Satisfaction and Communication in Couples of Parents and Potential Parents – Psychological Predictors and Implications for Sexuality Education of Children

Abstract

This study investigated the existence of several predictors for sexual communication anxiety, sexual satisfaction and relationship satisfaction in coupled adults. Relationship satisfaction, sexual satisfaction, sexual communication anxiety, perfectionism and sexual perfectionism were measured for 128 participants. Results indicated a strong positive correlation between perfectionism and sexual perfectionism. Sexual satisfaction mediated the effect of relationship satisfaction on sexual communication anxiety. Women expressed on average less anxiety to communicate on sexual topics and more sexual satisfaction than men. Married participants reported lower levels of sexual satisfaction and higher levels of sexual communication anxiety. Implications of findings for sexuality education programmes are discussed.