The Heteronormativity Theory of Low Sexual Desire in Women Partnered with Men
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Authors
van Anders, Sari
Herbenick, Debby
Brotto, Lori
Harris, Emily A.
Chadwick, Sara B.
Date
2021-08-23
Type
journal article
Language
en
Keyword
Sexual desire , Heteronormativity , Gender roles , Femininity , Household labor , Nurturance
Alternative Title
Abstract
Low sexual desire in women partnered with men is typically presumed to be a problem—one that exists in women and encourages a research agenda on causation and treatment targeting women. In this paper, we present a distinct way forward for research on low sexual desire in women partnered with men that attends to a more structural explanation: heteronormativity. A heteronormative worldview assumes that relationships and structures are heterosexual, gender (usually conflated with sex) is binary and complementary, and gender roles fit within narrow bounds including nurturant labor for women. We propose the heteronormativity theory of low sexual desire in women partnered with men, arguing that heteronormative gender inequities are contributing factors. We outline four hypotheses and their predictions related to: inequitable divisions of household labor, blurring of partner and mother roles, objectification of women, and gender norms surrounding sexual initiation. We discuss some mechanisms—social, physiological, and otherwise—for the heteronormativity theory, especially related to stress, objectification, and nurturance. We close by noting some limitations of our paper and the ways that the heteronormativity theory of low sexual desire in women partnered with men provides a rigorous, generative, and empirical way forward.
Description
This article is also available at the publisher website at https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-021-02100-x.
Citation
van Anders, S.M., Herbenick, D., Brotto, L.A. et al. The Heteronormativity Theory of Low Sexual Desire in Women Partnered with Men. Arch Sex Behav 51, 391–415 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-021-02100-x
Publisher
Springer