bims-chumac 2020-12-13 papers

Issue of 2020–12–13
two papers selected by
Jay Dixit, Storytelling.NYC

J Sex Med. 2020 Dec 03. pii: S1743-6095(20)30938-3. [Epub ahead of print]

When Is Enough Enough? Orgasm's Curvilinear Association With Relational and Sexual Satisfaction.

Chelom E Leavitt, Nathan D Leonhardt, Dean M Busby, Rebecca W Clarke.

BACKGROUND: Curvilinearity has been found for sexual frequency, but research has not examined whether curvilinear associations exist for other aspects of sexual relationships like orgasm consistency.
AIM: We examined whether there is curvilinearity and the nature of that curvilinearity between orgasm consistency and sexual and relational satisfaction for men and women.
METHODS: With pooled samples of 1,619 and 1,695 men and women from Amazon's Mechanical Turk, we examined the differences of orgasm consistency values and both sexual satisfaction and relationship satisfaction through analysis of variance. We then tested for curvilinearity between orgasm consistency and sexual and relational satisfaction with regression analyses.
OUTCOMES: For men we found no evidence of a curvilinear relationship, but for women we found a curvilinear relationship between orgasm consistency values and both sexual satisfaction and relationship satisfaction.
RESULTS: Across tests, the overall picture suggests that there is no curvilinear association for men, but there is for women. For women, with each unit increase in orgasm consistency, the increase in sexual satisfaction and relationship satisfaction became progressively smaller. Past the 61-80% threshold for orgasm consistency, there was little gain in sexual satisfaction and no gain in relational satisfaction.
CLINICAL TRANSLATION: Physicians, therapists, and educators can reorient women's orgasm expectations by explaining that having regular orgasms-not necessarily always-is associated with satisfaction in their relationship and sexual experience.
STRENGTHS & LIMITATIONS: Converging large samples and data analytic techniques evinced the curvilinear association between orgasm consistency and both relational and sexual satisfaction for women. However, this study is cross-sectional and correlational, which limits the conclusions we can draw from it.
CONCLUSION: While men's orgasm consistency is linearly associated with relational and sexual satisfaction, more consistent orgasms seem to be associated with women's sexual and relational satisfaction, to a point. Leavitt CE, Leonhardt ND, Busby DM, et al. When Is Enough Enough? Orgasm's Curvilinear Association With Relational and Sexual Satisfaction. J Sex Med 2020;XX:XXX-XXX.

Keywords: Orgasm; Relational Satisfaction; Sexual Satisfaction

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsxm.2020.10.002

J Sex Med. 2020 Dec 04. pii: S1743-6095(20)30988-7. [Epub ahead of print]

Associations Between Pornography Use and Sexual Dynamics Among Heterosexual Couples.

Brian J Willoughby, Nathan D Leonhardt, Rachel A Augustus.

BACKGROUND: While links between pornography use and couple relational well-being have been the subject of multiple research studies, less attention has been paid to the associations between pornography use and specific sexual behavior within the relationship.
AIM: This study aimed to explore associations between each partner's pornography use, sexual desire, sexual satisfaction, and intercourse/non-intercourse sexual behavior. The confounding and moderating role of religiosity was also explored.
METHODS: A dyadic sample of 240 heterosexual couples was used. Measurement assessed pornography use, sexual desire, sexual satisfaction, and sexual behavior.
OUTCOMES: Sexual satisfaction as well as intercourse and non-intercourse sexual behaviors were examined.
RESULTS: Results suggested consistent gendered differences where female pornography use was directly associated with higher reports of female sexual desire, whereas male pornography use was directly associated with more male but less female partner desire and lower overall male sexual satisfaction. Male pornography use was also indirectly associated with sexual satisfaction for both partners and non-intercourse behaviors within the relationship through sexual desire. Overall, religiosity had little impact on the results of the study.
CLINICAL TRANSLATION: The complex associations between pornography use, sexual desire, and sexual behaviors suggested by our results highlight the importance of comprehensive and systemic assessment and education around sexuality when working with individuals and couples.
STRENGTHS & LIMITATIONS: The main strength of this study is the use of dyadic data. The main limitation is the cross-sectional nature of the data CONCLUSION: The associations between pornography use and a variety of outcomes are highly nuanced. This study provides an important step forward in more fully accounting for the complications of pornography use in a relationship. Willoughby BJ, Leonhardt ND, Augustus RA. Associations Between Pornography Use and Sexual Dynamics Among Heterosexual Couples. J Sex Med 2020;XX:XXX-XXX.

Keywords: Intercourse; Pornography; Sexual Desire; Sexual Frequency; Sexual Satisfaction

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsxm.2020.10.013