.g., emotional reactivity, reframing coping strategies) satisfaction. Evidence from this study suggests that therapists should be attentive and sensitive to particular issues to help parents of children with special needs improve their relationship and sexual satisfaction.     

Monosexual and nonmonosexual women in same-sex couples’ relationship quality during the first five years of parenthood

ABSTRACT

Research on relationship quality in same-sex couples has rarely focused on (1) couples who are parents, or (2) couples in which partners differ in sexual identity. Insomuch as nonmonosexual women (i.e., women with non-exclusive sexual orientations) experience unique challenges due to monosexism, relationship quality may be influenced by whether partners share a monosexual or nonmonosexual identity. The current study is a longitudinal, dyadic analysis of 118 female parents within 63 same-sex couples whose relationship quality (relationship maintenance, conflict, love, ambivalence) was assessed at five time points across the first 5 years of adoptive parenthood. Monosexual women were those who identified as exclusively lesbian/gay (n = 68); nonmonosexual women were those who identified as mostly lesbian/gay, bisexual, queer, pansexual, or mostly heterosexual (n = 50). Analyses revealed both actor and partner effects on maintenance and conflict, such that nonmonosexual women reported more maintenance and conflict than monosexual women, and women with nonmonosexual partners reported more maintenance and conflict than women with monosexual partners. Depression was related to greater conflict and ambivalence and less love; internalized sexual stigma was related to greater conflict and ambivalence. Maintenance and love declined over time whereas ambivalence increased during early parenthood.     

Correlates of quality of sexual life in male and female patients with Parkinson disease and their partners

IntroductionPatients with Parkinson disease (PD) and their partners may experience a worsening of their sexual life.AimTo assess quality of sexual life (QoSL) in male and female PD patients and their partners.Materials and methodsMedical, demographic and clinical data was collected regarding consecutive PD patients, including depression, and motor symptom rating.Partners' data included the short form-12 health questionnaire (SF-12). All patients and partners filled the 5-item QoSL questionnaire.ResultsData from 89 PD patients (66 men) and 69 spouses (52 women) was analyzed. Male patients rejected sex significantly less than female patients and their sexual desire was higher, but female patients reported higher sexual satisfaction. Patients and partners similarly perceived their relationship which was averagely good. Analysis within couples demonstrated that better QoSL of patients could be predicted by gender (male), better QoSL of their partners and, motor severity, but not the patient's depression, age or use of l-dopa. The partner's QoSL was explained by younger age, and better motor scores of their parkinsonian partner. Treatment of the PD patient with l-dopa or dopamine agonist was associated with worse partner's QoSL.ConclusionDifferences in QoSL of male and female PD patients and within couples were found. These findings suggest that focusing on partner's needs may improve QoSL of patients and partners troubled by PD.     

Disclosure of HIV Serostatus and Sexual Orientation Among HIV-Positive Men Who Have Sex with Men in China

This study addressed the issue of disclosing HIV status and sexual orientation, and explored the consequences of such disclosures among HIV-positive men who have sex with men (MSM) in China. In-depth individual interviews were conducted with 37 HIV-positive MSM. Of these participants, 3 (8.1 %) disclosed neither their HIV status nor their sexual orientation to anyone; 24 (64.9 %) voluntarily disclosed both their HIV-positive status and their sexual orientation; 7 (18.9 %) voluntarily disclosed their HIV status only, and 3 (8.1 %) involuntarily disclosed their HIV status and sexual orientation. Parents, partners, siblings and close friends were the most common disclosure targets. HIV-positive MSM were less likely to disclose their sexual orientation than their HIV status. The positive consequences of disclosure included receiving support, acquiring family care, reducing stress, improving mood and developing more positive values and beliefs. The negative consequences included the participants’ perception of rejection and stigma toward themselves and their families. However, the stigma mainly comes from “outsiders” rather than family members and close friends. We did not find any differences with respect to consequences between participants who disclosed their HIV status only and those who disclosed both their HIV status and sexual orientation. In conclusion, partners, siblings and friends were main disclosure targets, and HIV positive MSM preferred to disclose their HIV serostatus than their sexual orientation. Voluntarily disclosing one’s HIV status to significant others resulted in more positive consequences than negative consequences. Theses results were informative for developing mental health and coping interventions.     

Sexual socialization in lesbian-parent families: an exploratory analysis

Few studies have examined the sexual socialization of children within lesbian-parent families, despite evidence that these children may experience benefits in this regard. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 10 partnered, lesbian mothers to explore what and how participants taught their children about sexuality-related issues. Themes related to what participants taught their children about these topics included diverse notions of sexual orientation and reproduction. Themes related to how participants taught these concepts included tag-teaming with their partners (i.e., participants shared with their partners the task of teaching their children about sexuality-related issues), although differences in how the partners carried out this task were identified. This study demonstrated a diversity of experiences of lesbian-parent families, often seemingly in relation to family contextual factors (e.g., how children were conceived), and has potential implications for family researchers, practitioners, and, perhaps, all parents.     

Of rats and women: preclinical insights into the nature of female sexual desire

Abstract

This review examines the breadth and utility of preclinical models of female sexual desire in rats. Desire is inferred by certain measures, such as solicitations, rates of pacing (in which female rats control the initiation and rate of copulatory contact with male rats), and the strength of operant behavior aimed at acquiring sex partners. Current research reveals a complex interplay between sensory stimulation and sexual reward that shapes the strength and type of sexual responding, and that crystallizes the features of desired partners in female rats. The manner in which steroid hormones and sexual experience alter brain neurochemistry to prime the activation of these pathways is a major focus of this work. In contrast to more traditional assessments of lordosis, these models have predictive validity in terms of human female sexual function and dysfunction: for example, drugs that increase solicitations in female rats, such as the melanocortin agonist bremelanotide, are now being shown in clinical trials to increase subjective sexual desire and the initiation of sexual activity in both pre- and post-menopausal women with hypoactive desire disorders. Because rat models offer the ability to conduct experiments that are considered unethical in humans, they will become increasingly important in the development of pharmacological treatments for sexual dysfunctions.     

The diagnostic expertise of forensic psychologists: Whitbread v The Queen (1995) 78 A Crim R 452

As faking threatens the validity of sexual preference measurements in forensic contexts, we investigated in an analogue study the fakeability of the dual-target Rapid Serial Visual Presentation (RSVP), an attention-based measurement procedure. In the dual-target RSVP, when observers attempt to detect two targets (T1 and T2) in a stream of stimuli presented in rapid succession, identification of T2 is impaired when it follows T1 within approximately 500 ms, a phenomenon called Attentional Blink (AB). Emotional stimuli result in an “emotion-induced blindness” or “attentional rubbernecking” effect: AB increases (detection of T2 decreases) when T1 is salient and decreases (detection of T2 íncreases) if T2 is salient or when participants are concurrently engaged in distracting mental activity. The participants were 9 gay men, 8 straight men, and 12 straight men with the last group instructed to fake their T2 responses assuming the expected response style of gay men when the T1 and T2 stimuli were pictures of nude and clothed men and women. We found differences in the reporting of both T1 and T2 between the gay men and the faking straight men as a function of the type of T1 resulting in good differentiation between the two groups (AUC = 0.78–0.92). The results suggest that the different patterns of reporting are in most explainable by a combination of the increase in cognitive load in the faking group and of the subtlety of the attentional effects of whether the stimuli were intrinsically of sexual interest to the participants. We conclude that the RSVP as an attention-based measurement procedure of sexual preference has a moderate resilience to faking. The generalizability of these findings to forensic contexts should be further explored.

     

Pilot evaluation of the feasibility and acceptability of StressOFF Strategies: a single-session school-based stress management program for adolescents

The present study reports the pilot evaluation of the feasibility and acceptability of StressOFF Strategies, a single-session (45 min) adolescent-targeted, school-based psychoeducational program, which introduces cognitive behavioral techniques and mindfulness-based techniques. Five hundred and sixty-five Grade 9 students (57% female; M age = 14.97, SD = 0.36) completed self-report measures of stress, current stress management use, satisfaction with program, understanding of and future willingness to use strategies taught. Pre-intervention, 35.04% of participants reported a moderate–high overall stress level. Furthermore, all participants initially reported limited strategy use with distraction as the most common strategy (68.89%). Post-intervention, 88.67% of participants rated the program as good to excellent with over 87% of participants reporting understanding strategies quite well to very well, and 76–87% of participants indicating high levels of willingness to use each strategy. Females reported high levels of stress, greater satisfaction with the program, and better understanding and willingness to use strategies. Implications for schools are discussed.