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Interoceptive Awareness, Alexithymia, and Sexual Function.

Cláudia Berenguer1, Catarina Rebôlo1, Rui Miguel Costa2

  • 1ISPA- Instituto Universitário , Lisbon , Portugal.

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|April 26, 2019
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Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

This study found that lower interoceptive awareness (body awareness) and higher alexithymia (difficulty identifying emotions) are linked to sexual difficulties in both men and women. Improving body awareness may enhance sexual function.

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Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Sexology
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Sexual difficulties are prevalent and impact quality of life.
  • Interoceptive awareness, the perception of internal bodily states, is crucial for emotional regulation.
  • Alexithymia, characterized by difficulty identifying and describing emotions, is theoretically linked to impaired interoception and sexual dysfunction.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between interoceptive awareness, alexithymia, and various dimensions of sexual functioning.
  • To examine these associations in a nonclinical sample comprising both men and women.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional study involving 340 Portuguese adults (228 women, 112 men).
  • Participants completed self-report questionnaires including the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness (MAIA), Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), Female Sexual Distress Scale-Revised (FSDS-R), International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF), and a question on ejaculation delay.

Main Results:

  • Greater alexithymia was associated with lower interoceptive awareness.
  • In women, higher alexithymia and lower interoceptive awareness correlated with reduced arousal, lubrication, increased orgasm difficulties, dissatisfaction, pain, and sexual distress. Higher desire was linked to greater interoceptive awareness.
  • In men, lower interoceptive awareness was associated with difficulties delaying ejaculation, and higher alexithymia correlated with erectile difficulties.

Conclusions:

  • Interoceptive awareness and alexithymia are significantly related to sexual functioning in both sexes.
  • These findings highlight the importance of body awareness and emotional processing for sexual health.
  • Interventions aimed at improving interoceptive awareness and emotional regulation may benefit individuals experiencing sexual difficulties.