Kristen P. Mark

Gender Differences in Desire Discrepancy as a Predictor of Sexual and Relationship Satisfaction in a College Sample of Heterosexual Romantic Relationships

The authors examined desire discrepancy and its effect on sexual and relationship satisfaction in a sample of 133 heterosexual couples attending a midsize university. Couples were required to be in a relationship for at least 1 year (M = 4.32 years, SD = 3.13 years); 23.7% of the couples were cohabitating. Hierarchical multiple regression results indicated that higher desire discrepancy scores significantly predicted womens (but not mens) lower sexual satisfaction after controlling for relationship satisfaction. Higher desire discrepancy scores significantly predicted mens (but not womens) lower relationship satisfaction after controlling for sexual satisfaction. The authors assessed gender differences using a mixed model with the dyad and gender as factors and satisfaction as the outcome. Although gender difference patterns appeared in the regression models, the differences were nonsignificant within each couple in the extent to which desire discrepancy affected sexual and relationship satisfaction. These findings suggest moving away from focusing on only one partner with low desire and shifting attention to the dyads interaction. Also, the way in which desire discrepancy affects sexual and relationship satisfaction deserves consideration. Therapeutic implications and study limitations are discussed.

A Psychometric Comparison of Three Scales and a Single-Item Measure to Assess Sexual Satisfaction

This study was designed to systematically compare and contrast the psychometric properties of three scales developed to measure sexual satisfaction and a single-item measure of sexual satisfaction. The Index of Sexual Satisfaction (ISS), Global Measure of Sexual Satisfaction (GMSEX), and the New Sexual Satisfaction Scale–Short (NSSS-S) were compared to one another and to a single-item measure of sexual satisfaction. Conceptualization of the constructs, distribution of scores, internal consistency, convergent validity, test-retest reliability, and factor structure were compared between the measures. A total of 211 men and 214 women completed the scales and a measure of relationship satisfaction, with 33% (n = 139) of the sample reassessed two months later. All scales demonstrated appropriate distribution of scores and adequate internal consistency. The GMSEX, NSSS-S, and the single-item measure demonstrated convergent validity. Test-retest reliability was demonstrated by the ISS, GMSEX, and NSSS-S, but not the single-item measure. Taken together, the GMSEX received the strongest psychometric support in this sample for a unidimensional measure of sexual satisfaction and the NSSS-S received the strongest psychometric support in this sample for a bidimensional measure of sexual satisfaction.

The Mediating Role of Sexual and Nonsexual Communication Between Relationship and Sexual Satisfaction in a Sample of College-Age Heterosexual Couples

This study aimed to examine in a sample of college-age heterosexual couples the relations between (a) relationship and sexual satisfaction and (b) sexual and nonsexual communication. The authors tested a mediation model whereby couples’ relationship satisfaction was hypothesized to predict couples’ sexual satisfaction by way of sexual and nonsexual communication levels. Participants were 266 individuals (133 couples) who completed measures of satisfaction and communication independently of their partner. A mediation model, tested with structural equation modeling, showed the degree to which couples were relationally satisfied was positively related to their level of sexual and nonsexual communication, which, in turn, was positively associated with their degree of sexual satisfaction. Results indicate that levels of sexual and nonsexual communication among couples affect the link between relationship and sexual satisfaction. Such findings may have important implications for college-age couples in committed relationships who are looking to improve satisfaction as well as for therapists, counselors, and educators who work with these couples to improve relationship and/or sexual satisfaction.

The relative impact of individual sexual desire and couple desire discrepancy on satisfaction in heterosexual couples

Sexual desire has been shown to be positively related to sexual and relationship satisfaction. Sexual desire discrepancy has received relatively little empirical attention in the context of dyads, though research shows that larger discrepancies in desire may be associated with lower satisfaction outcomes. The relative importance of sexual desire and sexual desire discrepancy in predicting sexual and relationship satisfaction was examined in a sample of 133 heterosexual couples. Men and women were equally likely to be the member of the couple with lower sexual desire relative to their partner. Hierarchical multiple regression results indicated that individual sexual desire for ones partner significantly predicted sexual satisfaction for women and men, whereas sexual desire discrepancy significantly predicted sexual satisfaction for men only. However, in predicting relationship satisfaction, individual sexual desire for partner is significantly related to womens relationship satisfaction, whereas sexual desire discrepancy is significantly related to mens relationship satisfaction. These findings suggest that attention should be paid to how each partner interacts within the dyad and special attention should be paid to how womens sexual desire impacts relationship dynamics. Therapeutic implications and future research avenues are also discussed.

The Object of Sexual Desire: Examining the “What” in “What Do You Desire?”

INTRODUCTION Over the past two decades, sexual desire and desire discrepancy have become more frequently studied as have potential pharmaceutical interventions to treat low sexual desire. However, the complexities of sexual desire-including what exactly is desired-remain poorly understood. AIMS To understand the object of mens and womens sexual desire, evaluate gender differences and similarities in the object of desire, and examine the impact of object of desire discrepancies on overall desire for partner in men and women in the context of long-term relationships. METHODS A total of 406 individuals, 203 men and 203 women in a relationship with one another, completed an online survey on sexual desire. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Reports of the object of sexual desire in addition to measures of sexual desire for current partner were collected from both members of the couple. RESULTS There were significant gender differences in the object of sexual desire. Men were significantly more likely to endorse desire for sexual release, orgasm, and pleasing their partner than were women. Women were significantly more likely to endorse desire for intimacy, emotional closeness, love, and feeling sexually desirable than men. Discrepancies within the couple with regard to object of desire were related to their level of sexual desire for partner, accounting for 17% of variance in mens desire and 37% of variance in womens desire. CONCLUSIONS This research provides insights into the conceptualization of sexual desire in long-term relationships and the multifaceted nature of sexual desire that may aid in more focused ways to maintain desire over long-term relationships. Future research on the utility of this perspective of sexual desire and implications for clinicians working with couples struggling with low sexual desire in their relationships is discussed.

The impact of sexual compatibility on sexual and relationship satisfaction in a sample of young adult heterosexual couples

The associations between sexual compatibility and sexual and relationship satisfaction were examined in a sample of 133 college-age heterosexual couples. Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to assess the relationship between two types of sexual compatibility (actual sexual compatibility and perceived sexual compatibility) and sexual and relationship satisfaction. Age, length of relationship, and satisfaction were included as covariates in the hierarchical regression analyses. Couple difference scores from four subscales of the Sexual Excitation/Sexual Inhibition Inventory used to measure actual sexual compatibility, and womens and mens Hurlberts Index of Sexual Compatibility scores measuring perceived sexual compatibility were included as predictors of sexual satisfaction and relationship satisfaction in the analyses. The strongest predictor of sexual satisfaction, after accounting for relationship satisfaction, was perceived sexual compatibility. Similarly, the strongest predictor of relationship satisfaction, after accounting for sexual satisfaction, was perceived sexual compatibility. The final models predicting sexual satisfaction accounted for 66% of the variance in the womens model and 75% of the variance in the mens model. The final models predicting relationship satisfaction accounted for 20% of the variance in the womens model and 27% of the variance in the mens model. Perception of sexual compatibility may be more important to couple satisfaction than actual sexual compatibility of specific sexual acts.

Patterns of condom acquisition by condom-using men in the United States.

Condom-distribution programs have striven to make condoms more accessible to sexually active individuals, particularly adolescents and populations disproportionately affected by HIV and other STIs. Despite such programs, little is known about where condom-using men in the United States acquire their condoms. The purpose of this study was to document condom-access trends among a large sample of sexually active condom-using men in the United States. Data were collected from 1,832 men from all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia by using an Internet-based survey in which men provided details regarding the source of condoms that they had used within the past 30 days. Men reported acquiring their condoms from a variety of sources, including free condom-distribution programs (56.7%) and from venues where they had purchased condoms for themselves (75.7%). Bivariate analyses indicated that participants who reported using free condoms tended to be younger, self-identified as not heterosexual, or not currently in a monogamous relationship. Further, results indicated that those participants who accessed only free condoms did not differ from those who used only purchased condoms, indicating that perhaps efforts to make condoms more accessible through public health distribution campaigns are reaching a more general population of condom-using men than expected. Findings illustrate the importance of continuing free condom-distribution efforts but also suggest benefits of facilitating linkages between public health and a communitys retail venues to increase access to the growing diversity of condoms in the marketplace.

Impact of Contraceptive Type on Sexual Desire of Women and of Men Partnered to Contraceptive Users

INTRODUCTION Research investigating the impact of contraceptive use on sexual desire has produced mixed results. This scholarship also has had inconsistent methodology, with some studies not separating contraceptive types and others lacking non-hormonal comparison groups. Relationship context of contraceptive use and sexual behavior also have not been well represented. AIMS To investigate the impact of contraceptive type on sexual desire in women and in men who are partnered to contraceptive-using women. METHODS In two separate studies we examined the impact of contraceptives on the sexual desire of women currently using contraceptives and men partnered to women using contraceptives. The first study examined the impact of contraceptive type on sexual desire in women and in men partnered to contraceptive users in relationships of different lengths. The second study examined this impact in heterosexual couples in long-term relationships. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Solitary and dyadic sexual desire as measured by the Sexual Desire Inventory and contraceptive type as categorized into three types: oral hormonal contraceptive, other hormonal contraceptive, and non-hormonal contraceptive. RESULTS Contraceptive type significantly affected solitary and dyadic desire. Women on non-hormonal contraceptives reported higher solitary sexual desire than women on other hormonal contraceptives. Women on oral hormonal contraceptives reported significantly higher dyadic sexual desire than women on non-hormonal contraceptives. In male partners of female contraceptive users, solitary and dyadic sexual desires were not affected by partner contraceptive type. In the multivariate model, relationship length and age were stronger predictors of contraceptive type than was solitary or dyadic sexual desire. At the couple level, contraceptive type also was not related to solitary or dyadic sexual desire in men and women. CONCLUSION Contraceptive type can affect solitary and dyadic sexual desire in women; however, contextual factors seem to be stronger predictors of sexual desire for long-term coupled women and men than contraception type.

Sexual Desire Discrepancy

Sexual desire discrepancy is a mismatch between an individual and his or her partner’s level of sexual desire. Due to the number of factors that influence the ebb and flow of individual sexual desire, desire discrepancy is a common experience at one time or another in long-term romantic relationships. Although this is a common experience, the research in this area has found consistent links between greater desire discrepancy and lower sexual and relationship satisfaction, indicating a need to find ways to modulate issues of sexual desire discrepancy. Little research has examined sexual desire discrepancy in sexually diverse couples or in clinical populations, and this is an important area for future research efforts. This paper reviews the importance of definitions and measurement of discrepant sexual desire, findings in the role of gender and sexual orientation, and the impact of sexual desire discrepancy on sexual and relational outcomes. Additionally, the treatment of sexual desire discrepancy and future directions necessary to expand this area of research are covered.

Maintaining Sexual Desire in Long-Term Relationships: A Systematic Review and Conceptual Model

The most universally experienced sexual response is sexual desire. Though research on this topic has increased in recent years, low and high desire are still problematized in clinical settings and the broader culture. However, despite knowledge that sexual desire ebbs and flows both within and between individuals, and that problems with sexual desire are strongly linked to problems with relationships, there is a critical gap in understanding the factors that contribute to maintaining sexual desire in the context of relationships. This article offers a systematic review of the literature to provide researchers, educators, clinicians, and the broader public with an overview and a conceptual model of nonclinical sexual desire in long-term relationships. First, we systematically identified peer-reviewed, English-language articles that focused on the maintenance of sexual desire in the context of nonclinical romantic relationships. Second, we reviewed a total of 64 articles that met inclusion criteria and synthesized them into factors using a socioecological framework categorized as individual, interpersonal, and societal in nature. These findings are used to build a conceptual model of maintaining sexual desire in long-term relationships. Finally, we discuss the limitations of the existing research and suggest clear directions for future research.