| dc.description.abstract | Individuals who experience pain during sexual activity may face a double-bind, feeling pressure to engage in sexual activity, despite its being painful. In this study, we explored individuals’ experiences with painful sexual activity and the pressures they sometimes feel to engage in sexual activity, despite the pain. To recruit participants, we posted announcements on social media platforms, seeking individuals with “current or past experiences of pain during sexual activity” interested in our online survey. Participants were 514 women, 41 men, and 31 nonbinary/genderqueer/trans* individuals (median age 27; range 18–80), who completed an online survey about the types and frequency of sexual pain they experienced; 342 of them also answered open-ended questions about a prior scenario with a partner. Participants most commonly reported genital, pelvic, and abdominal pain; most reported multiple types of pain. Most reported engaging in sexual activity despite its being painful. The higher the percentage of sexual encounters that were painful, the less often participants engaged in sexual activity. Participants reported pressure to engage in sexual activity from themselves (e.g., to feel normal or desirable), from their partners (dissatisfaction; anger), from the situation (special occasions; routine), and from society (social norms; religions expectations). | |
