Naslov
Emotional intimacy, sexual desire, and sexual satisfaction among partnered heterosexual men

Autori
Štulhofer, Aleksandar ; Ferreira, Luana Cunha ; Landripet, Ivan

Izvornik
Sexual and Relationship Therapy (1468-1994) 29 (2014), 2; 229-244

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Radovi u časopisima, članak, znanstveni

Ključne riječi
emotional intimacy; sexual desire; sexual satisfaction; men; relationships

Sažetak
In spite of a mostly positive impact of emotional intimacy on sexual desire and satisfaction, emotional merging and the safety and comfort of emotional closeness have been linked with diminished sexual desire. Aiming at a better understanding of the role of intimacy in male sexuality, this paper explored (1) a likely mechanism behind the association between emotional intimacy and sexual satisfaction and (2) whether there is empirical evidence of a negative impact of intimacy on sexual desire. Among 506 heterosexual Croatian men (M ¼ 38.2 years, SD ¼ 8.43) currently living with their partners who participated in a large-scale online survey carried out in 2011, sexual satisfaction was dependent on both intimacy and sexual desire. Emotional intimacy was strongly associated with the partner-centered component of personal sexual satisfaction, pointing to a possible mechanism through which intimacy affects sexual well-being. Despite employing different analytical approaches and controlling for age and the length of intimate relationship, no evidence was found of a negative association between relationship intimacy and male sexual desire. Our study supports the notion that intimacy has an important and positive role in male sexuality.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Javno zdravstvo i zdravstvena zaštita, Sociologija, Psihologija

POVEZANOST RADA