Women experiencing more sexual guilt have worse sexual functioning

A study of sexually active women in Indonesia found that women who experience stronger sexual guilt and sexual anxiety tend to have worse sexual functioning. The research was published in Papers from the International Association for Cross-Cultural Psychology Conferences.

Sexual functioning is the ability to experience healthy and satisfying sexual activities across different phases of sexual encounters. In women, sexual functioning is the capacity to experience desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, and satisfaction, as well as the absence of pain during sexual activity. It is influenced by biological factors such as hormones and health, psychological factors such as mood and self-image, and relational factors such as partner responsiveness and trust.

Cultural and social norms shape how women perceive and express their sexuality. These expressions can change across the lifespan, for example, during puberty, pregnancy, postpartum periods, and menopause. Medical conditions and medications may also temporarily or permanently alter sexual functioning. When a person consistently experiences difficulties in sexual functioning, this is referred to as sexual dysfunction.

Study authors Mia Audina Olivia and Ahmad Naufalul Umam note that traditional moderate Islamic values embodied in the “ideal morality” discourage discussions of sexual issues in Indonesian society. Sex remains a more or less taboo topic. As a consequence, young people in Indonesia are confronted with conflicting social and cultural views, contributing to the development of sexual guilt and sexual anxiety.

Sex guilt is a generalized expectation of a punishment that may be received for violating or anticipating violations of standards of appropriate sexual behavior. Individuals experiencing strong sexual guilt tend to be reluctant to engage in sexual activity, lack sexual initiative, and show an inability to process sexual stimuli effectively.

Sex anxiety, on the other hand, is a generalized expectation of external punishment that may be received for violating or anticipating a violation of perceived norms regarding acceptable sexual behavior. Defined this way, sex anxiety and sex guilt are similar concepts; however, the study authors emphasize that sex guilt reflects an individual’s moral stance on sexual behavior, while sex anxiety is primarily concerned with the opinions of others and potential violations of societal norms.

Study participants were 169 females between the ages of 19 and 40 recruited from Greater Jakarta. They completed an online survey shared through social media and WhatsApp. Of the participants, 59% were married, 44% had children, and 56% held a bachelor’s or master’s degree.

Participants completed assessments of sexual functioning (using the Female Sexual Function Index), sex guilt (the 10-item Brief Mosher Sex Guilt Inventory), and sex anxiety (the Sex Anxiety Inventory).

Results showed that participants who reported higher levels of sex guilt and sex anxiety tended to report worse sexual functioning. There were no differences in sex guilt, sexual functioning, or sex anxiety between participants with and without children. Single women tended to report worse sexual functioning compared to other groups.

“Our main finding confirmed the global dynamics on how sexual guilt and anxiety may hinder one’s sexual functioning, while the demographic data showed that sexual functioning in Indonesian women’s context is tied with normative relationship of marriage,” the study authors concluded.

The study contributes to scientific knowledge regarding psychological factors relevant to sexual functioning. However, it should be noted that the design of the study does not allow any causal inferences to be derived from the results.

The paper, “The Relationship Between Sex Guilt and Sex Anxiety on Sexual Function in Sexually Active Adult Women,” was authored by Mia Audina Olivia and Ahmad Naufalul Umam.