Frequency Of Penile-vaginal Intercourse Research Articles

Relationships between Penile-Vaginal Intercourse Frequency and Condom/Contraceptive Use from 2009 to 2018: Findings from the National Survey of Sexual Health and Behavior

Objectives: To examine changes over time in event-level condom/contraceptive use and the association between past year penile-vaginal intercourse frequency and event-level condom/contraceptive use. Methods: Data were from the 2009 and 2018 National Survey of Sexual Health and Behavior, an online probability survey of U.S. adolescents and adults. Results: The use of condoms and highly effective hormonal contraceptives decreased while long-acting reversible contraceptive use increased from 2009 to 2018 among adults. Increased penile-vaginal intercourse frequency was associated with decreased use of most contraceptive methods but an increase in condom use for adolescents. Conclusions: Sexual frequency should be considered when assessing condom/contraceptive use.

Sexual function, absorption, and attachment styles

ABSTRACT Introduction Absorbed states refer to states of focused attention in which individuals get engrossed and fascinated by sensory and imaginary experiences to the point of a transient alteration in the usual awareness of self, space, and time. As such, the propensity to enter absorbed states indicates a greater tendency to experience altered states of consciousness by a variety of triggers, including sex. The personality tendency to experience absorbed states is commonly given the name absorption or self-forgetfulness. Previously, higher self-forgetfulness was found to correlate with higher desire in both sexes, and with greater coital frequency in men. A proposed explanation is that absorbed states may favor fascination and emotional engagement with partners or potential partners. Given that fantasy can be a focus of absorbed attention, people more prone to absorbed states might have richer and more intense sex fantasies. However, there is also evidence that disorganized attachment is associated with propensity to experience absorbed states. Given that insecure attachment has been related to sexual difficulties, the findings are difficult to reconcile. Objectives To test for independent associations of self-forgetfulness (absorption) with sexual function, anxious attachment, and avoidant attachment. Method During a laboratory study, 324 Portuguese (312 women, 112 men) reported their frequency of sexual behaviors in the past month and how satisfied they were with their sex lives. Sexual desire was assessed with the desire dimensions of the Female Sexual Function Index and the International Index of Erectile Function. Propensity for absorbed states was assessed by the self-forgetfulness subscale of the Temperament and Character Inventory – Revised. Multiple regressions were run with self-forgetfulness as dependent variable. The independent variables were anxious attachment, avoidant attachment, and in separate regressions, sexual desire, sexual satisfaction, penile-vaginal intercourse frequency, noncoital sex frequency, and solitary masturbation frequency. Results In women, self-forgetfulness was independently associated with: 1) higher desire (β = .15) and more attachment anxiety (β = .13), 2) more sexual satisfaction (β =.16) and more attachment anxiety (β = .17), 3) greater masturbation frequency (β = .13) and more attachment anxiety (β = .15). In men, self-forgetfulness was independently associated with: 1) higher desire (β = .23) and more attachment anxiety (β = .19), 2) greater coital frequency (β = .19) and more attachment anxiety (β = .22), 3) greater noncoital sex frequency (β = .24) and more attachment anxiety (β = .20). Conclusion Propensity for absorbed states can favor sexual function, but can also be part of the psychological dynamics of insecure attachment. In the former case, the tendency to experiencing absorbed states might lead to greater fascination by attractive people and to a richer erotic fantasy. In the latter case, absorbed states might be part of psychological defenses against stressors related to intimate relationships, such as dissociation and use of fantasy as a means of “escape” of reality, which have no relevance for sexual function, or might even be detrimental. Disclosure Work supported by industry: no.

Changes in Penile-Vaginal Intercourse Frequency and Sexual Repertoire from 2009 to 2018: Findings from the National Survey of Sexual Health and Behavior

Solo and partnered sexual behaviors are relevant to health, well-being, and relationships. Recent research shows that sexual frequency has declined in the U.S. and in other countries; however, measurement has been imprecise. We used data from 14- to 49-year-old participants in the 2009 and 2018 waves of the National Survey of Sexual Health and Behavior (NSSHB), a confidential U.S. nationally representative survey that is conducted online. We aimed to: (1) assess changes in frequency of past-year penile-vaginal intercourse and (2) examine combinations of past-year sexual behaviors for each of the two waves. We hypothesized that we would observe lower frequency of penile-vaginal intercourse (PVI) from 2009 to 2018 and that we would observe greater engagement in sexual repertoires involving non-coital partnered behaviors (e.g., partnered masturbation, oral sex) in 2018 as compared to 2009. Participants were 4155 individuals from the 2009 NSSHB (Adolescents: 406 females, 414 males; Adults: 1591 women, 1744 men) and 4547 individuals from the 2018 NSSHB (Adolescents: 416 females, 411 males; Adults: 2007 women, 1713 men). Compared to adult participants in the 2009 NSSHB, adults in the 2018 NSSHB were significantly more likely to report no PVI in the prior year (28% in 2018 vs. 24% in 2009). A similar difference in proportions reporting no PVI in the prior year was observed among 14–17-year-old adolescents (89% in 2018 vs. 79% in 2009). Additionally, for both adolescents and adults, we observed decreases in all modes of partnered sex queried and, for adolescents, decreases in solo masturbation.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10508-021-02125-2.

A home-practice intervention for increasing condom use among university undergraduates.

The consistently high rate of sexually transmitted infections among people 18-24 years old warrants novel strategies promoting condom use among large segments of this population. Ample opportunity exits to employ such strategies in university settings. This study evaluated a sex-positive, home-practice intervention designed to promote condom use among university undergraduates engaging in penile-vaginal intercourse (PVI). A sample of 29 opposite-sex undergraduate couples, engaging in PVI, was recruited from a large university. After teaching couples about condom use, a health educator helped couples select condoms/lubricants from options comprising various sizes, fits, shapes, textures, and other features. A 30-day 'homework assignment' was made to use these products while reducing condom use errors/problems and enhancing sexual pleasure. A repeated measures design, with a six-month observation period, was used to evaluate the program. Over the six-month period, the mean frequency of condomless PVI decreased from 26.4 to 3.9 times (P < .001). Significant and favorable changes were also found relative to attitudes toward condom use (P = .027) and in condom use self-efficacy (P < .001). Most students completing the follow-up assessment indicated the intervention would favorably impact their future condom use. Findings suggest this intervention program may be important to promoting condom use among university couples engaging in PVI.

Frequency of Penile-Vaginal Intercourse is Associated with Verbal Recognition Performance in Adult Women.

Previous studies have identified a number of factors that contribute to improved cognitive function, and to memory function specifically, in cognitively normal individuals. One such factor, frequency of penile-vaginal intercourse (PVI), has been reported in a number of animal studies to be advantageous to memory for previously presented objects by increasing neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus. However, studies investigating the potential benefits of frequent PVI on memory function in young women are to the best of our knowledge absent from the literature. The current study thus investigated whether the self-reported frequency of sexual intercourse was related to memory function in healthy female college students. To determine whether variation in PVI would be associated with memory performance, we asked 78 heterosexual women aged 18-29years to complete a computerized memory paradigm consisting of abstract words and neutral faces. Results showed that frequency of PVI was positively associated with memory scores for abstract words, but not faces. Because memory for words depends to a large extent on the hippocampus, whereas memory for faces may rely to a greater extent on surrounding extra-hippocampal structures, our results appear to be specific for memory believed to rely on hippocampal function. This may suggest that neurogenesis in the hippocampus is higher in those women with a higher frequency of PVI, in line with previous animal research. Taken together, these results suggest that PVI may indeed have beneficial effects on memory function in healthy young women.

Female Sexual Function and Heart Rate Variability

Few studies have examined the associations of resting heart rate variability (HRV) with female sexual function and behavior. Therefore, we welcome the recent study finding that women with below average resting HRV (as assessed by the standard deviation of NN intervals; SDNN) had lower sexual arousal and lower global sexual function than women with average or above average SDNN (while viewing a neutral film) (Stanton et al. 2015). The SDNN reflects relatively lower sympathetic activity and/or relatively higher parasympathetic activity. Those authors noted the lack of studies on female sexuality and HRV, but missed citing an important study which explored the associations of HRV with women’s frequency of orgasm produced by several different sexual behaviors (Costa and Brody 2012). In that study, it was found that women who had any orgasm triggered by penile-vaginal intercourse (PVI) without simultaneous clitoral masturbation (henceforth, vaginal orgasm) in the past month had higher resting HRV (as assessed by the standard deviation of heart rate, a relatively similar index of HRV) than women who did not have a vaginal orgasm in the past month (Costa and Brody 2012). Of note, orgasm produced by other sexual behaviors including PVI with concurrent clitoral masturbation for the orgasm, clitorally-focused partnered masturbation, oral sex, solitary masturbation, and anal sex were unrelated to resting HRV. Orgasm from vaginally-focused masturbation by the woman’s partner was nearly significantly associated with higher HRV, but this marginal association disappeared in multivariate analyses controlling for the other orgasm trigger frequencies, resulting in only vaginal orgasm being associated with women’s greater resting HRV. These findings were discussed in terms of lower HRV being a reflection of pathophysiological processes that can impair female orgasmic responsiveness specifically during PVI (Costa and Brody 2012). This raises the possibility that vaginal responsiveness is more easily adversely affected by psychological and physiological dysfunctional processes than responding to direct clitoral masturbation. The vagus nerve (the main driver of the parasympathetic nervous system influences on HRV) transmits afferent sensory information from the proximal vagina and cervix to the brain, but is not stimulated by the clitoris (Komisaruk and Whipple 1998; Komisaruk et al. 2004). Given that appropriate afferent vagal stimulation might increase (or ‘‘tune’’) efferent vagal activity on a relatively long-term basis (Gellhorn 1967), it is plausible that PVI may enhance HRV with concomitant health benefits (Costa and Brody 2012). These findings are congruent with another study finding that greater resting HRV (standard deviation of heart rate) was associated with greater PVI frequency in a sample of both sexes, and the sex of the research participant was not a significant confounding variable (Brody and Preut 2003). Unlike in the study by Stanton and colleagues, in these two studies, resting HRV was measured without an inserted vaginal probe (Brody and Preut 2003; Costa and Brody 2012), which Stanton and colleagues listed as a potential confounder in their own study. In a large nationally representative Czech sample, female sexual arousal disorder was related to lack of history of vaginal orgasm and difficulties in focusing on & Rui M. Costa rmscosta@gmail.com

Immature psychological defense mechanisms are associated with women's greater desire for and actual engaging in masturbation

Previous research found that frequency of penile-vaginal intercourse (PVI) is associated with better health and satisfaction (sexual, relationship, life, mental health), with some opposite effects for masturbation (even when controlling for partnered sexual activity frequency). Previous research also found that depressed women have a greater desire to masturbate (but not to engage in PVI) than non-depressed women. Thus, we sought to examine if such associations might be due to a characterological issue. Immature psychological defense mechanisms indicate impaired characterological function, and are associated with specific sexual impairments. A sample of 132 women reported their frequencies of various sexual activities, and completed the Defense Style Questionnaire (DSQ-40) and a measure of social desirability responding. Multivariate analyses indicated that immature defense mechanisms are independently associated with (1) greater frequency of engaging in masturbation (beta = .50), younger age, and lower social desirability scores; and (2) greater frequency of desire to engage in masturbation (beta = .48), lesser frequency of desire to engage in PVI (beta = −.21), and younger age. The results should inform the practice of sex education, sex therapy, and understanding of the roles of personality, mood, and sexual behaviors.

Slimmer Women’s Waist is Associated with Better Erectile Function in Men Independent of Age

Previous research has indicated that men generally rate slimmer women as more sexually attractive, consistent with the increased morbidity risks associated with even mild abdominal adiposity. To assess the association of women's waist size with a more tangible measure of perceived sexual attractiveness (as well as reward value for both sexes), we examined the association of women's age and waist circumference with an index of men's erectile function (IIEF-5 scores), frequency of penile-vaginal intercourse (PVI), and sexual satisfaction in a representative sample of Czechs (699 men and 715 women) aged 35-65 years. Multivariate analyses indicated that better erectile function scores were independently associated with younger age of self and partner and women's slimmer waist. PVI frequency was independently associated with women's younger age and women's slimmer waist. Sexual satisfaction was independently associated with men's younger age and slimmer waist for both sexes. Better erectile function, greater PVI frequency, and greater sexual satisfaction were associated with women's slimmer waist, independently of both sexes' ages. Possible reasons for the waist effects were discussed, including women's abdominal body fat decreasing their own desire through neurohormonal mechanisms and decreasing their partner's desire through evolutionarily-related decreased sexual attractiveness.

Sexual Satisfaction, Relationship Satisfaction, and Health Are Associated with Greater Frequency of Penile–Vaginal Intercourse

Heiman et al. (2011) reported that in a large sample of midlife and older couples in five countries, frequency of sexual activity in the past 4 weeks was associated with greater sexual satisfaction but unrelated to relationship happiness in both sexes, which led them to state that ‘‘[T]he degree of independence/dependence of sexuality and relationship satisfaction is a point of disagreement in the literature with evidence in both directionsbutoftensupportingamore independent factor structure’’ (p. 751). The determinants of sexual and relationship satisfaction are certainly an important topic to be examined cross-culturally. However, the summary measure of sexual activity that they employed is misleading, as it suggests that all partnered sexual activities could contribute equally well to sexual satisfaction, and that relationship happiness is largely independent from the sexual activity of the couple. In fact, when sexual activities are differentiated, a different picture emerges. In large nationally representative Swedish and Czech samples, univariate analyses showed that sexual and relationship satisfaction were associated with greater frequency of penile– vaginal intercourse (PVI) (Brody & Costa, 2009; Brody & Weiss, 2011; Weiss & Brody, 2011). Sometimes, in univariate analyses, greater frequency of partnered noncoital activities is associated with sexual and relationship satisfaction (Brody & Costa, 2009), but univariate analyses might be misleading because many people have noncoital sex as a preliminary to PVI. Indeed, multivariate analyses controlling for frequency of specific sexual behaviors (and age) reveal that sexual and relationship satisfaction are positively associated with PVI frequency, but unrelated or even inversely related to frequency ofpartnered noncoital sexualactivities (BrodyC Philippsohn & Hartmann, 2009; Tao & Brody, 2010). In a Portuguese study, greater PVI frequency was associated with several components of relationship quality (satisfaction, love, trust, intimacy, and passion). Noncoital partnered sex frequency was unrelated to all components of relationship quality, and masturbation was inversely associated with love (Costa & Brody, 2007). Interestingly, other sexual factors that contribute to sexual and relationship satisfaction beyond PVI frequency are other aspects of PVI, such as satisfaction from PVI (Philippsohn & Hartmann, 2009), erectile function (Weiss & Brody, 2011), simultaneous PVI orgasm (Brody & Weiss, 2011), and capacity to attain vaginal orgasm (triggered by penile–vaginal stimulation without simultaneous clitoral masturbation) (Brody, 2007; Brody & Weiss, 2011; Costa & Brody, 2007). In the cited Czech study, for both sexes, simultaneous PVI orgasm was associated with sexual and relationship satisfaction, independently of the significant contribution of PVI frequency (Brody & Weiss, 2011), and scores on the International Index of Erectile Function-5 (IIEF-5) generated by both men or female partners were equally associated with sexual and relationship satisfaction, independently of the significant contributions of PVI frequency and, in the case of women, also of the capacity to attain vaginal orgasm (Weiss & Brody, 2011). In a study of German women, multivariate analyses revealed that sexual satisfaction was predicted by PVI frequency and satisfaction from PVI, but not by frequency nor satisfaction from R. M. Costa (&) S. Brody School of Social Sciences, University of the West of Scotland, Paisley PA1 2BE, UK e-mail: rmscosta@gmail.com

Greater Tactile Sensitivity and Less Use of Immature Psychological Defense Mechanisms Predict Women's Penile-Vaginal Intercourse Orgasm

Previous research has suggested that diminished tactile sensitivity might be associated with reduced sexual activity and function. Research has also demonstrated significant physiological and psychological differences between sexual behaviors, including immature psychological defense mechanisms (associated with various psychopathologies) impairing specifically women's orgasm from penile-vaginal intercourse (PVI). To examine the extent to which orgasm triggered by PVI (distinguished from other sexual activities) is associated with both greater tactile sensitivity and lesser use of immature psychological defenses. Seventy French-Canadian female university students (aged 18-30) had their finger sensitivity measured with von Frey type microfilaments, completed the Defense Style Questionnaire and a short form of the Marlowe-Crowne social desirability scale, and provided details of the 1 month (and ever) frequencies of engaging in, and having an orgasm from, PVI, masturbation, anal intercourse, partner masturbation, and cunnilingus. Logistic and linear regression prediction of orgasm triggered by PVI from tactile sensitivity, age, social desirability responding, and immature psychological defenses. Having a PVI orgasm in the past month was associated with greater tactile sensitivity (odds ratio=4.0 for each filament point) and less use of immature defense mechanisms (odds ratio=5.1 for each scale point). Lifetime PVI orgasm was associated only with less use of immature defense mechanisms (and lower social desirability responding score). Orgasms triggered by other activities were not associated with either tactile sensitivity or immature defense mechanisms. Tactile sensitivity was also associated with greater past month PVI frequency (inclusion of PVI frequency in a logistic regression model displaced tactile sensitivity), and lesser use of immature defenses was associated with greater past month PVI and PVI orgasm frequencies. Both diminished physical sensitivity and the presence of specific psychological impairments might decrease the likelihood of women's orgasm from specifically PVI, but not other sexual activities.

Greater Frequency of Penile–Vaginal Intercourse Without Condoms is Associated with Better Mental Health

This letter to the editor gives opposing views to a study finding risk of mental disorders and suicidal tendencies associated with lack of condom use in Americans. It argues that a wide range of studies have found that greater frequency of penile-vaginal intercourse (PVI) is associated with measures of better health and that condoms might detract from some of those benefits.

ORIGINAL RESEARCH—ANATOMY/PHYSIOLOGY: Satisfaction (Sexual, Life, Relationship, and Mental Health) Is Associated Directly with Penile–Vaginal Intercourse, but Inversely with Other Sexual Behavior Frequencies

Some sex therapists and educators assume that many sexual behaviors provide comparable sexual satisfaction. Evidence is required to determine whether sexual behaviors differ in their associations with both sexual satisfaction and satisfaction with other aspects of life. To test the hypothesis that satisfaction with sex life, life in general, sexual partnership, and mental health correlates directly with frequency of penile-vaginal intercourse (PVI) and inversely with frequency of both masturbation and partnered sexual activity excluding PVI (noncoital sex). A representative sample of 2,810 Swedes reported frequency of PVI, noncoital sex, and masturbation during the past 30 days, and degree of satisfaction with their sex life, life in general, partnership, and mental health. Multivariate analyses (for the sexes separately and combined) considering the different satisfaction parameters as dependent variables, and the different types of sexual activities (and age) as putative predictors. For both sexes, multivariate analyses revealed that PVI frequency was directly associated with all satisfaction measures (part correlation = 0.50 with sexual satisfaction), masturbation frequency was independently inversely associated with almost all satisfaction measures, and noncoital sex frequencies independently inversely associated with some satisfaction measures (and uncorrelated with the rest). Age did not confound the results. The results are consistent with evidence that specifically PVI frequency, rather than other sexual activities, is associated with sexual satisfaction, health, and well-being. Inverse associations between satisfaction and masturbation are not due simply to insufficient PVI.

ORIGINAL RESEARCH—PSYCHOLOGY: Condom Use for Penile–Vaginal Intercourse is Associated with Immature Psychological Defense Mechanisms

Freud opined that condom use during penile-vaginal intercourse (PVI), like sexual activities other than PVI, led to a detrimental effect on orgasm that fueled the neuroses. Although this hypothesis had not been empirically tested, Freud's hypothesis that inability to have a (PVI) vaginal orgasm is a sign of psychological immaturity has recently received empirical support. The objective is to examine the hypotheses that use of immature psychological defense mechanisms correlates directly with frequency of condom use during PVI, but inversely with frequency of PVI without condoms. An additional aim is to examine the independent contributions of frequency of PVI with and without condoms, and different triggers of orgasm, in predicting the use of immature defense mechanisms. Two hundred ten Portuguese participants (99 women) reported their frequency of PVI with and without condoms, and frequency of orgasms from different sexual activities during the preceding month, and also completed the Defense Style Questionnaire (DSQ-40). The association of DSQ-40 immature defenses (correlated with indices of psychopathology) with past month frequency of PVI with and without condoms, and orgasms from different sexual behaviors. Frequency of PVI with condoms correlated directly with use of immature defenses. Frequency of PVI without condoms correlated inversely with use of immature and neurotic defenses. Results were not confounded by relationship status, age, cohabitation, or social desirability responding. Regression analyses revealed that immature defenses were independently predicted by condom use for PVI and by masturbation orgasms (for both sexes). For women additional predictors were lack of vaginal orgasm, and orgasm from clitoral masturbation during PVI. The results are consistent with condom use during PVI being associated with psychological immaturity and predisposition to poorer mental health.

Alexithymia is inversely associated with women's frequency of vaginal intercourse.

The study examined the relation between frequency of penile-vaginal intercourse (FSI; contrasted with other sexual behavior) and alexithymia (difficulty recognizing, identifying, and communicating emotions, reduced fantasy capacity, and an externally oriented cognitive style). To minimize response bias, persons scoring above the 86th percentile on the Eysenck Personality Inventory Lie scale were excluded. Participants (54 female and 39 male healthy young adults) completed the German version of the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), and provided both recall and diary measures of FSI, partner sex without vaginal intercourse, and masturbation. For women, TAS-20 scores were inversely associated with both recall and diary measures of FSI but not other sexual behavior. For men, TAS-20 scores were unrelated to all sexual behavior measures. Thus, for normal women but not men, alexithymia was specifically associated with lower FSI. Results are discussed in terms of the unique nature of penile-vaginal intercourse, emotional integration and sexuality, and both less alexithymia and greater FSI being associated with indices of better physical and psychological health.

Vaginal Intercourse Frequency and Heart Rate Variability

We examined the relationship between recalled and diary recorded frequency of penile-vaginal intercourse (FSI) and both resting heart rate variability (HRV; an index of cardiac autonomic control and parasympathetic tone associated with cardiovascular health outcomes) and resting diastolic blood pressure (DBP) in 120 healthy adults aged 19-38 (subjects scoring above the 87th percentile on the Lie scale of the Eysenck Personality Inventory were excluded from analyses). As in a previous smaller study, greater HRV was associated with greater FSI (but not masturbation or non-coital sex with a partner) and rated importance of intercourse. There were no sex differences in the HRV-FSI relationship, and the relationship was not explained by including measures of Extraversion, Neuroticism, Depression, Trait Anxiety, or partnership satisfaction. However, the previously obtained negative association of FSI with DBP was not replicated.