Typologies of Women With Orgasmic Difficulty and Their Relationship to Sexual Distress

Abstract

BackgroundAbout 50% of women who report orgasmic difficulty (OD) during partnered sex are distressed by their condition, yet why some women are distressed and others are not is unclear. AimTo determine whether sexual distress is related to women's perceived causes of their OD during partnered sex. MethodsWe established homogenous subgroups of women based on their attributions for OD during partnered sex, and these groups were validated by comparing them on variables relevant to sexual response. We then predicted OD-related distress from subgroup memberships as well as from a number of sociodemographic, control, and empirically supported sexual response variables. Results3 distinct OD subgroups emerged: type 1—high psychological–high somatic reasons; type 2—partner-related reasons; and type 3—moderate psychological–low somatic reasons. These groups also differed on independent parameters related to sexual frequency and arousal. Subgroup membership, along with age, sexual relationship satisfaction, and frequency of partnered sex predicted sexual distress related to OD. Clinical ImplicationParticular perceptions regarding the causes for OD help predict women's sexual distress, and such factors might be considered in identifying sexual issues and managing them within the context of a sexual relationship. Strengths & LimitationsA large sample size drawn from a multinational population powered the study, while the cross-sectional nature of the sample could not rule out bidirectional associations between predictor covariates (including OD subgroup) and the outcome measure (sexual distress). ConclusionType 1 membership (high levels of psychological and somatic attributions) predicted greater levels of OD-related distress than type 2 (partner-related attributions) or type 3 (moderate psychological and low somatic attributions) membership, with type 1 women having a greater likelihood of internalizing (accepting responsibility/blame for) OD attributions.Hevesi K, Miklós E, Horváth Z, et al. Typologies of Women With Orgasmic Difficulty and Their Relationship to Sexual Distress. J Sex Med 2020;17:1144–1155.