Latin American Women´s Beliefs, Views and Ideas About Sexual Assertiveness: A Focus Group Study in Cuenca (Ecuador)

"I Just Want to Feel Good Without Making You Feel Bad": Sexual Assertiveness Negotiation in Adolescent Romantic Relationships

Sexual assertiveness is often conceptualized as an individual's ability to express one's own sexual needs, desires, and limits. Given that sexual assertiveness is embedded in interactions and can affect not only both partners' sexual well-being but also relationship satisfaction, dyadic approaches are needed to investigate sexual assertiveness negotiation within adolescent romantic relationships. This qualitative study aimed to document adolescents' ability to negotiate their sexual needs, desires, and limits with their partners during interactions where they discussed their sexual concerns. A directed content analysis, based on the life positions of the transactional analysis theory, was conducted on the interactions of 40 adolescent romantic dyads aged 14-19 years (M = 16.65; SD = 1.49). The results revealed four categories of strategies: (1) mutual assertiveness: negotiation of one's own sexual needs, desires, and limits with those of the partner; (2) singular passiveness: repression of one's own sexual needs, desires, and limits to privilege those of the partner; (3) singular aggressiveness: prioritization of one's own sexual needs, desires, and limits over those of the partner; and (4) mutual lack of negotiation skills: neglecting both partners' sexual needs, desires, and limits. Among other things, adolescents' ability to be sexually assertive was hindered by anticipations, including assumptions leading to disregarding one's own sexual needs, desires, and limits or fearing to ignore the partner's. To promote mutually rewarding sexual activities and prevent sexual violence, sexual education initiatives should support adolescents' ability to assertively negotiate their sexuality with their partner and avoid passiveness, aggressiveness, and lack of negotiation.

Sexual Assertiveness and Its Correlates in Emerging Adults: An Exploratory Study in Cuenca (Ecuador)

Objective: Sexual assertiveness (SA), i.e., the ability to communicate thoughts and desires that may be translated into satisfying sexual activity within an intimate relationship, is important for safe and satisfying sexual behavior. In an attempt to unravel which cultural, relational, and individual variables are related to the development of SA in emerging adults, an exploratory study was conducted in Cuenca, Ecuador. Methods: Five hundred and thirty-eight participants completed scales that measured their levels of SA, endorsement of the sexual double standard, relationship satisfaction, and mental well-being. Results: This study showed a negative effect of the sexual double standard on SA in both men and women and this effect was slightly tempered by the level of education. Women reported higher levels of SA than men. In women, SA was associated with general mental well-being and relationship satisfaction; but not in men. For both women and men, no association was found with relationship status or duration. Conclusions: These findings corroborate evidence highlighting the importance of SA for healthy sexual relationships and emphasize the importance of (sex) education for SA for lower educated women and men. The results are discussed in relation to findings on SA in other contexts.

Sexual assertiveness in women with and without substance-dependent partners: a comparative study

Sexual assertiveness is one of the main issues in the sexual relationships between couples. Since substance dependence might disrupt this relationship, the present cross-sectional study was conducted to assess and compare sexual assertiveness in women with and without substance-dependent partners living in Tehran, Iran. To assess sexual assertiveness, the Hurlbert Index of Sexual Assertiveness was used. The data then were compared between the study samples. Logistic regression analysis was performed. In all 300 women with and without substance-dependent partners entered into the study. The mean age of women was 37.31 ± 8.79 and 32.70 ± 7.24 years respectively. The mean score of sexual assertiveness was 50.66 ± 14.31 in the women with substance-dependent partners and 58.42 ± 13.86 in those with non-substance-dependent partners (P < .001). In addition, sexual assertiveness differed significantly among subgroups of women having a partner using different types of substances (P = .039). The risk of lower assertiveness for women with substance-dependent partners was 2.2 times more than women with non-substance-dependent partners (OR = 2.2, 95% CI: 1.28-3.70; P = .004). Indeed, the partner's substance dependency is an issue that is worthy of attention in sexual and marital counseling. Perhaps sexual assertiveness can be improved in women with substance-dependent partners through the implementation of appropriate interventions, such as educational and counseling programs.

The Pedagogy of Pedagogues for Sexual Education in Riobamba, Ecuador: A Pilot Approach to Training Sexual Education Facilitators in a Latin American and Spanish Language Setting

Educational efforts to reduce global rates of adolescent pregnancy vary widely with a significant deficiency found in the domain of sex education facilitator training. In this study, we sought to establish a pilot approach to comprehensive sex education facilitator training as applied in Riobamba, Ecuador. The approach was aligned with UNESCO recommendations for training facilitators using an adapted version of the U.S.-based Big Decisions curriculum. Four internationally recruited bilingual instructors led a six-day (27-hour) intensive training-of-facilitators programme with twenty trainees using the Big Decisions sex education curriculum. Quantitative and qualitative analyses were conducted using various approaches: anonymised and pre/post-self-assessments, daily feedback surveys of self and instructors, and facilitation practice evaluations. Responses to anonymised surveys indicated improved self-perceived confidence in teaching each curriculum section. More objective pre- and post-teach-back evaluations showed improved ability to teach randomly assigned lessons as assessed by trainers. The pedagogy of facilitator training in comprehensive sex education seeks to combine evidence-informed and culturally appropriate approaches to training facilitators under unique local conditions using adapted assessment tools. This project revealed important culturally relevant insights that would be beneficial to the future training of comprehensive sex education facilitators working within culturally conservative communities, and Latin America in particular.

Individual, Relational, and Sociocultural Determinants of Sexual Function and Sexual Satisfaction in Ecuador

Aim

Various individual, relational, and sociocultural variables have been identified as determinants of sexual responding, but these have rarely been investigated in non-Western cultures that are characterized by sexual conservatism. We aimed to explore the role of socioeconomic status and religion, sexual double standards, erotophobia-erotophilia, sexual dysfunctional beliefs, and relationship satisfaction to explain sexual function and satisfaction in Ecuador.

Method

599 participants (431 women and 159 men) completed an online survey.

Main Outcomes Measures

The Female sexual function was predicted by sexual satisfaction, relationship satisfaction, sexual dysfunctional beliefs, and sexual double standards, while the male sexual function was predicted solely by sexual satisfaction. Additionally, female sexual satisfaction was predicted by sexual function, relationship satisfaction, and sexual dysfunctional beliefs, while male sexual satisfaction was predicted by sexual function and relationship satisfaction.

Results

Female Sexual Function Index, International Index of Erectile Function, Brief Sexual Opinion Survey, Sexual Double Standards Scale, Sexual Dysfunctional Beliefs Questionnaire, New Sexual Satisfaction Scale, and Couple Satisfaction Index.

Conclusion

This study provided novel information on the determinants of sexual function and satisfaction within a culture in which conservative religious beliefs still prevail. Results should be interpreted with caution given the unequal distribution of men and women, social desirability and volunteer biases, and the specific COVID-19 pandemic context during which the survey took place. Markers of sexual conservatism were inversely related to sexual function and satisfaction, mainly in women, and may, therefore, be important targets of treatment. Female sexuality seemed more context-dependent than male sexuality, although enhancing the general climate of the relationship may benefit feeling sexually satisfied in both men and women. DA Hidalgo, M Dewitte. Individual, Relational, and Sociocultural Determinants of Sexual Function and Sexual Satisfaction in Ecuador. Sex Med 2021;9:100307.