Jennifer A. Vencill

From MOM to MORE: Emerging Research on Mixed Orientation Relationships

Mixed orientation relationships (MOREs) refer to persons in a relationship whose sexual orientations do not match. To date, however, most literature on MOREs has focused somewhat narrowly on mixed orientation marriages (MOMs), in which one spouse is heterosexual and the other experiences same-sex attraction and may or may not identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual. This review focuses on 14 recently published scholarly articles, noting an emerging shift in the literature from MOMs to the more broad and inclusive concept of MOREs. Relationship factors, the influence of religious identity, lesbian and bisexual female partners, intentional MOREs, and clinical practice issues are discussed. Further research on MOREs that looks beyond the traditional viewpoint of MOMs is needed in order to better understand the particular challenges, as well as the unique resiliency factors, seen within these non-traditional relationships.

It’s Not the Size of the Boat or the Motion of the Ocean The Role of Self-Objectification, Appearance Anxiety, and Depression in Female Sexual Functioning

Research on psychological factors related to female sexual functioning has been growing in recent years. Our study draws on the existing sexual health literature and objectification theory to test a model of female sexual functioning. Using structural equation modeling, we examined the associations of body surveillance and internalization of cultural standards of beauty with appearance anxiety, depression, and sexual health (i.e., physical sexual functioning and subjective sexual well-being) in a sample of 426 sexually active, heterosexual, cisgender women. Further, we investigated the role of depression and appearance anxiety as mediators of the associations of body surveillance and internalization of cultural standards of beauty with sexual health. Our findings contribute to the growing body of empirical research that examines the role of sociocultural and psychological factors in female sexual functioning. Results suggest that depression and appearance anxiety fully mediated the relations of body surveillance with sexual well-being. However, internalization of cultural standards of beauty was not significant with any study outcomes. These findings expand on existing objectification theory literature by elucidating the associations of body surveillance and internalization of cultural standards of beauty with sexual functioning as well as by highlighting the importance of attending to body image, appearance anxiety, and depression when working clinically with women reporting concerns with their sexual functioning.

Mental health, relationships, and sex: exploring patterns among bisexual individuals in mixed orientation relationships

ABSTRACT Drawing on minority stress theory and sexual health literature, this exploratory study tested the relations of bisexual identity factors (e.g. anticipated binegativity, identity affirmation), minority stressors (e.g. isolation and vicarious trauma), and sexual and relationship variables (e.g. sexual functioning, relationship satisfaction) with mental health. Participants were 53 self-identified bisexual individuals in a mixed orientation relationship (MORE) with partners who did not also identify as bisexual. Moderate or above levels of depression, anxiety, and stress were reported by 34.5%, 25.4%, and 27.3% of the sample, respectively. Minority stressors were examined as mediators of the relations of bisexual identity factors and mental health outcomes. Isolation significantly mediated anticipated binegativity and depression, anxiety, and stress. Additionally, vicarious trauma mediated the relation of bisexual identity affirmation with anxiety. Consistent with existing literature, mental health concerns were negatively correlated with various aspects of sexual functioning and relationship satisfaction. Bisexual individuals in monogamous relationships with lesbian-identified partners reported lower stress levels than those with heterosexual partners. Results from the current study provide preliminary information about the health of bisexual individuals in MOREs, and point to minority stressors as potentially fruitful targets of prevention and intervention efforts to reduce negative mental health outcomes among bisexual populations.

Vulnerable but Aloof Versus Naughty and Nice: Contrasting the Presentation of Male and Female Nude Models in Viva and Playboy

The current research examined contested meanings of nudity by comparing images of nude men and women that appeared in Viva, a 1970s womens magazine founded with the intention of foregrounding male nudity, to corresponding issues of Playboy. A major difference was obtained between male models and Playboy Playmates regarding direction of gaze and nudity. Although gaze aversion is often interpreted as a sign of submission and direct gaze is seen as a dominance cue, men in Viva displayed a high level of gaze aversion and women in Playboy often gazed directly at the camera, especially when their pubic area was exposed. Additional content analysis examined the personality characteristics attributed to male models in Viva and Playmates in Playboy in their biographical sketches. In Viva, men were presented as possessing “bad boy” traits that may have been intended to compensate for the loss of power associated with male nudity. Playmates could be viewed as being naughty (by virtue of posing nude) and nice in the characterization of their personalities.

Shining a light into the darkness: bisexuality and relationships

Imagine you are a therapist and you find yourself serving numerous couples in which one partner identifies as bisexual and the other does not. These mixed orientation couples present to therapy for...

Body beyond: A pleasure-based, sex-positive group therapy curriculum for transfeminine adults

Sexual and relationship health is a critical component of clinical practice with transgender and gender nonconforming (TGNC) clients. TGNC people face significant challenges in accessing trans-affirmative sexual health care and often lack safe spaces to explore their sexual concerns. In the rare instances that sexuality-specific health care is available to transgender people, it tends to utilize a disease prevention approach, focusing particularly on HIV/AIDS. Though this is a critical need, such a disease focus overlooks numerous aspects of sex and sexuality. As such, little is known about the sexual experiences of TGNC people and what their potential needs may be for overall sexual and relationship health. Working collaboratively with members of the local transgender community, we developed a sexual health therapy group specifically for transfeminine spectrum adults that is pleasure-based and sex positive in nature. The current article focuses on this curriculum, which is grounded in the Gender Affirmative Lifespan Approach (GALA) and includes 8 distinct group psychotherapy modules covering a range of transfeminine-specific sexual health topics. We present the therapeutic themes and interventions included within each module of the group therapy curriculum and provide a detailed example of 1 such module. This group therapy curriculum provides a much-needed foundation for developing more sexuality-related resources for TGNC people, as well as a clinical training resource for mental and sexual health providers. Recommendations for competent and effective utilization of the curriculum are discussed.

Impact of Stress and Strain on Current LGBT Health Disparities

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals experience chronic stress, or “minority stress,” that increases the risk of developing poor psychological, physical, and behavioral health outcomes. In addition to demonstrating the multifaceted impact of minority stress on health, recent research has outlined underlying psychological mechanisms by which stigma-related stressors are associated with negative health outcomes. To date, however, little is known about these underlying physiological mechanisms or how stress biomarkers may function clinically to mediate/moderate the relationship between stigma and health outcomes among LGBT individuals. One biomarker, the stress hormone cortisol, is believed to play an important role in the experience of minority stress. When individuals experience chronic stress, as in the experience of minority stress, cortisol exerts significant strain on multiple biological systems known as allostatic load. This chapter aims to provide healthcare providers with an understanding of allostatic load and the mechanisms underlying its impact on interconnected biological systems in the context of a growing body of research addressing the psychological and behavioral effects of minority stress experienced by LGBT individuals. Also outlined are implications for public policy reform and community advocacy, as well as strategies healthcare providers can use to help LGBT clients manage the effects of minority stress and foster resilience.

Special issue of sexual and relationship therapy: “bisexuality and relationships”

In the last decade, there has been significant growth in research and scholarly work on lesbians’ and gay mens same-gender relationships, including best practices for working with such sexual mino...

Book Review: It hurts down there: The bodily imaginaries of female genital pain

Identifying features of an individual, such as age and skin color, as well as environment and economic resources, critically shapes health via biological, psychological, and social processes. As race, gender, and class politics in the United States continue to wreak havoc on the most disadvantaged in our society, an increasing need has emerged for health psychology to incorporate themes of social justice into theory, research, and practice. The authors of the textbook have excelled at achieving just that—offering the themes of health psychology within the context of our modern world in chapters that may stand alone, or in succession, and can be accessed by both undergraduate and graduate-level students. The questions raised in each chapter are challenging, as they embody the complexity of well-being and disease. They work well as prompts for written work or discussion. A major strength of the text is that it allows the reader to challenge assumptions about health, disease, and behaviors by providing research-based evidence and perhaps the single most comprehensive research methods chapter written for this purpose. While other health psychology texts have had a narrow focus on research methods, often only highlighting those whose historical use has proven problematic, this text covers research methods in one encyclopedic chapter, covering salient research methods terms, designs, collection modalities, and typologies from A to Z. Of particular interest for those using the text to teach health psychology from a critical perspective is the authors’ use of both professional and lay perspectives. In several instances throughout the text, the authors demonstrate great care when describing individual and intrapsychic variables related to health behavior. In one instance, when describing body image, the authors point out a gap in research on males. They provide a comprehensive overview on the current, while limited, research on the topic of male body image and health behavior (e.g., body hair, penis size satisfaction) while covering more widely researched topics such as thinness ideals for women and exercise. The text covers topics pertaining to women’s health, and these are woven throughout the chapters. After introducing gender in the first section as a macro influence on health, the authors present an historical account of disparities between men, women, and life expectancy while explaining to the reader the impact of gender roles, mortality versus morbidity for chronic illnesses affecting both men and women, and the roles played by poverty, violence, and masculinity stereotypes that shaped the said differential health outcomes. Another way in which the text promises utility for critical health psychology educators is the strength of sections related to race, culture, and health. The authors take a global perspective on disease, emphasizing the importance of measurement. Cross-cultural studies suggest both similarities and differences in health behaviors across the world. Specific to the United States, race-related concepts such as the effects of discrimination and skin color on health are covered thoroughly. Readers can applaud the theme of social justice woven throughout the text. Health as a universal right is introduced early in the book, while topics of stigma and racism are demonstrated with case studies. The human development approach emphasizes the needs of the individual. The authors provide an ‘‘onion framework’’ similar to other ecological models, which works well graphically. The content of the framework, however, is not consistent with the book’s organization, which might prove difficult for undergraduate readers who need structure when complex material is covered. The text would work well in developing and implementing a course on health psychology or assigning chapters to be read independently. Both educators and students have much to gain from adopting this text—empirical, theoretical, and pragmatic concepts are well addressed, so that readers gain comfort with the complexity and interdisciplinarity of the field of health psychology.

The Good-in-Bed Effect: College Students’ Tendency to See Themselves as Better Than Others as a Sex Partner

ABSTRACT Self-enhancement refers to the finding that people tend to see themselves as better than others. The present research tested whether people display self-enhancement with regard to beliefs about their competency as sexual partners (the good-in-bed effect). Participants were asked to list good and bad sexually related behaviors more frequently performed by the self or by others. Study 1 demonstrated that people selectively associate themselves with good and others with bad sexual behaviors. In Study 2, independent raters judged bad behaviors associated with the self as less negative than bad behaviors associated with others. Study 3 replicated the good-in-bed effect and also found that when the salience of the comparison between good and bad traits is increased, men are more likely than women to demonstrate the effect. Implications of the results for relationship satisfaction are considered.