Talking About Sex When Sex Is Painful: Dyadic Sexual Communication Is Associated With Women’s Pain, and Couples’ Sexual and Psychological Outcomes in Provoked Vestibulodynia

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• 作者：Kate M. Rancourt ; Natalie O. Rosen ; Sophie Bergeron…
• 关键词：Sexual communication ; Provoked vestibulodynia ; Couples ; Vulvodynia ; Pain
• 刊名：Archives of Sexual Behavior
• 出版年：2016
• 出版时间：November 2016
• 年：2016
• 卷：45
• 期：8
• 页码：1933-1944
• 全文大小：563 KB
• 刊物类别：Behavioral Science
• 刊物主题：Psychology
  Sexual Behavior
  Social Sciences
  
• 出版者：Springer Netherlands
• ISSN：1573-2800
• 卷排序：45

文摘

Provoked vestibulodynia (PVD) is a recurrent vulvovaginal pain condition associated with psychological and sexual consequences for affected women and their partners, including lower quality of dyadic sexual communication compared to pain-free couples. Although greater sexual communication is associated with positive sexual and relational outcomes for both pain-free couples and couples experiencing painful sex, little is known about its role in women’s pain and psychological outcomes, especially in a relational context. The present study examined associations between dyadic sexual communication and pain, sexual satisfaction, sexual functioning, and depressive symptoms in a sample of 107 couples in which the woman was diagnosed with PVD via a standardized gynecological assessment. Women completed a measure of pain intensity, and both members of the couple completed measures of their dyadic sexual communication, sexual satisfaction, sexual functioning, and depressive symptoms. Analyses were guided by the actor–partner interdependence model. Women and partners’ own perceptions of greater dyadic sexual communication were associated with their own greater sexual satisfaction and sexual functioning, and lower depressive symptoms. Partners’ perceptions of greater dyadic sexual communication were also associated with women’s lower pain and greater sexual satisfaction. Results point to the importance of dyadic coping conceptualizations for both individual and interpersonal outcomes in PVD. Dyadic sexual communication may be a key treatment target for interventions aimed at improving the pain and psychological and sexual impairments of women with PVD and their partners.