Non-heterosexual Women Research Articles

Non-heterosexual women's experiences of informal social support: A qualitative metasynthesis

ABSTRACTThis metasynthesis explores how non-heterosexual women experience informal social support. A systematic literature search was conducted to identify papers for inclusion, following which Noblit and Hare's (1988) meta-ethnographic approach was adopted to synthesize the findings of 16 papers. Four themes were derived: (a) disconnection from family life, (b) the benefits of cross-sexual orientation friendships, (c) negotiating (internalized) homophobia and seeking a space for authenticity, and (d) the intimacy of friendships between women. The impact of heterosexism on the women's experiences of social support is discussed, implications for health and social care are explored, and future research avenues are proposed.

‘Dulling it down a bit’: managing visibility, sexualities and risk in the Night Time Economy in Newcastle, UK

Drawing on qualitative interviews with young women in the UK, this article highlights how gendered and sexualised negotiations of visibility intersect and continue to be important in the ways in which young women self-regulate bodies and identities to manage risk in the Night Time Economy (NTE). Adopting visible markers of normative, heterosexual femininity on a night out can be understood as simultaneously mitigating against the risks of experiencing certain types of harassment, whilst increasing the risks of experiencing others. This article reaffirms the relevance of negotiations of visibility in shaping non-heterosexual women’s dress as a strategy for managing the risk of homophobic abuse and demonstrates some of the ways in which all young women – regardless of actual or perceived sexual identification – are required to police their bodies in order to manage the additional risks of ‘heterosexualised’ harassment in the NTE. These include threats of sexual violence and harassment primarily associated with women’s positioning as subordinated gendered subjects rather than with the policing of ‘non-normative’ sexualities, with findings suggesting that young women are more concerned with managing the risks associated with a heterosexualised male gaze rather than a homophobic gaze. ‘Everyday’ experiences of harassment are trivialised and normalised in bar and club spaces, and adopting markers of normative, heterosexual femininity was felt to increase the risks of receiving this kind of ‘unwanted attention’. Clearly, young women face challenges as they attempt to negotiate femininities, sexualities and safety and manage intersections of gender and sexuality in contemporary leisure spaces.

Who Adopts Queer and Pansexual Sexual Identities?

Some nonheterosexual individuals are eschewing lesbian/gay and bisexual identities for queer and pansexual identities. The present study aimed to examine the sexual and demographic characteristics of nonheterosexual individuals who adopt these labels. A convenience sample of 2,220 nonheterosexual (1,459 lesbian/gay, 413 bisexual, 168 queer, 146 pansexual, and 34 other “write-in”) individuals were recruited for a cross-sectional online survey. In support of our hypotheses, those adopting pansexual identities were younger than those adopting lesbian, gay, and bisexual identities, and those adopting queer and pansexual identities were more likely to be noncisgender than cisgender, and more likely to be cisgender women than men. The majority of pansexual individuals demonstrated sexual orientation indices within the bisexual range, and showed equivalent patterns of sexual attraction, romantic attraction, sexual behavior, and partner gender as bisexual-identified men and women. In contrast, three-quarters of queer men, and more than half of queer women, reported sexual attraction in the homosexual range. This study found that rather than a general movement toward nontraditional sexual identities, queer and pansexual identities appear most appealing to nonheterosexual women and noncisgender individuals. These findings contribute important information regarding who adopts queer and pansexual identities in contemporary sexual minority populations.

Influence of sexual orientation, population, homogamy, and imprinting-like effect on preferences and choices for female buttock size, breast size and shape, and WHR

Secondary sexual characteristics that are consistently noticed by individuals of the opposite sex (e.g., female breasts) have been shown to be linked to individual qualities, such as health and/or fertility. However, it is not clear whether homosexual individuals seek similar traits in their potential partners as their heterosexual counterparts. Here we investigated preferences and choices for female buttock size, breast size and shape, and WHR among non-heterosexual women and heterosexual men in two diverse populations, Brazil and the Czech Republic. On average, participants mostly preferred younger-looking female breasts, medium to bigger buttock and breast size, and WHR of 0.7. However, men preferred bigger buttocks and breasts, and smaller WHR than women. Possibly, non-heterosexual women have lower motivation to search for indicators of fecundity and fertility in their potential female partners. Further, Brazilians preferred larger breasts and buttocks than Czechs, although there was no difference in preferred breast shape and WHR. We also found evidence for preferred homogamy and an imprinting-like effect among men and women. In general, preferences differed from actual choices. In sum, personal experience (imprinting-like effect), own characteristics (own physical traits, sexual orientation) and external factors (population) can calibrate individual differences in preferences for specific physical traits.

Personality of ideal and actual romantic partners among heterosexual and non-heterosexual men and women: A cross-cultural study

Personality is important for social and romantic life, but little is known about personality preferences in non-heterosexual individuals. Here we investigated individual differences in personality (Five Factor Model) of an ideal and actual partner, and in self-reported personality among heterosexual and non-heterosexual men and women in two populations (Brazil, the Czech Republic). In an online survey participated 701 men (316 non-heterosexuals) and 1118 women (240 non-heterosexuals), who reported five personality dimensions of their own, their ideal and, if coupled, actual partner. Results showed that participants, on average, desired high scores on all socially desirable personality traits in their ideal partners. As predicted from parental investment theory, heterosexual women showed highest demands, followed by non-heterosexual women and non-heterosexual men, who had higher demands than heterosexual men. However, actual partners did not reach the ideal standards in any of the groups. Further, preferences and choices were partly influenced by familiarity, or the distribution of the given characteristic in the given population. Thus, mating psychology can be influenced by many factors, such as sex, sexual orientation, and population. Combining cross-cultural research with focus on different sexual orientations can reveal inter-individual differences in mate preferences and choices.

HPV infection among a population-based sample of sexual minority women from USA

ObjectivesSexual minority women are at risk for infection with human papillomavirus (HPV); yet, relatively little is known about the prevalence of HPV infection among this population.MethodsWe analysed data from the...

Explicitly Pressing Send: Impact of Sexting on Relationship Satisfaction

ABSTRACTGiven that few researchers have addressed sexting among adult samples, we sought to evaluate the prevalence of adults who sext, their sexting behaviors, and how it impacted relationship satisfaction. Analyses on the sample (N = 1171) revealed that heterosexual women are negatively impacted if they do not reciprocate a sext message; yet nonheterosexual women, and men in general, are not negatively impacted. This finding can be best understood within the framework of relational cultural theory (RCT). Implications for future research and for the practice of mental health providers are discussed.

HPV Infection among Sexual Minority Women: Does it Matter How Sexual Orientation Is Measured?

Abstract Background: Sexual minority women are at risk for infection with human papillomavirus (HPV), yet little is known about the prevalence of HPV infection among this population. Further, it is not known how the prevalence of HPV infection might vary based on how sexual orientation is measured and operationalized. Methods: We analyzed data from the 2003–2012 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) among women ages 20–59 (n = 7,132). We examined two dimensions of sexual orientation for each woman (sexual identity and sexual behavior), as well as multiple operational definitions for each dimension (aggregating sexual minority women into one group and disaggregating sexual minority women into subgroups). Weighted logistic regression models determined how HPV infection outcomes (any HPV type, high-risk HPV type, and vaccine-preventable HPV type) varied by dimension. Results: Similar patterns emerged for sexual identity and sexual behavior. In bivariate analyses, HPV infection outcomes were more common among non-heterosexual women compared to heterosexual women (any type: 49.7% vs. 41.1%; high-risk type: 37.0% vs. 27.9%), as well as among women who reported any same-sex partners compared to women who reported only opposite-sex partners (any type: 55.9% vs. 41.0%; high-risk type: 37.7% vs. 28.2%; vaccine-preventable type: 19.1% vs. 14.0%) (P < 0.05). When we disaggregated dimensions of sexual orientation into subgroups, bisexual women and women who reported partners of both sexes had greater odds of HPV infection outcomes (P < 0.05 in bivariate analyses). Multivariate models attenuated several of these differences, though lesbian women and women who reported only same-sex partners had lower odds of most HPV infection outcomes in multivariate analyses (P < 0.05). Conclusions: HPV infection is common among sexual minority women. However, prevalence estimates vary slightly between sexual orientation dimensions and greatly depending on how a dimension is operationally defined. These findings highlight the importance of measuring sexual orientation in various ways and can help inform targeted HPV and cervical cancer prevention efforts for sexual minority women.

Preferred and actual relative height are related to sex, sexual orientation, and dominance: Evidence from Brazil and the Czech Republic

Height and dominance influence mate preferences and choices. We explored preferred relative height (PRH) among ideal partners and actual relative height (ARH) among long-term partners in heterosexual and non-heterosexual men and women from Brazil and the Czech Republic. Furthermore, we tested whether PRH and ARH are influenced by own height, and submissiveness-dominance in relationship and sexual activities. In a sample of 1709 respondents (379 heterosexual men, 311 non-heterosexual men, 853 heterosexual women, and 166 non-heterosexual women) heterosexual individuals showed the ‘male-taller-pattern’ preferences and choices, while non-heterosexuals preferred and chose partners of a height similar to themselves; an ‘equal-height-pattern’. Regression analyses further showed that own height positively predicted both PRH and ARH in all four groups of participants. Moreover, non-heterosexual men and women who preferred to be dominant in sexual activities and heterosexual men who preferred to be dominant in relationships preferred to be taller than their partner. Thus, in Western populations, preferences for relative height differ between heterosexual and non-heterosexual individuals, but in both cases they relate to dyadic submissiveness-dominance and own height. Preferences for relative height and dominance can work as a guide to actual mate choices enhancing ancestral fitness, although they differ from actual choices in modern humans.

Discrimination des minorités sexuelles et de genre au travail : quelles implications pour la santé mentale ?

Despite legislative advances in terms of workplace equality for sexual and gender minorities (SGM), available data ascertains the persistence of workplace discrimination of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and especially of transgender/transsexual employees. This article, based on an extensive literature review, explores the relationship between different types of workplace discrimination experiences and their impacts on the mental health of SGM and of different sub-populations: men who have sex with men, non-heterosexual women, lesbian and gay parents, and trans people. Furthermore, the article explores certain individual and systemic protection and risk factors that have an impact on this relationship, such as coming-out at work and organisational support. Finally, the existing literature on workplace discrimination and mental health of sexual and gender minorities highlights the importance, in the current legal and social context, of intersectional approaches and of research on homo- and trans-negative microaggressions. The article ends with a discussion on the implications for practice, research, and workplace settings, as well as with several recommendations for these settings.

Does Sexual Orientation Precede Childhood Sexual Abuse? Childhood Gender Nonconformity as a Risk Factor and Instrumental Variable Analysis.

Research suggests that there is a relation between childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and adulthood nonheterosexual orientation. To explore whether nonheterosexual orientation increases the risk of CSA, we recruited a large sample, added the variable of childhood gender nonconformity (CGNC), and applied the instrumental variable method. We found that heterosexual and nonheterosexual men who were more gender nonconforming in childhood were significantly more likely to report having a history of CSA than their gender-conforming counterparts. There was no relation between CSA and CGNC for heterosexual and nonheterosexual women. The instrumental variable analysis revealed that the increased prevalence of CSA experienced by nonheterosexuals compared with heterosexuals may be due to the influence of sexual orientation on CSA. In sum, the results suggest that nonheterosexuality may increase the risk of childhood sexual abuse.

Going to the ‘Men's School'? Non-heterosexual and trans youth choosing military service in Finland

Military service is obligatory for those who are legally men in Finland, and the majority of men do their service, although there is the possibility for women to apply for voluntary military service. In this article I analyse the experiences and stories of non-heterosexual men, non-heterosexual women, transfeminine and transmasculine respondents in relation to their military service. My data are from a survey with 1861 responses from trans and non-heterosexual people under 30 years of age. I analyse what kind of significance they give to gender and sexuality in their perceptions of military service. Military service is often seen in their stories as a ‘men’s school’ from which they distance themselves or which they see as a way to prove their masculinity. The four respondent groups reacted differently towards military service in many respects. Their reasons given for deciding to avoid military service included pacifist concerns on the part of some, but concerns relating to gender and sexuality were far more frequent in decisions to avoid military service. The army was often seen as best suited for heterosexual man, and military culture was seen as sexist and homophobic.

Intimate Partner Violence Victimization Among Non-Heterosexuals: Prevalence and Associations With Mental and Sexual Well-Being

This study focused on intimate partner violence (IPV) among non-heterosexuals in Flanders. Prevalence rates were explored and compared with heterosexual IPV using a first representative sample consisting of 1690 heterosexuals and non-heterosexual individuals. A second convenience sample consisting of 2401 non-heterosexual individuals was used to determine differences between women and men and to explore associations between IPV and victims’ well-being. Physical and psychological IPV inflicted by the current/former partner were reported by 14.5 and 57.9 % of the non-heterosexuals, respectively. Non-heterosexuals and heterosexuals were equally likely to report physical and psychological IPV. Furthermore, non-heterosexual women and men reported similar physical, sexual, and psychological IPV. However, female victims experienced more frequent acts of psychological IPV. IPV was negatively associated with victims’ well-being.

‘I can now thank God when I come’

Abstract Dynamics of belonging and exclusion and the notion of being ‘in-between’ are common in dominant discourse regarding sexuality and Christianity in Dutch society. Homosexuality and Christianity are considered as incompatible, with religious homosexuals moving in between religiosity and sexuality. This dominant discourse in both media and academia mainly focuses on homosexual men. As a consequence, the lives and narratives of religious non-heterosexual women are silenced and made invisible ‐ an exclusion which this article seeks to address. Based on in-depth interviews with non-heterosexual Protestant women, this article foregrounds the stories, practices, and experiences of these women. It explores different strategies these women use to move beyond the dominant discourse of incompatibility. Instead of positioning Christianity and non-normative sexuality as opposites, these women show how religion and religiosity can affirm love and desire for women. This article argues that the faith of these women enables them to express love and desire in other parts of their life, such as in relations with women. At the same time sexuality, especially same-sex sexuality and female sexuality, is largely unspoken or even condemned within the Churches that these women attend. These women use various strategies to establish a sense of community by questioning established boundaries through an experience of sex as positive and empowering. Through these negotiations of God, sex, love, and the Church, these stories emphasise the agency and creativity of these women by showing the diverse ways in which religion and sexuality intersect and are embodied. As such religion and sexuality are co-constructed and embodied by these women as empowering modes of negotiation.

Lesbian Ethics Re-Investigated: A Socio-Political Comment

My intention throughout the text is to thoroughly examine the question of lesbian ethics with regard to its social, political, and strategic values. First I need to outline certain cultural and social processes that determine the position of non-heterosexual women. However, my point of departure and the main body of my analysis is going to be the philosophy of lesbian ethics as based on Sarah Lucia Hoagland’s 1988 volume, Lesbian Ethics: Toward New Value. I argue that it needs to be revived. I will thus introduce the author’s project and further apply it to possibilities of the circumstances of today. Intersectionality and interdisciplinarity will prove essential here – particularly regarding sociology and certain philosophical concepts. As a queer lesbian scholar, I derive a lot from the queer perspective, although its use here is going to be limited. More significant will be my position as a scholar based in Poland. As I intend to show, the Central-Eastern European context, though too often considered the margin, does have much to offer. Altogether, the paper is a socio-political comment.Keywords: lesbianity, ethics, lesbian separatism, lesbian desire, care of the self, CEE, culture-----Bibliography: Olasik, Marta: Lesbian Ethics Re-Investigated: A Socio-Political Comment, INSEP, Vol. 2, Issue 1/2014, pp. 54-72. https://doi.org/10.3224/insep.v2i1.17063

Women's Sexuality after Cancer: A Qualitative Analysis of Sexual Changes and Renegotiation

Changes to sexual wellbeing and intimacy after cancer were examined through interviews with 41 women; 23 women with cancer and 18 partners of a person with cancer. Thematic analysis identified 2 core themes: 1) Changes to sexuality after cancer: loss of sexual desire, sexual pain, concerns about body image, tiredness, and partner erectile dysfunction; Coital failure equals loss of sex and intimacy; and a counter-narrative in which sexuality is the same after cancer, more commonly reported by non-heterosexual women. 2) Renegotiating Sex: resisting the coital imperative and embracing intimacy. Implications of these findings for therapeutic interventions are discussed.

Prevalence and correlates of depression among Australian women: a systematic literature review, January 1999- January 2010

BackgroundLittle is known about the prevalence and correlates of depression among Australian women. This systematic review of depression among women in Australia, the largest identified to date, highlights the prevalence and correlates of depression across the life span.ResultsThe report adhered to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses: The PRISMA Statement (PRISMA). Six health related databases were selected: Medline, PsychInfo, SCOPUS, Cinhal, Informit and Cochrane Systematic Reviews. 1,888 initial articles were found, and 111 articles were considered relevant for review. Prevalence rates of depression among women ranged from 2.6% to 43.9%. Higher rates were reported for younger women, or specific population groups. Most significant correlates included, age, adverse life events, tobacco use, sole motherhood, and previous mental health problems.ConclusionsLimitations include the scope of the investigation’s aims and inclusion criteria, and the failure to identify gender specific data in most studies. Publication bias was likely, given that only papers reported (or translated) in English were included. Despite the breadth of information available, there were noticeable gaps in the literature. Some studies reported on affective disorders, but did not specifically report on depression; it is concluded that each mental illness warrants separate investigation. It was also common for studies to report a total prevalence rate without separating gender. This report recommends that it is vital to separate male and female data. The report concludes that more research is needed among mid-age women, Indigenous women, non-heterosexual women and Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) women.

Biological Markers of Asexuality: Handedness, Birth Order, and Finger Length Ratios in Self-identified Asexual Men and Women

Human asexuality is defined as a lack of sexual attraction to anyone or anything and it has been suggested that it may be best conceptualized as a sexual orientation. Non-right-handedness, fraternal birth order, and finger length ratio (2D:4D) are early neurodevelopmental markers associated with sexual orientation. We conducted an Internet study investigating the relationship between self-identification as asexual, handedness, number of older siblings, and self-measured finger-lengths in comparison to individuals of other sexual orientation groups. A total of 325 asexuals (60 men and 265 women; M age, 24.8 years), 690 heterosexuals (190 men and 500 women; M age, 23.5 years), and 268 non-heterosexuals (homosexual and bisexual; 64 men and 204 women; M age, 29.0 years) completed online questionnaires. Asexual men and women were 2.4 and 2.5 times, respectively, more likely to be non-right-handed than their heterosexual counterparts and there were significant differences between sexual orientation groups in number of older brothers and older sisters, and this depended on handedness. Asexual and non-heterosexual men were more likely to be later-born than heterosexual men, and asexual women were more likely to be earlier-born than non-heterosexual women. We found no significant differences between sexual orientation groups on measurements of 2D:4D ratio. This is one of the first studies to test and provide preliminary empirical support for an underlying neurodevelopmental basis to account for the lack of sexual attraction characteristic of asexuality.

Psoriasis and Sexual Behavior in U.S. Women: An Epidemiologic Analysis Using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES)

Although sexual behavior is an integral part of most adults' overall well-being, this aspect of psoriasis patients' quality of life is rarely explored. The aim of this study is to assess the relationship between psoriasis and sexual behavior in U.S. women. We analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2003 to 2006. Our study focuses on responses to the dermatology and sexual behavior questionnaires of the NHANES. This study examines the association between psoriasis and sexual behavior in U.S. women with regard to sexual orientation, age of first sexual encounter, number of sexual partners, and frequency of unprotected sex. A total of 3,462 women provided responses to their psoriasis status: 2,753 (80%) women were heterosexual and 709 (20%) were nonheterosexual. Among them, 2.7% reported a physician-given diagnosis of psoriasis. On multivariate analyses, psoriasis was not associated with differences in sexual orientation (odds ratio [OR] 0.90, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.62-2.01). Among nonheterosexual women, multivariate analysis revealed a lower number of lifetime female sexual partners in women with psoriasis (rate ratio [RR] 0.11, 95% CI 0.04-0.33, P = 0.001). Among heterosexual women, no significant differences existed between those with and without psoriasis in age of first sexual encounter (weighted difference -0.54 years, 95% CI -1.27 to 0.19), number of lifetime male sexual partners (RR 1.19, 95% CI 0.69-2.06), or number of lifetime male oral sex partners (RR 0.72, 95% CI 0.40-1.29). Heterosexual women with psoriasis had 1.13 times more unprotected sex (RR 1.13, 95% CI 1.02-1.24, P = 0.03) compared with those without psoriasis. Psoriasis is associated with a significantly reduced number of sexual partners in nonheterosexual women. Psoriasis may differentially impact sexual behavior based on sexual orientation in women.

A qualitative exploration of whether lesbian and bisexual women are ‘protected’ from sociocultural pressure to be thin

Heterosexual women in Western cultures are known to experience body image concerns, dieting and disordered eating as a result of intense social pressures to be thin. However, it is theorised that lesbian and bisexual women belong to a subculture that is 'protective' of such demands. Fifteen non-heterosexual women were interviewed about their experiences of social pressure. Thematic analysis of their accounts suggests that such theorising may be inaccurate, because these lesbian and bisexual women did not feel 'protected' from social pressures and experienced body dissatisfaction. While they might attempt to resist thin idealisation, resistance is not centred around their sexuality.