Testosterone and Sexual Desire in Healthy Women and Men
in press, Archives of Sexual Behavior
Sexual desire is typically higher in men than in women, with testosterone (T) thought to account for this difference... more Sexual desire is typically higher in men than in women, with testosterone (T) thought to account for this difference as well as within-sex variation in desire in both women and men. However, few studies have incorporated both hormonal and social or psychological factors in studies of sexual desire.The present study addressed how three psychological domains (sexual–relational, stress–mood, body–embodiment) were related to links between T and sexual desire in healthy adults and whether dyadic and solitary desire showed associations with T. Participants (n=196) were recruited as part of the Partnering, Physiology, and Health study, which had 105men and 91women who completed questionnaires and provided saliva for cortisol and T assays. T was positively linked to solitary desire in women, with masturbation frequency influencing this link. In contrast, T was negatively correlated with dyadic desire in women, but only when cortisol and perceived social stress were controlled. Replicating past findings, no significant correlations between T and desire in men were apparent, but these analyses showed that the null association remained even when psychological and confound variables were controlled. Men showed higher desire than women, but masturbation frequency rather than T influenced this difference. Results were discussed in terms of challenges to assumptions of clear links between T and desire, gendered approaches to T, and the unitarity of desire.
Download (.pdf) Controversies and contentions: a gay man conducting research with women about their understandings of sexuality, sex and sexual problems
Gary Bellamy, Merryn Gott & Sharron Hinchliff (2011)
Culture, Health & Sexuality: An International Journal for Research, Intervention and Care, 13, 6: 699-712
Whether male researchers can conduct qualitative research with female participants, and interpret accounts of their... more Whether male researchers can conduct qualitative research with female participants, and interpret accounts of their lives, is a contentious issue within the feminist literature. Academics and activists argue that not all researchers are uniformly positioned, in terms of social location, or possess the necessary lived experiences to conduct feminist research. Conducting research into sexuality can intensify these concerns, with such projects perceived as ‘riskier’ and establishing trust in the research setting more difficult than with mainstream topics. This paper draws on data from research interviews that explored women's understandings of sexuality, sex and sexual problems to discuss participants' views of being interviewed by a gay man. It highlights that the shared experience of marginality was a key influence upon the interview interaction, particularly regarding levels of empathy, and this facilitated disclosure. By providing a reflexive account of the gendered and sexual orientation dynamics of conducting research interviews, we argue that focusing solely upon gender similarity as a pre-requisite for conducting feminist research with female participants fails to acknowledge the role of other factors that enable ‘good’ research to be done.
A Qualitative Study of Heterosexual Women's Attempts to Renegotiate Sexual Relationships in the Context of Severe Sexual Problems
Archives of Sexual Behavior (2012) Sharron Hinchliff, Merryn Gott, and Kevan Wylie
Previous qualitative research on women’s sexual problems has documented the ways in which they can impact... more Previous qualitative research on women’s sexual problems has documented the ways in which they can impact psychological well-being as well as women’s close interpersonal relationships. However, little attention has been paid to the ways that women with sexual problems negotiate sexual contact in the context of a relationship where sexual activity has a central role. This article draws on qualitative data from in-depth interviews with 23 heterosexual women who experienced sexual desire loss or vulvar pain. The data were analyzed within a material-discursive framework and this identified the centrality of relational and broader social factors in women’s sexual negotiation. Key findings included: avoiding potentially intimate situations; engaging in intercourse when it was painful or the women had no desire to; and mentally planning and preparing themselves for sex. Other sexual activities were almost always regarded as a prelude to intercourse, yet around half of the sample had adapted their sexual repertoire to compensate for an absence of intercourse. The implications for future research and treatment in the area of women’s sexual problems are discussed.
Genetic and environmental risk factors for sexual distress and its association with female sexual dysfunction
by Qazi Rahman
Psychological Medicine, doi:10.1017/S0033291711000493
Jowett A, Peel E & Shaw RL (2012) Sex and diabetes: A thematic analysis of gay and bisexual men’s accounts. Journal of Health Psychology, 17(3), 409-418.
by Adam Jowett
Please email me if you would like a copy of this paper
Around 50% of men with diabetes experience erectile dysfunction. Much of the literature focuses on quality of life... more Around 50% of men with diabetes experience erectile dysfunction. Much of the literature focuses on quality of life measures with heterosexual men in monogamous relationships. This study explores gay and bisexual men’s experiences of sex and diabetes. Thirteen interviews were analysed and three themes identified: erectile problems, other ‘physical’ problems, and disclosing diabetes to sexual partners. Findings highlight a range of sexual problems experienced by non-heterosexual men and the significance of the cultural and relational context in which they are situated. The personalised care promised by the UK government should acknowledge the diversity of sexual practices which might be affected by diabetes.
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Contemporary women's understandings of female sexuality: findings from an in-depth interview study
Gary Bellamy; Merryn Gott; Sharron Hinchliff; Paula Nicolson
Sexual and Relationship Therapy
Vol. 26, No. 1, February 2011, 84–95
Based upon the findings of a qualitative in-depth interview study with 23 women aged 23–72 years recruited from... more Based upon the findings of a qualitative in-depth interview study with 23 women aged 23–72 years recruited from members of the general public and a psychosexual clinic, this paper explores participants understandings of the term ‘‘sexuality’’. The findings are set within the context of historical, prevailing and often contradictory perceptions of the term. Data were analysed thematically using the conventions of template analysis within a material discursive framework. This paper questions the assumption that sexuality is an altogether powerful and naturally occurring phenomenon. The ability to isolate and give credence to a definitive meaning of the term is, both for participants and academics alike, an arduous undertaking. Rather than focusing primarily on the material body, the extent to which ideology, culture and power intersect with the former indicate its multidimensional, constructed nature. Given the whole host of meanings evoked by the term, the paper asserts that it is more fitting to talk of multiple understandings of sexuality rather than a singular authoritative one whilst also contingent on social and historical practices. The findings have implications that should be considered when evaluating previous sexological research and conducting future research where this term is used throughout as a focus of academic enquiry
Holding onto womanhood: a qualitative study of heterosexual women with sexual desire loss
Hinchliff, S., Gott, M. & Wylie, K.R.
Health (2009); 13; 449
This article explores heterosexual women’s accounts of sexual desire loss, particularly the ways in which it can... more This article explores heterosexual women’s accounts of sexual desire loss, particularly the ways in which it can affect their sense of themselves as women. In-depth interviews were conducted with 17 participants recruited through a psychosexual clinic in England, and the data analysed using a material-discursive approach. The fi ndings showed that having sexual desire loss often challenged participants’ perceptions of themselves as women. Specific challenges related to dealing with isolation and ‘otherness’, addressing their own feelings of not being ‘proper wives’ because they did not sexually satisfy their partners and maintaining a sense of sexual attractiveness in the absence of sexual desire. Participants responded to these challenges in various ways, often renegotiating their identities as women. The findings are discussed in relation to theorizing women’s sexuality and their implications for health care.
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Sex, menopause and social context: A qualitative study with heterosexual women.
Hinchliff, S. Gott, M. & Ingleton, C.
Journal of Health Psychology (2010), 15 (5), 724-733.
Most research on sex and menopause has been conducted within a biomedical framework describing how, for example,... more
Most research on sex and menopause has been conducted within a biomedical framework describing how, for example, declining hormone levels result in reduced sexual desire. Little research has examined women’s own perspectives. In this article we present an analysis of interview data from 12 British women experiencing natural menopause. Analysis identified the key role of interpersonal factors in sexual pleasure, alongside heterogeneity with regard to changes in sexual desire and orgasm. The findings complement existing psychological literature on the topic of women’s sexual and reproductive health which foregrounds social context and emphasizes diversity of
experience.
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Seen by: Barriers to seeking treatment for sexual problems in primary care: a qualitative study with older people
Merryn Gott and Sharron Hinchliff
Family Practice Vol. 20, No. 6, 690-695
Background. Although it is known that only a small minority of people experiencing sexual problems seek treatment for... more
Background. Although it is known that only a small minority of people experiencing sexual problems seek treatment for these, barriers to treatment seeking remain relatively unexplored. This is particularly true for older people, whose perceived ‘asexuality’ has led to them being excluded from sexual health research.
Objective. The aim of the present study was to identify barriers experienced by older people in seeking treatment for sexual problems.
Methods. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 22 women and 23 men aged 50–92 years recruited from the age/sex register of a Sheffield general practice. A central component of
the interviews involved exploring participants’ attitudes towards, and experiences of, seeking help for sexual problems. Interviews were analyzed using the ‘framework’ approach.
Results. The GP was seen as the main source of professional help if sexual problems were experienced. However, several barriers were identified as inhibiting help being sought. These included the demographic characteristics of the GP, GP attitudes towards later life sexuality, the attribution of sexual problems to ‘normal ageing’, shame/embarrassment and fear, perceiving sexual problems as ‘not serious’ and lack of knowledge about appropriate services. Twenty-five participants had experienced recent sexual problems which informed their responses.
Conclusion. These findings indicate that many older people have sexual problems that they would like to discuss with their GP, but they feel unable to do so. GPs may need to be more proactive in raising sexual health issues in consultations if these needs are to be met.
Seeking medical help for sexual concerns in mid and later life: A review of the literature
Annual Review of Sex Research, 48: 2, 106 -117 (2011)
co-authored with Merryn Gott
Research consistently reports that older people tend not to seek medical help for sexual concerns or difficulties.... more Research consistently reports that older people tend not to seek medical help for sexual concerns or difficulties. This article reviews the literature to examine help-seeking for, and doctor–patient interactions about, sexual problems in the middle and later life age groups. Twenty-five articles from 1999 to 2010 were identified and analyzed. Significant barriers to seeking medical help included psychosocial factors relating to the patient, such as thinking that sexual changes were ‘‘normal with ageing,’’ and also to the doctor—for example, assuming that sex was less important to older patients than it was to their younger patients. Inadequate training at medical school for health care professionals (HCPs) was also identified as a barrier. People were more likely to seek help if their doctor had asked about sexual function during a routine visit sometime during the previous three years. However, doctors tended not to take a proactive approach to sexual health management, and indeed often had limited knowledge of later-life sexuality issues. There are clear implications for sexual well-being if the doctor does not ask and the patient does not tell. Providing education about later-life sexuality for HCPs is crucial if we are to meet the needs of older patients in useful and effective ways.