Attitudes toward mothers as sexual beings and the sexual functioning of parents

Research has shown that negative sexual attitudes are associated with lower levels of sexual functioning among men and women, however, little is known about how attitudes about mothers as sexual beings are associated with sexual functioning for parents.

The aim of the current study was to examine how attitudes toward mothers as sexual beings (ATMSB) were associated with sexual functioning for women and partners of women among parents with young children.

Cross-sectional retrospective data were collected online via Qualtrics Panels from 475 women and men (partnered to women) who reported having their first child within the last 5 years.Outcomes: The Revised Female Sexual Function Index and revised Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite-Short Form were used to measure sexual function in women and men, respectively.

Results indicated that after controlling for age and relationship length, more positive ATMSB predicted higher levels of sexual functioning (and multiple domains of functioning) for men and women.Clinical Implications: These findings indicate that sexual functioning, especially in parents, is linked to the attitudes held toward seeing mothers as inherently sexual (or not).

This is the first study to examine how attitudes toward mothers as sexual beings can impact sexual functioning, though the cis heterosexual mostly white sample is a notable limitation.

ATMSB may need to be examined and challenged in the context of treating sexual dysfunction during this transitional period for mothers and those partnered to mothers.