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Background Although oral contraceptive pills (OCPs) have been associated with decrements in self-reported genital arousal and vaginal lubrication, 1,2 little is known about how these outcomes vary across types of OCPs. Aim The present study examined differences in physiological lubrication and vaginal blood flow, as well as rates of self-reported vulvovaginal atrophy and female sexual arousal disorder, among women using OCPs with varying androgenic properties. Methods Participants in this study were 130 women: 59 naturally cycling control women, 50 women taking androgenic OCPs, and 21 women taking antiandrogenic OCPs. Participants watched sexual films while their sexual arousal responses were measured, completed questionnaires, and participated in a clinical interview. Outcomes Vaginal blood flow, vaginal lubrication, self-reported vulvovaginal atrophy, and female sexual arousal disorder were assessed. Results Results indicated deficits in vaginal pulse amplitude and lubrication for women taking either form of OCP, with marked inhibitory effects found in women taking antiandrogenic OCPs. Rates of self-reported vulvovaginal atrophy and female sexual arousal disorder were also significantly greater in the antiandrogenic group compared with the control group. Clinical Implications It is recommended that prescribing clinicians consult patients on such physiological effects of OCPs. Strengths and Limitations To our knowledge, this was the first study to compare multiple measures of physiological sexual arousal across groups of women taking OCPs with varying hormonal profiles. Because all OCPs included in this study contained low doses of ethinylestradiol, we were able to identify the specific effects of the androgenic properties on women’s sexual arousal responses. However, the self-administered lubrication test strip was subject to user error. Additionally, the generalizability of findings is limited by the largely heterosexual and college-aged sample. Conclusion Compared with naturally cycling women, women taking OCPs that contain antiandrogenic progestins experienced decreased vaginal blood flow and lubrication as well as higher rates of self-reported vaginal bleeding and female sexual arousal disorder.

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Introduction Intimacy is crucial for developing successful relationships as it strengthens bonds between partners. Intimacy has been ill-defined and inconsistently measured for decades; however, theorists and researchers consistently agree that intimacy features components of love, affection, self-disclosure, and mutual validation. These constructs feature both cognitive and behavioral aspects of human connection. Despite the importance of intimacy in relationships, there is no widely accepted measure that captures the full spectrum of this multidimensional construct. Popular measures like the Miller Social Intimacy Scale (MSIS), the Personal Assessment of Intimacy in Relationships (PAIR), and the Fear of Intimacy Scale (FIS) each address assess subjective feelings of intimacy. Though they may include behavioral items, the outcome of the scale is cognitive conceptualizations of feelings of intimacy. Extant scales do not sufficiently focus on the behavioral aspect of intimacy in relationships. The widely-accepted Interpersonal Process Model of Intimacy suggests that the exchange of intimate behaviors and experiences over time create these feelings of intimacy and its theorized components in a couple. As such, the development of a more inclusive, behavioral intimacy assessment would benefit both researchers and clinicians and help advance our understanding of this construct. Objective The current study aimed to identify specific acts or behaviors that elicited feelings of intimacy for individuals in order to develop a more nuanced, behavioral measure for use in future research and clinical practice. Methods In Study 1, 297 participants nominated over 2,700 items that “elicited feelings of intimacy” for them. Examples of nominations included: trust, communication, touch, attraction, and sex. Trained raters condensed duplicate items (e.g., kiss, kissing) and created a final list of unique nominations for use in Study 2. Five experts in the field of sex research submitted additional items for consideration in Study 2 based on previous conceptualizations of this construct. This process results in 45 distinct items; however, some of the items were behaviors like “sex, acts of service, and attention.” As such, the authors created items for self and partner initiated acts to reflect both the giving and receiving of intimate behaviors (e.g. giving and receiving acts of service). 105 items were compiled from Study 1 and Study 2. Results These 105 behavioral elicitors of intimacy comprise the Intimacy Checklist. In Study 2, 301 participants rated and confirmed that the items created in Study 1 were important to intimacy in varying degrees. Study 2 attempted but failed to identify a significant factor structure for the items. Conclusions The lack of a clear factor structure speaks to the complexity of this multidimensional construct; this is actually consistent with previous literature as there are numerous studies that suggest different factor structures of the same construct (i.e., 4 factor versus 8 factor models). The resulting Intimacy Checklist is a potentially powerful tool for identifying person-specific experiences of intimacy and preferences for intimate interactions in both clinical work and research. A follow up study will be conducted to determine if individuals who feel more satisfied with their intimate interactions are more sexually and relationally satisfied overall. Disclosure No