Interoception and sexual response in women with low sexual desire

Abstract

Sexual concordance is defined as the association between genital response and self-reported sexual arousal. Though one might predict a strong association between sexual concordance and awareness of other internal physiological sensations (termed interoception), past research on sexually healthy women has not found these different domains to be related. The aim of the present study was to test the association between interoception and sexual concordance in a clinical sample of women with Sexual Interest/Arousal Disorder (SIAD). Fifty-two women with SIAD completed the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness (MAIA), a validated self-report measure of interoception, and completed a heart-beat accuracy test, an objective measure of interoception. They also participated in a laboratory-based assessment of physiological sexual arousal and self-reported sexual arousal while viewing an erotic film. Mental and physiological arousal were correlated at r = 0.27 (range -0.80 to 0.95). There was no significant association between sexual concordance and women’s heartrate awareness. However, five aspects of interoceptive awareness (noticing, emotional awareness, self-regulation, body-listening, and trusting), were predictive of lower, and one aspect (not-distracting) was predictive of higher sexual concordance. We discuss the findings in relation to the role of emotions and arousal states in the interoception-sexual concordance relationship.

Study of Sexual Concordance in Men and Women with Different Typologies of Adherence to the Sexual Double Standard

“…In women, more concordance is found in sexually functional signs ( Meston, 2006 ; Meston et al., 2010 ; Sarin et al., 2016 ). However, these are not conclusive results because some studies have not found this relation ( Brotto et al., 2016 ; Suschinsky et al., 2019 ; Velten & Brotto, 2017 ). Therefore, more research is necessary.…”

Women's Sexual Desire, Trauma Exposure, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

“…Recent research has explored the role of interoceptive awareness, defined as an individual's ability to recognize internal bodily states in women's sexual response (Velten & Brotto, ). These data indicate that women who are able to remain focused and challenge distractions were better able to experience sexual response, even when it was accompanied by negative emotions.…”

The Power of the Present: Effects of Three Mindfulness Tasks on Women’s Sexual Response

“…This finding may suggest that focusing on sensations in the genitals might induce a more localized focus of attention and might lead women to be less open to notice other physical sensations or thoughts. Future studies should aim to assess whether sexual mindfulness (Adam et al, 2015) or other potential mediators—such as interoceptive awareness (Velten & Brotto, 2017), negative expectancies, or rumination—might mediate the relationship between specific mindfulness exercises and sexual functioning in women (Stephenson, 2017).…”