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Chadwick SB. The Prioritization of Women's Orgasms During Heterosex: A Critical Feminist Review of the Implications for Women's Sexual Liberation. JOURNAL OF SEX RESEARCH 2024; 61:1278-1297. [PMID: 39259516 DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2024.2399153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/13/2024]
Abstract
Orgasm is considered by many to be an essential part of women's ideal sexual experiences. As a result, sexual liberation narratives have often advocated for the prioritization of women's orgasms - particularly during heterosex - framing them as a central indicator of "good," healthy, liberated sex. However, scholars have increasingly critiqued these narratives, arguing that they result in an orgasm imperative that has negatively impacted women's sexual lives. Perspectives that promote the prioritization of women's orgasm and those that warn against the negative repercussions strive for the same thing - to draw attention to women's sexuality in ways that will lead to more pleasurable, enjoyable, and equitable sex for women overall. Yet, together, they offer contradictory messages about the role that women's orgasms can or should play in women's sexual liberation. For example, one could argue that it perhaps makes sense to prioritize women's orgasms given that they often are highly pleasurable for women, center a unique form of embodied pleasure, and offer a supposedly clear objective for women and their men partners. On the other hand, such narratives frame women's orgasm absence as abnormal, concede to men's sexuality in problematic ways, and constrain more comprehensive possibilities for women's sexual pleasure. In this critical feminist review, I offer a summative outline of these and other contradictions, focusing on how narratives prioritizing women's orgasms can have simultaneous benefits and negative repercussions when it comes to (1) women's sexual pleasure, (2) the medicalization/pathologization of women's orgasms, and (3) heterosex norms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara B Chadwick
- Departments of Gender and Women's Studies and Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison
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2
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Astle S, Johnson K, Simms J, Leath S. A Black Feminist Study of Black Mother-Daughter Sexual Communication. JOURNAL OF SEX RESEARCH 2024:1-21. [PMID: 39302719 DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2024.2401989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/22/2024]
Abstract
There is a well-established body of literature on parent-child sexual communication (PCSC) among Black families. Still, most of this work focuses on reducing sexual risk behaviors among Black girls and focuses less on the multidimensionality of PCSC among Black parents and their daughters. In this qualitative study, we explored Black mother-daughter PCSC by analyzing interviews with 29 Black mothers in the U.S. with daughters ages 6-11. We used consensual qualitative research methods to analyze mother's responses to questions about the messages and strategies they used when educating their daughters about sex-related topics, such as pleasure and sexual identity. We identified the following themes related to mothers' goals with their messages: (1) increasing awareness through neutral information, (2) building daughter's sense of self, (3) challenging societal norms and White heteropatriarchy, and (4) upholding societal norms and White heteropatriarchy. We also developed five themes for mother's strategies for PCSC: (5) direct and open PCSC, (6) modeling, (7) integrating real-life examples, (8) centering the child, and (9) monitoring and tailoring daughters' experiences with others. Our findings add to existing research on sex-positive practices among Black families, highlight the need to use critical lenses when exploring PCSC, and have important implications for parent education.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jayla Simms
- Applied Human Sciences, Kansas State University
| | - Seanna Leath
- Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University
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3
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Dunn-Gallier M. 'Keep your eyes open': HBCU women's peer sexual advice and the (re)production of vigilance. CULTURE, HEALTH & SEXUALITY 2024; 26:1056-1071. [PMID: 38146738 DOI: 10.1080/13691058.2023.2291395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/27/2023]
Abstract
Discursive practices position Black women as racial, gendered, and sexual others. There remains a need to understand how Black women craft sexualities given this backdrop. This paper draws on sexual and dating advice from 30 semi-structured interviews to examine how cisgender heterosexual undergraduate women enrolled at a Historically Black College/University in the USA constructed and promoted heterosexualities. Neoliberalism, racialised risk narratives and notions of Black womanhood converge to frame how participants articulated their roles and the roles of women like them in maintaining sexual health and social status at the nexus of race and gender oppression, and in respect of aspirational Black feminine middle-class identities. Overarching messages in their peer advice revealed gender-specific expectations about sexual responsibility through self-reliance and sexual respectability through heterosexual monogamy. The present study expands sexualities research through an intersectional approach that examines the implications of racialised, gendered and classed meanings of Black sexuality and womanhood in an understudied population. Findings identify peer sexual advice as a rhetorical tool that simultaneously resists and reproduces power structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mercedez Dunn-Gallier
- Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Public Health, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Center for Health, Equity, and Aging, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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4
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Wetzel GM, Sanchez DT, Gesselman AN, Adams OR, Campbell JT, Garcia JR. Exploring the Orgasm Gap Across Racial/Ethnic Groups: A Descriptive Analysis. JOURNAL OF SEX RESEARCH 2024:1-10. [PMID: 38329940 DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2024.2308044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
Orgasm gaps between heterosexual men and women, and for women across sexual orientations, are well-established in research. However, no large-scale assessments of orgasm frequency by race/ethnicity exist. Here, we analyzed 10 years of cross-sectional Singles in America survey data between 2011 and 2021 to investigate the orgasm gap at the intersection of gender and racial/ethnic identity (i.e. White, Black, Hispanic/Latino, and Asian) for heterosexual participants (N = 27,347). White and Hispanic/Latino men reported greater orgasm frequency than Black and Asian men. Hispanic/Latino women reported the greatest orgasm frequency, and Asian women reported the lowest, with White and Black women's frequencies in between. The orgasm gap between men and women was largest for White (d = 0.89) and Asian (d = 0.86) groups, although Asian participants reported a lower orgasm frequency than White participants overall. The orgasm gap was smaller for Hispanic/Latino participants (d = 0.66), because Hispanic/Latino women reported a greater orgasm frequency than other racial/ethnic groups of women. The orgasm gap was smaller for Black participants (d = 0.61), because Black men reported a lower orgasm frequency than some other racial/ethnic groups of men. This descriptive study serves as an important starting point for future research on orgasm experiences across racial/ethnic groups.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Olivia R Adams
- The Kinsey Institute, Indiana University
- Department of Gender, Women's, and Sexuality Studies, University of Florida
| | | | - Justin R Garcia
- The Kinsey Institute, Indiana University
- Department of Gender Studies, Indiana University
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5
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Beckmeyer JJ, Herbenick D, Eastman-Mueller H. Sexual pleasure during college students' most recent partnered sexual experiences. JOURNAL OF AMERICAN COLLEGE HEALTH : J OF ACH 2023; 71:2550-2561. [PMID: 34634225 DOI: 10.1080/07448481.2021.1978461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Revised: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 09/05/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
ObjectiveWe explored college students' sexual pleasure using a new self-report measure, the Body, Emotions, Sensations, Touch/Trust (B.E.S.T.) Scale of Sexual Pleasure. Participants: Data were from 3997 randomly sampled students with a partnered sexual experience. Methods: Students completed an online survey about their most recent partnered sexual experience. Data was collected in January 2020. Results: Students find the nonphysical aspects of partnered sex (e.g., emotions, trust, connection with partners) as pleasurable as physical aspects (e.g., behaviors engaged and received, bodily sensations). Self-reported arousal, wantedness, and emotional intimacy were the strongest correlates of male, female, and transgender/gender non-binary students' sexual pleasure. Few sexual behaviors were associated with sexual pleasure and only one - cuddling for women - was associated with greater sexual pleasure. Conclusions: Students find their partnered sexual experiences pleasurable. Students' sex may be more pleasurable when they feel ready for sex, desire sex, and feel close to their partners.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathon J Beckmeyer
- Department of Counseling and Learning Sciences, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, USA
- Center for Sexual Health Promotion, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
| | - Debby Herbenick
- Center for Sexual Health Promotion, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
- Department of Applied Health Science, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
| | - Heather Eastman-Mueller
- Center for Sexual Health Promotion, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
- Department of Applied Health Science, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
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6
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Werner M, Borgmann M, Laan E. Sexual Pleasure Matters - and How to Define and Assess It Too. A Conceptual Framework of Sexual Pleasure and the Sexual Response. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SEXUAL HEALTH : OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE WORLD ASSOCIATION FOR SEXUAL HEALTH 2023; 35:313-340. [PMID: 38595929 PMCID: PMC10903685 DOI: 10.1080/19317611.2023.2212663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Revised: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
Objective Sexual pleasure is central to current understandings of sexual function, health, and wellbeing. In this article, we suggest that we lack a sufficiently specific, yet encompassing, definition of sexual pleasure and that we therefore lack comprehensive assessments of sexual pleasure. We introduce a definition of sexual pleasure and position it centrally in an adapted framework of the sexual response. In the framework, we include a taxonomy of rewards which can be retrieved from sex and thereby aim to capture the multifaceted nature of sexual pleasure. Methods/Results Through narrative review, we arrive at the definition, framework, and taxonomy by integrating theories of sexual motivation and response with the literature on sexual pleasure and basic rewards. We position this literature within theories of affect and personality which allows us to differentiate between the experience of and the tendency to experience sexual pleasure (i.e., state versus trait sexual pleasure). We discuss how this conceptualization of sexual pleasure could be reflected in self-report assessments to quantitatively assess sexual pleasure. Conclusions The framework may aid to understand the role of the diverse facets of sexual pleasure in sexual function, health, and wellbeing and contribute to giving sexual pleasure the center position it deserves in sex research and therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marlene Werner
- Department of Sexology and Psychosomatic Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Amsterdam University Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Michèle Borgmann
- Department of Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine, Institute of Psychology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Ellen Laan
- Department of Sexology and Psychosomatic Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Amsterdam University Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Dogan JN, Thorpe SY, Malone N, Jester J, Stevens-Watkins D, Hargons C. 'My partner will think I'm weak or overthinking my pain': how being superwoman inhibits Black women's sexual pain disclosure to their partners. CULTURE, HEALTH & SEXUALITY 2023; 25:567-581. [PMID: 35533710 PMCID: PMC11214807 DOI: 10.1080/13691058.2022.2072956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Black women experience persistent sexual pain that may often last longer than White women. Despite the value of sexual communication to alleviate sexual pain concerns, many women do not disclose sexual pain to their partners. Limited research explores barriers to disclosing sexual pain to partners among Black women. This study seeks to fill this gap. Relying on an integration of Sexual Script theory and Superwoman Schema, the study explored the barriers that premenopausal, cisgender Black women from the Southern USA perceived when disclosing sexual pain to their primary partners. We identified five common themes from women's open-ended responses to an online survey: (a) distressing emotions associated with disclosure; (b) limited knowledge and communication skills; (c) protecting partner's feelings and ego; (d) invading privacy; and (e) taking sole responsibility for managing sexual pain. Findings suggest a combination of intrapsychic, interpersonal and cultural factors influence Black women's perceived ability to have direct and open dyadic communication about sexual pain with their partners. Implications for Black women's sexual health and relationship outcomes are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jardin N Dogan
- Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Shemeka Y Thorpe
- Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Natalie Malone
- Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Jasmine Jester
- Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | | | - Candice Hargons
- Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
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8
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Foust MD, Komolova M, Malinowska P, Kyono Y. Sexual Subjectivity in Solo and Partnered Masturbation Experiences Among Emerging Adult Women. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2022; 51:3889-3903. [PMID: 36036871 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-022-02390-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2020] [Revised: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
This qualitative study aimed to examine the experiences and attitudes toward masturbation among emerging adult women. The study was the first to compare women's solo and partnered masturbation experiences, focusing on how feelings of pleasure, sexual desire, and a sense of empowerment-important markers of women's sexual subjectivity-varied across the two contexts. The sample consisted of 40 women between the ages of 18 and 22 years. The majority of participants identified as Latina (33%) or Black (30%) and were enrolled in community college. Semi-structured interviews about women's masturbation experiences were analyzed using thematic analysis. Women described a multitude of feelings, including pleasure but also awkwardness and guilt. Although women did not describe their masturbation practices as morally wrong, they often alluded to disliking masturbation and preferring it less to partnered sex. Whereas some attitudes and feelings (e.g., awkwardness) arose in the context of both solo and partnered masturbation encounters, others were prevalent only in one (e.g., guilt in the solo encounters). Feelings of pleasure, sexual desire, and empowerment manifested differently in the two contexts. There was more focus on self-knowledge, control, and physical pleasure in the solo encounters and more enjoyment of a partner's desire and intimacy in the partnered encounters. We examine the findings through a feminist lens and consider how race/ethnicity, sexual scripts, and contemporary societal contexts shape women's sexual lives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica D Foust
- Social Sciences, Human Services & Criminal Justice Department, Borough of Manhattan Community College at the City University of New York, 199 Chambers Street, New York, NY, 10007, USA.
| | - Masha Komolova
- Social Sciences, Human Services & Criminal Justice Department, Borough of Manhattan Community College at the City University of New York, 199 Chambers Street, New York, NY, 10007, USA
| | - Paulina Malinowska
- Social Sciences, Human Services & Criminal Justice Department, Borough of Manhattan Community College at the City University of New York, 199 Chambers Street, New York, NY, 10007, USA
- The New York Mental Health Group, New York, NY, USA
| | - Yuriko Kyono
- Social Sciences, Human Services & Criminal Justice Department, Borough of Manhattan Community College at the City University of New York, 199 Chambers Street, New York, NY, 10007, USA
- The School of Education, Hunter College at the City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
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9
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Thorpe S, Malone N, Dogan JN, Cineas MR, Vigil K, Hargons CN. Exploring differences in Black heterosexual and queer women’s sexual experiences through a Black queer feminist lens. SEXUAL AND RELATIONSHIP THERAPY 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/14681994.2022.2077927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Shemeka Thorpe
- Department of Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Natalie Malone
- Department of Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Jardin N. Dogan
- Department of Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Marla R. Cineas
- Department of Interdisciplinary Studies, Clayton State University, Morrow, GA, USA
| | - Kasey Vigil
- Department of Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Candice N. Hargons
- Department of Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
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10
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Crooks N, King B, Tluczek A. Being fast or cautious? Sociocultural conditions influencing the sexual pathways of Black females in the United States. BMC Womens Health 2022; 22:69. [PMID: 35282822 PMCID: PMC8919573 DOI: 10.1186/s12905-022-01644-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Black females in the United States face unique sociocultural conditions that impact their sexual development and increase their risk for sexually transmitted infections (STI), including but not limited to chlamydia, gonorrhea, and HIV. Research has not adequately explained how sociocultural conditions contribute to this increased risk. The purpose of our investigation was to explore the sociocultural conditions that influence Black cisgender females risk for STI. METHODS This grounded theory study involved in-depth audio-recorded interviews with 20, primarily heterosexual, Black females ages 19-62. RESULTS Findings informed a conceptual model that builds on previous theory about the sexual development of Black females and explains how sociocultural conditions impact two, participant identified, sexual pathways: Fast and Cautious. Movement on these sexual pathways was not always a linear trajectory; some participants shifted between pathways as their sociocultural contexts changed (i.e., sexual assault, STI, and level of protection). The Fast sexual pathway often led to greater STI risk. CONCLUSIONS This model may inform future research designed to prevent STI/HIV and promote the sexual health of Black females across the life course.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natasha Crooks
- Department of Human Development Nursing Science, College of Nursing, University of Illinois Chicago, 845 S. Damen Avenue Room 816, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA.
| | - Barbara King
- School of Nursing, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Audrey Tluczek
- School of Nursing, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
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11
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Fava NM, Fortenberry JD. Trauma-Informed Sex Positive Approaches to Sexual Pleasure. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SEXUAL HEALTH : OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE WORLD ASSOCIATION FOR SEXUAL HEALTH 2021; 33:537-549. [PMID: 38595781 PMCID: PMC10903666 DOI: 10.1080/19317611.2021.1961965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2020] [Revised: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 07/16/2021] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
This paper develops a trauma-informed sex-positive framework as a public health, clinical, and research approach to sexual experience over the life course. The framework centers trauma-informed sex positivity as the linkage for sexual pleasure (along with sexual wellbeing and sexual health) to the social, cultural, and legal concepts of sexual justice. By providing a conceptual distinction of sexual pleasure from sexual wellbeing and sexual health, the framework improves clarity about how these constructs are related as well as provides possibilities for detailed operationalization in public health surveillance and in the new research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole M. Fava
- Center for Children and Families, Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work, Florida International University, Miami, FL
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12
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Hargons CN, Dogan J, Malone N, Thorpe S, Mosley DV, Stevens-Watkins D. Balancing the sexology scales: a content analysis of Black women's sexuality research. CULTURE, HEALTH & SEXUALITY 2021; 23:1287-1301. [PMID: 32744470 PMCID: PMC7855161 DOI: 10.1080/13691058.2020.1776399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Existing research adopting a sex positive and intersectional framework for investigating Black women's sexualities is scarce. We conducted a 46-year (1972-2018) content analysis of sexualities research focussed on Black women. It sought to examine which sexualities topics were published most; whether the publications aligned with sex-positive, neutral or negative discourse; what methodologies were used; and differences in how various identities were investigated among Black women. Using human coding, we applied an integrative approach to the content analysis. Results found 245 articles meeting criteria. Approximately one-third of articles within the analysis focussed on the topic of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), HIV and sexual risk behaviours among Black women. Only 6.5% of articles utilised a sex-positive discourse. Quantitative articles were the most published methodology, and publications disproportionately overlooked Black women's intersectional identities. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Candice Nicole Hargons
- Department of Educational, School and Counseling Psychology, University of Kentucky Lexington, KY, USA
- Corresponding Author: Candice Nicole Hargons
| | - Jardin Dogan
- Department of Educational, School and Counseling Psychology, University of Kentucky Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Natalie Malone
- Department of Educational, School and Counseling Psychology, University of Kentucky Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Shemeka Thorpe
- Department of Public Health Education, University of North Carolina Greensboro, Greensbo, NC, USA
| | - Della V. Mosley
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Danelle Stevens-Watkins
- Department of Educational, School and Counseling Psychology, University of Kentucky Lexington, KY, USA
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13
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Avery LR, Stanton AG, Ward LM, Cole ER, Trinh SL, Jerald MC. "Pretty hurts": Acceptance of hegemonic feminine beauty ideals and reduced sexual well-being among Black women. Body Image 2021; 38:181-190. [PMID: 33933996 DOI: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2021.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2020] [Revised: 04/08/2021] [Accepted: 04/08/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Although women are expected to idealize and achieve hegemonic feminine beauty standards such as being slender and lighter skinned, few studies have examined how women's investment in achieving these restrictive feminine appearance ideals may influence their sexual attitudes and behaviors. Even less is known about Black women. We surveyed 640 Black college women to test hypotheses that endorsement of hegemonic beauty ideals would be positively associated with four dimensions of negative sexual affect (sexual guilt, shame, emotional distancing, and self-consciousness) and negatively associated with two dimensions of sexual agency (sexual assertiveness and satisfaction). Correlation and regression analyses showed that hegemonic beauty ideal acceptance was linked with greater sexual guilt, shame, emotional distancing, and sexual self-consciousness in addition to lower levels of sexual assertiveness and satisfaction. Findings highlight how endorsing restrictive, hegemonic standards of beauty is associated with Black women's reduced sexual affect and sexual agency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lanice R Avery
- Departments of Psychology and Women, Gender, and Sexuality, University of Virginia, PO BOX 400400, Charlottesville, VA, 22904, USA.
| | - Alexis G Stanton
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, 485 McCormick Rd., Charlottesville, VA, 22903, USA.
| | - L Monique Ward
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, 530 Church St., Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
| | - Elizabeth R Cole
- Departments of Women's Studies, Psychology, and Afroamerican & African Studies, University of Michigan, 204 S. State St., Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
| | - Sarah L Trinh
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, 530 Church St., Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
| | - Morgan C Jerald
- Department of Psychology, Macalester College, 1600 Grand Avenue, Saint Paul, MN, 55105, USA.
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14
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Reis J, de Oliveira L, Oliveira C, Nobre P. Psychosocial and Behavioral Aspects of Women's Sexual Pleasure: A Scoping Review. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SEXUAL HEALTH : OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE WORLD ASSOCIATION FOR SEXUAL HEALTH 2021; 33:494-515. [PMID: 38595786 PMCID: PMC10903595 DOI: 10.1080/19317611.2021.1910890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2020] [Revised: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/26/2021] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
Objectives To clarify the psychosocial and behavioral factors related to women's sexual pleasure. Methods A search was conducted on EBSCO and Web of Science databases using the key terms "female sexual pleasure" and "women sexual pleasure" and following PRISMA guidelines. Results 76 articles were identified, referring to sexual practices, individual factors, interpersonal factors, societal factors, and ways of enhancing sexual pleasure. Conclusions Age, sexual experience, arousability, body-esteem, sexual autonomy, and sexual assertiveness seem to benefit women's sexual pleasure, while sexual compliance and a gender power imbalance seem to compromise it. Additional research regarding non-western and non-heterosexual women is still required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joana Reis
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Center for Psychology at University of Porto, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Leonor de Oliveira
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Center for Psychology at University of Porto, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Cátia Oliveira
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Center for Psychology at University of Porto, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- HEI-Lab, Lusófona University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- CUF Hospital, Porto, Portugal
| | - Pedro Nobre
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Center for Psychology at University of Porto, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
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15
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Townes A, Thorpe S, Parmer T, Wright B, Herbenick D. Partnered Sexual Behaviors, Pleasure, and Orgasms at Last Sexual Encounter: Findings from a U.S. Probability Sample of Black Women Ages 18 to 92 Years. JOURNAL OF SEX & MARITAL THERAPY 2021; 47:353-367. [PMID: 33573505 DOI: 10.1080/0092623x.2021.1878315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence of sexual behaviors and experiences of Black women's partnered behaviors at their most recent sexual event. Data were from a subset of 980 Black women ages 18 to 92 who participated in the 2018 National Survey of Sexual Health and Behavior. Findings provide a sex-positive view of Black women and their partnered experiences, indicating a range of activities; most wanted their sexual experiences, experienced orgasms, and reported pleasurable experiences. These results provide a foundation for sexual health practitioners, educators, and therapists to improve societal knowledge about Black women's sexuality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley Townes
- Center for Sexual Health Promotion, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Shemeka Thorpe
- Department of Educational, School, & Counseling Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Twinet Parmer
- Department of Counseling and Special Education, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI, USA
| | - Brittanni Wright
- Center for Sexual Health Promotion, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Debby Herbenick
- Center for Sexual Health Promotion, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, USA
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