engleski

Sexual satisfaction in the context of distressing sexual function and sexual victimization among Croatian young adults

Objective: Little is known about links between sexual satisfaction, distress about sexual function, and sexual victimization in emerging adults. The aim of this study was to explore these associations by comparing young people with different levels of sexual functioning. Design and Method: In December 2021, an online survey was conducted in a national sample of emerging Croatian adults. Two-stage stratified sampling by region and settlement size was used to randomly include participants (aged 18-25 years) from a commercial panel. The final weighted sample had 1, 210 participants (Mage = 21.7, SD = 2.21 ; 48.0% female participants). One-item measures of sexual difficulties and victimization were used. Multinomial logistic regression was used to identify predictors and correlates of reduced sexual function. Results: Sexual difficulties in the past 12 months were reported by 8.9% female and 3.9% male participants. Distressing sexual difficulties characterized 18.3% and 10.1% of them, respectively. More female participants experienced lifetime sexual victimization (42.8%), compared to male participants (16.1%). Bivariate analysis showed that levels of sexual functioning were significantly associated with lifetime sexual victimization for both genders. Once frequency of sexual activity and masturbation frequency were controlled for, increased odds of reporting sexual difficulties, compared to participants in the no sexual difficulties group, were associated with female gender and lower sexual satisfaction. Increased odds of distressing sexual difficulties were also linked to female gender, sexual victimization, lower sexual satisfaction, and more frequent masturbation. Conclusions: Sexual difficulties were relatively common in this national sample of emerging adults, particularly women. Lifetime sexual victimization was even more frequent. The finding that emerging adults who reported sexual victimization were characterized by substantially higher risk of distressing sexual difficulties and lower sexual satisfaction points to the need for public health prevention and intervention programs in this population.

distressing sexual function ; sexual victimization ; sexual satisfaction ; young adults

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