Sexual functioning in a non-clinical sample of partnered lesbians

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2006

Publication Title

Journal of Couple and Relationship Therapy

Volume

5

Issue

2

First page number:

1

Last page number:

22

Abstract

One-hundred women involved in a primary lesbian relationship completed a measure investigating sexual difficulties with various aspects of sex with their current partner. Results were compared to previous research on both heterosexual and gay couples. Reported frequency of sexual activity and levels of sexual satisfaction were equivalent to those of heterosexual and gay couples. This sample also reported fewer and different types of sexual problems than did heterosexual women. Analyses suggest that the sexual life of lesbians is more robust than often reported. Discussed are relational dynamics, possibly protective of lesbian sexual relationships, as well as clinical implications of re-assessing the nature and importance of sex to lesbian couples.

Keywords

Lesbianism; Psychosexual disorders; Sexual disorders; Sexual dysfunction; Women--Sexual behavior

Disciplines

Community-Based Research | Counseling Psychology | Gender and Sexuality | Health Psychology | Medicine and Health | Psychiatry and Psychology | Psychology

Language

English

Permissions

Use Find in Your Library, contact the author, or use interlibrary loan to garner a copy of the article. Publisher copyright policy allows author to archive post-print (author’s final manuscript). When post-print is available or publisher policy changes, the article will be deposited

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