Browsing by Author "Brody, Stuart"
Now showing 1 - 10 of 14
Results Per Page
Sort Options
- Anxious and avoidant attachment, vibrator use, anal sex, and impaired vaginal orgasmPublication . Costa, Rui Miguel; Brody, StuartIntroduction. Disturbances in intimate relationships are among the risk factors for female sexual dysfunction. Insecure styles of anxious attachment (preoccupations about abandonment) and avoidant attachment (avoidance of closeness in relationships) are robustly associated with sexual problems, relationship difficulties, and several indices of poorer physical and mental health. Similar indices of poorer sexual, relationship, and health functioning are associated with impairment of orgasm triggered by penile-vaginal stimulation (vaginal orgasm), but unrelated or related to greater frequency of other sexual behaviors. However, research examining the differential association of sexual activities with insecure attachment styles has been lacking. Aims. The aim of this study was to test the hypotheses that insecure attachment styles are associated with lesser vaginal orgasm consistency, and are unrelated or directly related to greater frequency of other sexual behaviors. Method. Seventy coitally experienced women recruited at a Scottish university completed the Revised Experience in Close Relationships scale, and reported their frequency of various sexual behaviors (and corresponding orgasms) in a recent representative month. Main Outcome Measures. The main outcome measures for this study are multivariate correlations of various sexual activities with insecure attachment styles, age, and social desirability response bias. Results. Anxious attachment was associated with lesser vaginal orgasm consistency, but with higher frequency of vibrator and anal sex orgasms. Avoidant attachment was associated with higher frequency of vibrator orgasms. Neither anxious nor avoidant attachment was associated with lifetime number of penile-vaginal intercourse partners. Conclusions. The results provide evidence that inability to attain a vaginal orgasm is associated with anxious attachment, among other indices of poorer mental health and relatedness. Vaginal orgasm might be the relevant sexual activity for the maintenance of a secure attachment style with a sexual partner and/or more insecurely attached women might have difficulties in attaining vaginal orgasms and be more inclined to sexual activities characterized by more emotional and physical detachment, as part of a characterological discomfort with intimacy.
- Associations of immature defense mechanisms with personal importance of junk food, television and alcohol are independent of agePublication . Brody, Stuart; Costa, Rui MiguelInexistente
- Female sexual arousal disorder with and without a distress criterion: Prevalence and correlates in a representative czech samplePublication . Weiss, Petr; Brody, StuartIntroduction. Sexual medicine would benefit from large representative surveys examining the prevalence of genital female sexual arousal disorder (FSAD) symptoms (with and without the increasingly controversial distress criterion), as well as novel FSAD correlates and potential “protective” factors. Aims. To examine the extent to which genital FSAD symptoms, with and without a distress criterion, are associated with both historical and current aspects of sexual behavior. Methods. In a representative sample of the Czech population (aged 15–88), 1,000 women were asked whether they currently have impaired lubrication and vaginal swelling (and if so, if this produces marked distress or interpersonal difficulty). They provided details of vaginal orgasm (induced by penile–vaginal intercourse [PVI] without clitoral masturbation) consistency, feelings during their first PVI, estimates of their typical foreplay and PVI durations, their degree of mental focus on vaginal sensations during PVI, among other factors. Main Outcome Measures. The current prevalence of FSAD with and without a distress criterion and their associations with current and antecedent sexual behaviors and responses. Results. The current prevalence of FSAD was 10.3% without, plus 7.5% with a distress criterion (which tended to be associated with more impairments than without distress). History of vaginal orgasm (odds ratio = 2.78), never masturbating (odds ratio = 2.4), not having felt pain and discomfort on first PVI (odds ratio = 2.27), and not having frequent anal intercourse are protective against FSAD with distress, but not without distress. Age (especially over 50) and inadequate focusing of mental attention on vaginal sensations during PVI are associated with increased FSAD risk both with and without distress. Conclusions. FSAD with and without distress appear to be different entities to some extent, with the distressed group showing more long-term signs of psychosexual impairment. We suggest that FSAD with and without distress be considered two different disorders.
- Female sexual function and heart rate variabilityPublication . Costa, Rui Miguel; Brody, StuartInexistente
- Immature psychological defense mechanisms and the misrepresentations of some sex researchersPublication . Brody, Stuart; Costa, Rui Miguel; Hess, UrsulaThe authors reply to a quartet of recent articles in this journal. We detail certain misrepresentations and the dismissal of existing research in those articles (including attempts at denial of the repeatedly documented association of lack of vaginal orgasm with greater use of immature psychological defense mechanisms and other indices of poorer health). The authors also call for a less defensive and less doctrinaire approach to sex research, especially, but not exclusively, when the prevailing ideology in the fields of sexology might be undermining optimal health.
- Immature psychological defense mechanisms are associated with greater personal importance of junkfood, alcohol, and televisionPublication . Costa, Rui Miguel; Brody, StuartImmature psychological defense mechanisms are psychological processes that play an important role in suppressing emotional awareness and contribute to psychopathology. In addition, unhealthy food, television viewing, and alcohol consumption can be among the means to escape self-awareness. In contrast, engaging in, and responding fully to specifically penile-vaginal intercourse (PVI) is associated with indices of better emotional regulation, including less use of immature defense mechanisms. There was a lack of research on the association of immature defense mechanisms with personal importance of junk food, alcohol, television, PVI, and noncoital sex. In an online survey, 334 primarily Scottish women completed the Defense Style Questionnaire (DSQ-40), and rated the personal importance of junk food, alcohol, television, PVI, and noncoital sex. Immature defense mechanisms correlated with importance of junk food, alcohol, and television. Importance of PVI correlated with mature defenses, and less use of some component immature defenses. Importance of alcohol correlated with importance of junk food, television, and noncoital sex. Importance of junk food was correlated with importance of television and noncoital sex. The findings are discussed in terms of persons with poorer self-regulatory abilities having more interest in junk food, television, and alcohol, and less interest in PVI.
- Obesity, overweight, female sexual function, and penile-vaginal intercourse frequencyPublication . Costa, Rui Miguel; Brody, StuartInexistente
- Orgasm and women's waist circumferencePublication . Costa, Rui Miguel; Brody, StuartObjective: Given that adiposity is related to poorer female sexual function, among many other health problems, the present study aimed at testing the hypothesis that larger waist circumference, an index of subcutaneous and abdominal fat mass, is associated with lack of specifically vaginal orgasm. Study design One hundred and twenty Portuguese women of reproductive age had their waist measured and reported their past month frequency of penile–vaginal intercourse (PVI), vaginal orgasm, orgasm from clitoral masturbation during PVI, non-coital partnered sex (in the absence of same-day PVI), non-coital partnered sex orgasm (regardless of same-day PVI), masturbation, and masturbation orgasm. Results: In both simple and partial correlations (controlling for age, social desirability responding, relationship status, and cohabitation status), larger waist circumference was associated with lack of any vaginal orgasm and with having masturbated in the past month. In a multiple regression, larger waist circumference was independently predicted by lesser frequency of vaginal orgasm, greater frequency of masturbation, and older age. Conclusion: Abdominal fat mass appears to be adversely associated with lesser capacity for vaginal orgasm, but not for orgasms from other sexual activities. Results are discussed in the context of vaginal orgasm being relatively more contingent on situations of increased fitness in both partners.
- Penis Size and Vaginal OrgasmPublication . Costa, Rui Miguel; Miller, Geoffrey F.; Brody, StuartInexistente
- Simultaneous penile–vaginal intercourse orgasm is associated with satisfaction (sexual, life, partnership, and mental health)Publication . Brody, Stuart; Weiss, PetrIntroduction. Previous multivariate research found that satisfaction was associated positively with frequency of specifically penile–vaginal intercourse (PVI; as opposed to other sexual activities) as well as with vaginal orgasm. The contribution to satisfaction of simultaneous orgasm produced by PVI merited direct examination in a large representative sample. Aims. To examine the associations of aspects of satisfaction (sexual, life, own mental health, partner relationship) with consistency of simultaneous orgasm produced by PVI (as well as with PVI frequency and vaginal orgasm consistency). Methods. A representative sample of Czechs (N = 1,570) aged 35–65 years completed a survey on aspects of satisfaction, PVI frequency, vaginal orgasm consistency, and consistency of simultaneous orgasm produced by PVI (the latter being a specially timed version of vaginal orgasm for women). Main Outcome Measures. Analysis of variance of satisfaction components (LiSat scale items) from age and the sexual behaviors. Results. For both sexes, all aspects of satisfaction were associated with simultaneous PVI orgasm consistency and with PVI frequency (except female life satisfaction). All aspects of satisfaction were also associated with vaginal orgasm consistency. Multivariate analyses indicated that PVI frequency and simultaneous orgasm consistency make independent contributions to the aspects of satisfaction for both sexes. Conclusions. For both sexes, PVI frequency and simultaneous orgasm produced by PVI (as well as vaginal orgasm for women) are associated with greater life, sexual, partnership, and mental health satisfaction. Greater support for these specific aspects of sexual activity is warranted.