Women’s Safety Behaviors before and during Sexual Activity: Psychometric Properties of Its Self-Report Questionnaire in German Women

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

Abstract

Sexual safety behaviors (SSB) may constitute a relevant factor for the development and maintenance of sexual dysfunctions. The present study aims to improve the understanding of SSB in women. A total of N = 923 women completed an online survey consisting of the Questionnaire on Behaviors Before and During Sexual Activities, a measure of SSB, and a set of other questionnaires that assessed sexual dysfunctions, anxiety, depression, and other clinically relevant variables. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses of the QBSA revealed a robust three-factor solution with 1) cognitive and behavioral avoidance, 2) use of lubricants, and 3) thought and body control. While some SSB were generally common in women, others discriminated well between women with sexual dysfunctions, women with sexual problems, and women without impairment. SSB was significantly negatively associated with women’s level of sexual functioning and positively with repetitive and negative thought processes, depression, and anxiety. Overall, the concept of SSB can be reliably measured and SSBs correlate meaningfully with variables measuring women’s mental health. We argue that the concept of SSB should be further developed as it can enrich present sexual therapeutic treatment approaches, especially in the context of cognitive-behavioral therapy.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1–16
Number of pages16
JournalJournal of Sex & Marital Therapy
Volume50
Issue number6
Publication statusPublished - 28 May 2024
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

ORCID /0000-0002-1697-6732/work/160952022
unpaywall 10.1080/0092623x.2024.2357129
Scopus 85194733819

Keywords

Sustainable Development Goals