Brief Report: Sexual Wellbeing in Heterosexual, Mostly Heterosexual, and Bisexually Attracted Men and Women

Occurrence, Frequency, and Correlates of Faking Orgasm and Satisfaction in Sexual Minority Men

Existing literature on "faking" orgasm focuses almost exclusively on women. Limited research exists among men, and none focuses on sexual minority (e.g., gay, bisexual, queer) men. Additionally, faking satisfaction (pretending to be sexually satisfied) remains an unknown concept. This study examined the occurrence, frequency, and correlates of faking orgasm and satisfaction in sexual minority men. Participants (N = 211, age = 18-53, 59% identified as gay) responded to an online survey assessing frequencies of faking orgasm and satisfaction as well as potential correlates of faking (age, relationship status, sexual frequency, orgasm frequency, internalized sexual stigma). Results showed that faking orgasm and faking satisfaction were highly prevalent among sexual minority men in this sample (83% had faked orgasm and 88% had faked satisfaction in the past two years). The frequency of faking was also high; 62% and 68% faked orgasm and satisfaction at least "sometimes." Higher internalized sexual stigma and lower orgasm frequency were associated with higher frequencies of faking orgasm and satisfaction. For faking orgasm, however, the relationship between internalized sexual stigma and faking only existed in gay men. The findings suggest that faking pleasure in sexual minority men is common and deserves more empirical attention.

The Conditional Effects of Savoring on the Relationship between Minority Stress and Alcohol Misuse in an LGBTQIA + Sample

Background: Alcohol-related difficulties are a significant public health concern in lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, intersex, asexual, and people with other sexual orientations and forms of gender identity (LGBTQIA+) communities. Considering these concerns, there is a strong push to develop affirming and strength-based prevention efforts. Unfortunately, such efforts are undermined by the lack of protective LGBTQIA + models for alcohol misuse. To this end, the purpose of the current study was to evaluate whether savoring, the ability to create, maintain, and prolong positive emotions, meets basic criteria for a protective factor for alcohol misuse in a sample of LGBTQIA + adults. Methods: The sample was comprised of 226 LGBTQIA + adults who completed an online survey. Results: Results indicated that savoring was inversely related to alcohol misuse. In addition, the relationship between minority stress and alcohol misuse varied as a function of savoring; at high levels of savoring (a score of 136.63 on the Savoring Beliefs Inventory), the relationship between minority stress and alcohol misuse was non-significant. Conclusions: In combination, these findings offer preliminary support for savoring as a protective factor for alcohol misuse among different LGBTQIA + communities. However, longitudinal and experimental research is needed to solidify the role of savoring in minimizing alcohol-related problems in this population.

Barriers experienced by emerging adults in discussing their sexuality with parents and health care providers: A mixed-method study

While most parents and health care providers understand the importance of educating young people about their emerging sexuality, many report never discussing sex with the young people in their care. Using data from a survey of 1,193 emerging adults, we applied concept mapping to a corpus of over 2,350 short qualitative responses to two questions: (a) What, if anything, makes it difficult to talk to your parents about sexuality or your sexual health? and (b) What, if anything, makes it difficult to talk to your doctors, therapists, or mental health professionals about sexuality or your sexual health? Qualitative analyses revealed that while embarrassment, shame, and awkwardness were commonly reported barriers to communicating with both parents and providers, participants reported different effects across settings: Parent-related embarrassment was associated with concerns about changing the intimacy of the parental relationship, while provider-related embarrassment was associated with fears of seeming incompetent or eliciting dismissal. These observations were supported by multidimensional scaling and hierarchical cluster analyses, which we used to derive conceptual maps based on quantitative spatial analysis of single-concept statements. These analyses revealed a best-fit solution of eight conceptual groups for barriers to discussing sexuality with health care providers, but only four groups of barriers in discussing with parents. Broadly, our findings reinforce the need to tailor sexual health communication to patient characteristics and settings. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Age Effects on Women's and Men's Dyadic and Solitary Sexual Desire

While most studies on sexuality in later life report that sexual desire declines with age, little is known about the exact nature of age effects on sexual desire. Using self-reported dyadic sexual desire relating to a partner, dyadic sexual desire relating to an attractive person, and solitary sexual desire from a large (N > 8000) and age diverse (14.6-80.2 years) online sample, the current study had three goals: First, we investigated relationships between men and women's sexual desire and age. Second, we examined whether individual differences such as gender/sex, sexual orientation, self-rated masculinity, relationship status, self-rated attractiveness, and self-rated health predict sexual desire. Third, we examined how these associations differed across sexual desire facets. On average, the associations between age and both men and women's sexual desire followed nonlinear trends and differed between genders/sexes and types of sexual desire. Average levels of all types of sexual desire were generally higher in men. Dyadic sexual desire related positively to self-rated masculinity and having a romantic partner and solitary desire was higher in people with same-sex attraction. We discuss the results in the context of the evolutionary hypothesis that predict an increase of sexual desire and female reproductive effort prior to declining fertility. Our findings both support and challenge beliefs about gender/sex specificity of age effects on sexual desire and highlight the importance of differentiating between desire types.

Exposure to continuous or fluid theories of sexual orientation leads some heterosexuals to embrace less-exclusive heterosexual orientations

We examined whether heterosexual individuals' self-reported sexual orientation could be influenced experimentally by manipulating their knowledge of the nature of sexual orientation. In Study 1 (180 university students, 66% female) participants read summaries describing evidence for sexual orientation existing on a continuum versus discrete categories or a control manipulation, and in Study 2 (460 participants in a nationally representative Qualtrics panel, 50% female) additionally read summaries describing sexual orientation as fluid versus stable across the life-course. After reading summaries, participants answered various questions about their sexual orientation. In Study 1, political moderates and progressives (but not conservatives) who read the continuous manipulation subsequently reported being less exclusively heterosexual, and regardless of political alignment, participants reported less certainty about their sexual orientation, relative to controls. In Study 2, after exposure to fluid or continuous manipulations heterosexual participants were up to five times more likely than controls to rate themselves as non-exclusively heterosexual. Additionally, those in the continuous condition reported less certainty about their sexual orientation and were more willing to engage in future same-sex sexual experiences, than those in the control condition. These results suggest that non-traditional theories of sexual orientation can lead heterosexuals to embrace less exclusive heterosexual orientations.

Relying on an "Other" Category Leads to Significant Misclassification of Sexual Minority Participants

Purpose: This study assessed which sexual minority participants selected "Other" if their identity was absent. Methods: This was an online survey; 905 participants saw a limited set of sexual orientation options (bisexual, gay/lesbian, heterosexual, other), and later in the same survey, saw an expanded list. Results: Twenty-one percent of participants chose different orientation labels across questions. When not presented with a "mostly heterosexual" option, 78% of mostly heterosexual participants chose "heterosexual"; 3% chose "other." However, when not presented with an "asexual" label, 100% of asexual participants chose "other." Conclusion: These findings suggest that "other" categories could misclassify a substantial proportion of sexual minority participants.

Antidepressant Use During Development May Impair Women's Sexual Desire in Adulthood

INTRODUCTION

Although antidepressants are well known to cause sexual side effects in adults, the long-term effects of antidepressant use during development on adult sexual function is unknown.

AIM

To explore differences in sexual desire and sexual behavior between adults who did vs did not use antidepressants during childhood or adolescence.

METHODS

An online survey of 610 young adults (66% women) assessed childhood and current mental health and use of antidepressants and other psychiatric medications before the age of 16 years and currently, partnered and solitary sexual desire, and frequency of masturbation and partnered sexual activity. Antidepressants were coded into either selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) or non-SSRI antidepressants.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE

Scores on the Sexual Desire Inventory, and self-reported frequency of masturbation and partnered sexual activity.

RESULTS

For women, childhood SSRI use was associated with significantly lower solitary sexual desire, desire for an attractive other, and frequency of masturbation. This was true even when controlling for childhood mental health concerns, current mental health, and current antidepressant use. However, there was no effect of childhood SSRI use on women's partnered sexual desire or partnered sexual activity. There was no significant effect of childhood antidepressant use on men's sexual desire or masturbation. However, in men, childhood use of non-SSRI antidepressants was associated with significantly higher frequency of partnered sexual activity. Childhood use of non-SSRI antidepressants, or nonantidepressant psychiatric medication, was not associated with adult sexual desire or behavior in either women or men.

CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS

It is possible that SSRI use during childhood interrupts the normal development of sexual reward systems, which may be a risk factor for sexual desire dysfunction in adult women.

STRENGTHS & LIMITATIONS

Strengths include a large sample, use of attention checks and validated measures, and careful assessment of childhood mental health history; however, generalizability is limited by a predominantly white, young adult sample. These data are cross-sectional, and therefore, causal explanations for the association between childhood SSRI use and adult sexual well-being should be considered preliminary, warranting replication.

CONCLUSION

These findings point to a critical need for well-controlled, prospective research on possible long-term effects of antidepressant use, particularly SSRI use, on the development of adult sexual well-being. Lorenz TK. Antidepressant Use During Development May Impair Women's Sexual Desire in Adulthood. J Sex Med 2020;17:470-476.