Cultivating Relationship Satisfaction to Enhance Sexuality in Same-Sex Couples

What is it about?

The subjective orgasm experience and sexual satisfaction are two fundamental constructs of human sexual functioning, closely related to sexual well-being. The first refers to the assessment of orgasm from a psychological perspective and can be studied on the basis of four dimensions (affective, sensory, intimacy and rewards), while the second refers to the affective response that arises from the evaluation of aspects related to sexual relationships. To date, few studies have investigated the impact of orgasmic experience on sexual satisfaction, especially in same-sex couples, and this relationship has never been examined considering the couple as the unit of analysis. This study analyzed the dyadic relationship between both variables (i.e., how the subjective orgasmic experience of each partner affects their own and their partner's sexual satisfaction), also considering the mediating effect of relationship satisfaction. This study involved 104 same-sex couples (48 male and 56 female couples) with recent orgasmic experiences. The results obtained indicate a dyadic influence of the affective and sensory dimensions of subjective orgasmic experience on sexual satisfaction only in male couples. In addition, sexual satisfaction is affected, especially in women, when there are discrepancies between the two partners between these same dimensions of subjective orgasmic experience (i.e., the greater the difference in subjective orgasmic intensity between the two women, the lower their sexual satisfaction). Finally, the study concludes that relationship satisfaction is a significant mediator between all dimensions of orgasmic experience and sexual satisfaction in both types of couples. That is, for subjective orgasmic experience to have a positive effect on sexual satisfaction requires the mediating role of relationship satisfaction.

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Photo by Paul Bryan on Unsplash

Photo by Paul Bryan on Unsplash

Why is it important?

The fact that relationship satisfaction acts as a mediating variable between subjective orgasmic experience and sexual satisfaction has a remarkable clinical applicability, since it offers clues for Sexology professionals to pay attention to relationship satisfaction when dealing with exclusively sexual aspects such as orgasmic difficulties or sexual dissatisfaction. In sex therapy, working with both partners is fundamental when dealing with sexual problems.

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