Abstract
BackgroundGenital satisfaction has been found to influence women’s sexual experience. We tested the Relational Bodily Experiences Theory (RBET) that predicts associations between women’s genital satisfaction, attachment models, and sexual desire. We extended the model by additionally considering sexual arousal, orgasmic sensation, or the experience of pain during sexual activity as outcome variables. According to the RBET, women’s attachment models are associated with their genital satisfaction and linked to women’s sexual experience.MethodsA cross-sectional online questionnaire study was conducted at an Austrian medical university. In total 294 women (Mage = 23.7, SD = 3.4) provided full responses. Women were asked about genital satisfaction and experiences of distressing sexual problems. Attachment-related anxiety and avoidance were assessed with the Experiences in Close Relationships-Relationship Structures Questionnaire.ResultsResults partially support the RBET. Attachment-related anxiety was associated with genital satisfaction which, in turn, was linked to experiences of frequent and/or distressing diminished sexual arousal, diminished sexual desire, or pain during sexual activity.ConclusionsThese results suggest that clinicians should assess genital satisfaction when treating female sexual problems. Women with attachment-related anxiety may especially be prone to having poor genital satisfaction and may profit from body image interventions in order to improve their sexual experience.
Highlights
Genital satisfaction has been found to influence women’s sexual experience
This is why in the current study we focused on attachment models of current or past intimate relationships with potential sexual partners and did not assess attachment models of parent–child relationships, as was done in a previous study [3]
By extending the Relational Bodily Experiences Theory (RBET) the current study shows that attachment models and sexual body self-representation may be relevant when treating women with low sexual desire [1], and with other sexual dysfunctions [8, 9], such as lack of sexual arousal, difficulties in attaining orgasm, and pain during sexual activity
Summary
We tested the Relational Bodily Experiences Theory (RBET) that predicts associations between women’s genital satisfaction, attachment models, and sexual desire. A previous study [3] showed that in accordance with the RBET, women’s attachment models are associated with their sexual body self-representation and sexual body self-representation, Komlenac and Hochleitner B MC Women’s Health (2020) 20:264 including lack of sexual arousal, difficulties in attaining orgasm, and pain during sexual activity in addition to low sexual desire as outcome variables of the model. In order to better guide therapy and interventions, Nichols [19] argued that it would be more informative to focus on current attachment models and their associations with women’s sexual functioning than to study parent–child attachment models of adult women. This is why in the current study we focused on attachment models of current or past intimate relationships with potential sexual partners and did not assess attachment models of parent–child relationships, as was done in a previous study [3]
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