Coercive Sexual Experiences That Include Orgasm Predict Negative Psychological, Relationship, and Sexual Outcomes
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Authors
Chadwick, Sara B.
Grower, Petal
van Anders, Sari
Date
2022-02-16
Type
journal article
Language
en
Keyword
Orgasm , Coercion , Relationships , Psychological distress , Sexual desire
Alternative Title
Abstract
Psychological sexual coercion is known to negatively impact those who experience it, yet sexual encounters where orgasm is present are often presumed to be positive and absent of coercion. In the present study, we conducted an online survey with women (n = 179) and men (n = 251) to test associations between sexually coercive experiences that include orgasm and negative psychological, sexual, and relationship outcomes. To do so, we focused on three experiences: having an orgasm during coerced sex (CS), having a coerced orgasm during desired sex (CO), and having a coerced orgasm during coerced sex (COS). Using structural equation modeling, we found that ever having any of these coercion-plus-orgasm experiences with a current partner predicted significantly higher avoidance motivations (i.e., engaging in sex to avoid conflict with one’s partner), which in turn predicted significantly worse psychological distress, sexual satisfaction, relationship satisfaction, and sexual functioning (but not dyadic sexual desire). We also found that CS, CO, and COS predicted negative outcomes to a similar degree. However, testing gender/sex as a moderator clarified that CS predicted significantly lower sexual satisfaction, sexual functioning, and sexual desire for women but not men. Furthermore, CO predicted faking orgasms in women, but COS predicted faking orgasms in men. Together, results demonstrate that experiencing psychological sexual coercion and/or orgasm coercion is significantly associated with negative outcomes even if the coerced person’s orgasm occurs.
Description
This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Sage Publishing in Journal of Interpersonal Violence on February 16, 2022, available online: https://doi.org/10.1177/08862605211073109
Citation
Chadwick, S. B., Grower, P., & van Anders, S. M. (2022). Coercive Sexual Experiences that Include Orgasm Predict Negative Psychological, Relationship, and Sexual Outcomes. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 37(23–24), NP22199–NP22225. https://doi.org/10.1177/08862605211073109
Publisher
Sage Publishing