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Childhood sexual abuse moderates the association between sexual functioning and sexual distress in women
Kyle R Stephenson1, Corey P Hughan, Cindy M Meston
1Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, 108 E. Dean Keeton, Austin, TX 78751, USA.
Objective:
To assess the degree to which a history of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) moderates the association between sexual functioning and sexual distress in women.
Method:
Women with (n=105, M age=33.71, 66.1% Caucasian) and without (n=71, M age=32.63, 74.7% Caucasian) a history of CSA taking part in a larger clinical trial completed self-report questionnaires at intake including the Sexual Satisfaction Scale for Women (SSS-W), the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), and the Trauma History Questionnaire (THQ).
Results:
Desire, arousal, lubrication, and orgasm interacted with sexual abuse status in predicting sexual distress such that sexual functioning was more weakly associated with distress for women with a history of CSA. This disconnect was more pronounced for women who were abused by a family member.
Conclusion:
CSA status serves as an important moderator of the association between sexual functioning and sexual distress in women. Specifically, women with a history of CSA show higher levels of distress in the context of good sexual functioning as compared to women without a history of CSA. Possible explanations and clinical implications are discussed.
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