A comparison of heterosexual and homosexual long-term sexual relationships

This is a study of a nonrandom sample of 94 women who are in long-term sexual relationships. The women were divided into groups of heterosexual and homosexual women who reported childhood sexual abuse, and heterosexual and homosexual women who reported no history of childhood sexual abuse. The groups were rated according to their levels of sexual satisfaction and relationship satisfaction. Results indicate that women who have not been abused are more satisfied with their relationships than women who have been abused. Heterosexual and homosexual women who have a history of childhood sexual abuse are less satisfied with their sexual relationships than women without histories of abuse. However, homosexual women who have been abused rated their relationship satisfaction higher than heterosexual women who have been abused. By showing that one cannot draw conclusions about homosexual women based on research on heterosexual women, this study encourages further research to enable nurses to refine their care planning.