What do women who have same-sex sexual experiences say about their sexual satisfaction?
In order to identify the differences between women who always have heterosexual sex and those that at some point in there life also had occasional same-sex sexual activity, 5998 women aged 18-49 years were assessed.
According to the results, women who had same sex sex experiences, reported higher frequency of sexual activity than women who always had sex exclusively with men.
However, despite the fact that they had more frequent sexual activity, they reported more frequent problems of sexual desire and reduced sexual satisfaction.
Furthermore, women who had same-sex sexual experiences reported significantly greater distress from their sexual problems than women with exclusively heterosexual sexual behavior.
What explains the greater sexual dissatisfaction?
Interestingly, despite having a more intense sexual life, those women who have had same-sex sexual experiences in the past, had lower sexual satisfaction than those who never had same-sex sexual activity.
One interpretation is that women with same-sex experiences place more importance to their sexoual life and consider it more important for their quality of life. Another possible explanation is that women with same-sex practices have more anxiety and concerns about issues related to their sexuality and their relationships.
In any case, this study shows that women who have sex with women experience more sexual discomfort and highlights the need for psychotherapeutic interventions aimed at reducing this discomfort.
Burri A, Rahman Q, Santtila P et al. (2012) The relationship between same-sex sexual experience, sexual distress, and female sexual dysfunction. J Sex Med 9: 198-206.
