Brief Report: Sexual Wellbeing in Heterosexual, Mostly Heterosexual, and Bisexually Attracted Men and Women

Overview

Journal Int J Sex Health

Publisher Routledge

Date 2021 May 10

PMID 33968289

Citations 5

Authors

Tierney K Lorenz

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objective: To assess differences in sexual wellbeing among men and women with exclusively heterosexual, mostly heterosexual, and bisexual attractions.

Method: An anonymous online survey in a convenience sample of 597 young adults (394 women, 203 men; average age = 20.04) assessed patterns of sexual attraction, desire, sexual functioning, and sexual satisfaction using validated questionnaires.

Results: Individuals with mostly heterosexual attractions reported significantly higher solitary sexual desire than exclusively heterosexual individuals (women: 0.64; men: 0.68). Partnered sexual desire did not differ between groups. Women with exclusively heterosexual attractions reported significantly higher sexual functioning and satisfaction than either mostly heterosexual or bisexually attracted women (functioning: 0.29; satisfaction: 0.47). Men with mostly heterosexual attractions reported significantly lower sexual functioning than either exclusively heterosexual or bisexually attracted men ( = 0.40).

Conclusions: There were significant differences between exclusively vs. mostly heterosexual individuals in several aspects of sexual wellbeing, supporting the assertion that mostly heterosexual may constitute a distinct orientation. Taken together with prior research showing higher rates of sexual dysfunction in bisexual women, these findings highlight sexual health disparities among nonmonosexual women. Efforts to support the sexual wellbeing of sexual minority individuals should include consideration of mostly heterosexual individuals, as this population may have unique sexual health needs.

Citing Articles

Barriers experienced by emerging adults in discussing their sexuality with parents and health care providers: A mixed-method study.

Sanchez S, Jones H, Bogen K, Lorenz T Am J Orthopsychiatry. 2023; 93(4):335-349.

PMID: 37166897 PMC: 10355324. DOI: 10.1037/ort0000677.

Age Effects on Women's and Men's Dyadic and Solitary Sexual Desire.

Wieczorek L, Chivers M, Koehn M, DeBruine L, Jones B Arch Sex Behav. 2022; 51(8):3765-3789.

PMID: 35916987 PMC: 9663354. DOI: 10.1007/s10508-022-02375-8.

Exposure to continuous or fluid theories of sexual orientation leads some heterosexuals to embrace less-exclusive heterosexual orientations.

Morandini J, Dacosta L, Dar-Nimrod I Sci Rep. 2021; 11(1):16546.

PMID: 34400657 PMC: 8368213. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-94479-9.

Relying on an "Other" Category Leads to Significant Misclassification of Sexual Minority Participants.

Lorenz T LGBT Health. 2021; 8(5):372-377.

PMID: 34097503 PMC: 8252904. DOI: 10.1089/lgbt.2020.0449.

Antidepressant Use During Development May Impair Women's Sexual Desire in Adulthood.

Lorenz T J Sex Med. 2020; 17(3):470-476.

PMID: 31937517 PMC: 7197954. DOI: 10.1016/j.jsxm.2019.12.012.

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