Non-Erotic Cognitive Distractions During Sexual Activity in Sexual Minority and Heterosexual Young Adults

Abstract

The present study examined 100 lesbian and gay college students and 100 heterosexual students to determine whether group differences exist in frequency of a range of non-erotic cognitive distractions during sexual activity. Non-erotic cognitive distraction is a descriptive term for both self-evaluative cognitions related to physical performance and body image concerns, as well as additional cognitive distractions (e.g., contracting an STI or emotional concerns) during sexual activity. Participants were matched on gender (96 males and 104 females), age, and ethnicity, and completed questionnaires assessing frequency of non-erotic cognitive distractions during sexual activity, as well as measures of additional variables (trait and body image anxiety, attitudes toward sexual minorities, self-esteem, and religiosity). Results indicated that sexual minorities experienced significantly more cognitive distractions related to body image, physical performance, and STIs during sexual activity than heterosexuals. Regarding gender, men reported more distractions related to STIs than women. Interaction effects were observed between sexual orientation and gender for body image-, disease-, and external/emotional-based distractions. Implications of these findings are discussed.

Sexual Desire and Fantasies in the LGBT+ Community: Focus on Lesbian Women and Gay Men

“…Even if the HIV-care has incredibly advanced, the "HIV shadow" still has a pervasive influence on gay men sexuality. MSM frequently report more distractive thoughts related to fear of STIs compared to heterosexual men [82]. In a group of Belgian HIV-positive MSM, 15% of men reported HSDD [83] and factors associated to lower desire were higher frequency of masturbation and having less sexual partners over time.…”

Male Body Image Self-Consciousness During Physical Intimacy (M-BISC): Validating the M-BISC With Gay Men

“…Although previous research suggests that SD and body image dissatisfaction are related (i.e., more body image concerns predict higher SD [6]), it is important to note that much of this work involves general questions about overall sexual satisfaction and does not particularize specific SD [21] [24]. Findings from our study suggest that, for gay men, certain types of SD (e.g., body embarrassment) may be more strongly associated with self-consciousness during physical intimacy than other types (e.g., erectile difficulties).…”

“…Cronbach's alpha for the 17-item M-BISC was .92, which suggests good scale score reliability. Although the creation of the M-BISC has provided researchers with an opportunity to measure male body image concerns during sexual activity, the scale was validated with a predominately heterosexual sample (i.e., over 90% of the participants reported that they were "exclusively heterosexual" or "more heterosexual than homosexual") [ [21]. Furthermore, the few studies assessing body image and SD in men choose to isolate men's genital concerns in relation to sexual functioning (i.e., penis length and girth, circumcision status) [22][23] rather than explore the entirety of the male body.…”

The Perceived Need to be Hot: an Investigation of the Relationship Between Belief in Sexual Stereotypes and Erectile Dysfunction in Gay Men Using Thermal Imaging

“…In addition, relative to women, men experience significantly more performance related concerns during sexual activity (Nelson & Purdon, 2011). Lacefield and Negy (2012) found that not only do gay men experience significantly more negative automatic thoughts during sex related to sexual performance, STI-related fears, and body image relative to heterosexual men, but they also experience more anxiety regarding these negative automatic thoughts during sex. These performance related fears included not being able to satisfy their partner and not being able to give their partner an orgasm, and are consistent with a strong underlying BSS.…”