Women’s Sexual Initiation in Same- and Mixed-Sex Relationships: How Often and How?

Abstract

Past research has demonstrated that women initiate sex less frequently than men in mixed-sex relationships, perhaps due to traditional sexual scripts that promote rigid gender roles in sexual interactions. However, there is no existing research on sexual initiation among women in same-sex relationships. This study investigated women's frequency and proportion of sexual initiation behaviors within mixed-sex and same-sex relationships, as well as the strategies women commonly used for initiating sex. Data were collected through retrospective reports (N = 351; 242 women with male partners and 109 with female partners) and two-week daily diaries (N = 60; 29 women with male partners and 31 with female partners). Results indicated that, across relationship type, women reported fairly balanced sexual initiation with their partners, with women in same-sex relationships reporting higher rates of initiation than women in mixed-sex relationships based on retrospective reports but not based on daily diaries. Women in mixed-sex relationships reported using a higher proportion of direct initiation strategies than women in same-sex relationships in the retrospective portion but not the daily diary portion of the project. These results challenge a number of gender and sexuality-related stereotypes about women in general and women in same-sex relationships specifically.

Expectancy Violation Exposes the Hidden Victims of Sexual Harassment

“…Gender role theory provides a series of expectations about men and women in terms of both their appearance and behaviour, with women generally expected to behave more communally and demonstrate greater sensitivity, obedience, dependence, and submission (Heilman, 2012;Kabat-Farr & Cortina, 2014;Leskinen et al, 2015). Alternatively, more masculine or agentic behaviours are expected from men, with men learning from a young age that they are expected to enjoy sexual attention and be the sexual aggressors or initiators of sexual advances and relationships (Bitton & Shaul, 2013;Gonzalez-Rivas & Peterson, 2018;Jozkowski, Marcantonio, & Hunt, 2017;Luthar & Luthar, 2007). Those who violate their gender role tend to be perceived negatively and may be penalized for such violations (Leskinen et al, 2015;Mellon, 2013).…”

Debunking Lesbian Bed Death: Using Coarsened Exact Matching to Compare Sexual Practices and Satisfaction of Lesbian and Heterosexual Women

“…Another explanation for heterosexual women's report of more frequent sex is that sexual scripts emphasize that men should initiate sexual activity and this is a component of being a "masculine" man. Several studies show that men are more likely than women to initiate sexual activity (Byers & Heinlein, 1989;Impett & Peplau, 2003), and that heterosexual women were less likely to initiate sex than women in relationships with other women (Gonzalez-Rivas & Peterson, 2018). Finally, although there are substantial variations in sex drive among men and among women (Dawson & Chivers, 2014;Mark, 2015), generally men report a greater sexual motivation (stronger sex drive) than women (Baumeister et al, 2001;Lippa, 2009;Regan & Atkins, 2006), especially in terms of spontaneous arousal (Basson, 2000;Meana, 2010).…”