This study differentiates between general sexual desire and partner-specific sexual desire by examining their distinct relationships with relationship well-being. We analyzed two-wave longitudinal data from South Korean individuals in relationships transitioning to marriage (Time 1: N = 1,058 individuals; Time 2: N = 655 individuals assessed approximately 1.5 years later, postmarriage), including 501 and 289 complete dyads, respectively. Cross-sectional analyses revealed that general sexual desire was negatively associated with relationship well-being at both time points, whereas partner-specific sexual desire showed positive concurrent associations with relationship well-being across waves. In contrast, two-wave longitudinal analyses provided limited evidence that sexual desire predicted changes in relationship or sexual satisfaction over time through alternative monitoring across the 1.5-year interval. These findings highlight the importance of distinguishing between general and partner-specific sexual desires to understand their respective roles in romantic relationships.

Psychological intimate partner violence (IPV) affects individuals across diverse sexual identities and is often reinforced by romantic myths. Despite its substantial mental health consequences, psychological IPV remains under-recognized and insufficiently researched. One barrier is the scarcity of brief, inclusive, and psychometrically sound tools for assessing psychological IPV across varied populations. To address this gap, the present study aimed to validate the short form of the Turkish version of the Multidimensional Measure of Emotional Abuse (MMEA-TR). This 16-item scale evaluates four subdimensions of psychological IPV (Restrictive Engulfment, Denigration, Hostile Withdrawal, and Dominance/Intimidation) while preserving the original multidimensional framework. Data were collected from four independent samples in Türkiye: Bisexual individuals (n = 230, M = 22.88, SD = 4.49), predominantly heterosexual women (n = 237, M = 24.30, SD = 2.51), lesbian and bisexual women (n = 178, M = 29.06, SD = 7.81), and predominantly heterosexual men (n = 160, M = 24.49, SD = 2.54). Confirmatory factor analyses across samples supported the hypothesized four-factor model and demonstrated acceptable fit indices. Subscales showed significant intercorrelations and concurrent validity was supported by theoretically consistent associations with jealousy (Study 1), anxious attachment (Study 2), internalized heterosexism (Study 3), and fragile masculinity (Study 4). Internal consistency reliability ranged from acceptable to high across groups. Overall, findings provide initial evidence for the construct validity, concurrent validity, and reliability of the MMEA-TR short form. This study contributes a brief, inclusive, and psychometrically robust instrument for assessing psychological IPV in both heterosexual and sexual minority populations.

Sexual violence (SV) and intimate partner violence (IPV) are widely recognized as major public health and societal concerns. Yet, although sexual violence is often examined within broader IPV frameworks, the specific experiential features of intimate partner sexual violence (IPSV) remain underexplored. This study aimed to examine women's lived experiences of IPSV and the meaning-making processes through which coerced sexuality is understood and (sometimes) acknowledged as violence. Using interpretative phenomenological analysis, in-depth interviews were conducted with two women who experienced IPSV within heterosexual marriages. An idiographic, case-based analytic approach was used to examine microprocesses and relational dynamics as they unfolded within the couple. Five experiential themes were identified: (1) the erosion of intimacy, (2) psychological violence as a relational infrastructure shaping sexual coercion, (3) IPSV as an embodied and alienating experience, (4) acknowledging IPSV as an evolving process, and (5) the mark of violence. Findings depict IPSV as elusive and invasive, occurring within a context of attachment and expected safety, and shaped by embodied ambivalence, relational constraint, and cognitive dissonance. Clinically and institutionally, the analysis highlights the risk of misreading performed sexual participation as consent and underscores the relevance of survivor-centered, trauma-informed responses that attend to embodied safety, sexual agency, and the longer-term relational sequelae of IPSV. Future research should further explore IPSV within diverse populations, including sexual minorities and individuals facing intersecting vulnerabilities due to polyvictimization.

Sexual health and well-being (SHWB) encompasses physical and emotional aspects beyond disease absence. Research has shown that sexual decisions and behaviors are informed by predominant motives for pleasure or safety, with some individuals prioritizing health protection and risk avoidance (i.e., predominant focus on prevention) and others sexual pleasure and rewards (i.e., predominant focus on promotion) with casual partners. This longitudinal study with individuals in Spain and Portugal explored how sexual regulatory focus was related to sexual responses, behaviors, and experiences with casual partners at baseline (T1, N = 811) and three months later (T2, N = 527). Results of a latent profile analysis revealed three distinct profiles. Participants predominantly focused on prevention reported higher sexual health outcomes at baseline (e.g., more sexual inhibition due to risk awareness; more condom use in different sexual activities) and three months later (e.g., enacted safer sexual activities) to the detriment of their sexual well-being (e.g., less sexual satisfaction). In contrast, participants predominantly focused on promotion reported higher sexual well-being outcomes at baseline (e.g., more sexual excitation; more sexual communal strength) and three months later (e.g., more sexual satisfaction; more autonomous reasons for having sex) potentially to the detriment of their sexual health (e.g., enacted riskier sexual activities; but were also more likely to have been tested for sexually transmitted infections). A third group of participants with a dual focus managed to protect their sexual health (e.g., enacted safer sexual activities later on) without compromising their sexual well-being (e.g., more sexual excitation; more sexual satisfaction later on). These findings show that sexual regulatory focus is a crucial aspect to consider in efforts aimed at fostering SHWB.

Problematic pornography use (PPU) is increasingly conceptualized as a behavioral addiction, yet the cognitive mechanisms underlying this condition remain poorly understood. Prior studies suggest that pornographic cues may impair working memory by capturing attention and diverting cognitive resources. This study aimed to investigate how pornographic distraction affects working memory performance and its neural correlates in individuals at risk for PPU, in comparison with healthy controls. A total of 68 heterosexual male college students (34 at risk for PPU, 34 controls) performed a letter 2-back working memory task while viewing pornographic, positive, or neutral images presented as background distractors. Behavioral measures (reaction times and accuracy) and electrophysiological responses (event-related potentials, specifically P300 amplitude) were recorded and analyzed. Individuals at risk for PPU showed a trend toward slower responses in the pornographic condition, while accuracy was generally lower in this condition compared to the neutral one. Event-related potential results showed larger P300 amplitudes in the PPU-risk group in response to pornographic stimuli, which is consistent with enhanced attentional engagement. Notably, reaction times positively correlated with P300 amplitudes only in the pornographic condition, indicating that longer response times were associated with greater neural reactivity to distracting sexual cues. Overall, the findings provide suggestive evidence that pornographic stimuli may disrupt working memory-related processing in individuals with elevated PPU tendencies, possibly reflecting increased attentional allocation to sexually salient information. This cognitive vulnerability may be relevant to the maintenance and progression of PPU.

Individuals with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) display increased difficulty with navigating intimate relationships, including experiencing lower levels of sexual satisfaction compared to individuals without an ADHD neurotype. Nonetheless, there is a lack of research exploring the lived experiences of sex and sexual satisfaction in ADHD populations. To address this gap, this study investigated these experiences through a qualitative exploration of ADHD individuals' perceptions of their sexual experiences and sexual satisfaction. A sample of 98 ADHD adults (72 women, 17 men, 8 non-binary, 1 gender not reported) from a range of countries (57.1% Australia) were recruited online using snowball sampling. Participants provided written responses to five open-ended questions about their sexual experiences and sexual satisfaction. Responses were analyzed using latent thematic analysis. Findings indicated that ADHD individuals experience challenges with their sexual satisfaction and relationships, with a consistent theme of their neurotype-specific traits being a contributing factor to these challenges (i.e., need for novelty, difficulty focusing, reassurance seeking behaviors). Notably, participants with ADHD experience challenges with sexual satisfaction, particularly when neurotype accommodations are not supported or considered. These findings may guide the formation of adequate and informed assessment and therapeutic practice for supporting ADHD individuals who experience sexual dissatisfaction, and aid in improving their overall sexual well-being and intimate relationships.

The purpose of the present study was to examine and compare the attitudes of residents and seniors in family medicine from southern Israel toward transgender patients. It was a cross-sectional study based on a self-administered questionnaire. Attitudes toward transgender patients were assessed by the Transgender Attitudes and Beliefs Scale composed of "Interpersonal comfort," "Sex/gender beliefs", and "Human value" domains. The "Sex/gender beliefs" domain measures a person's belief about whether gender is a fixed, binary characteristic or a more fluid continuum. Fifty-five specialists (26; 47.3% males) and 56 residents (31; 56.4% males) took part in the study. Overall, family medicine physicians showed a favorable attitude toward transgender individuals on the "Human value" subscale with 82 (74%) giving favorable scores, but only 38 (34.2%) of the physicians demonstrated a favorable attitude on the "Sex/gender beliefs" scale. In the multivariable regression analysis, where age, sex, ethnicity, seniority, and level of religiosity were included as predictor variables, non-Jewish ethnicity and high level of religiosity were significantly associated with the "Interpersonal comfort" domain (adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval) (aOR (95% CI)) = 0.26 (0.09-0.78) and 0.34 (0.13-0.85), respectively). High level of religiosity was positively associated with the "Sex/gender beliefs" score (β = 0.11; 95% CI: 0.03-0.33). Female sex was positively associated with a favorable "Human value" attitude toward transgender patients at 4.03 (1.36-13.69), but residents had a negative aOR of 0.19 (0.04-0.85). In conclusion, our study identified physician characteristics associated with a less favorable attitude toward transgender patients. They should be the focus of interventions aimed at improving these attitudes.

Sexual satisfaction is a common goal within romantic relationships that contributes to individual and relational well-being. Yet, theoretical perspectives, and even popular assumptions, suggest that women may be less sexually satisfied than men. We tested this possibility among people in romantic relationships with two high-powered Integrative Data Analyses (one cross-sectional, n = 11,841, k = 28; one daily-experience, n = 1,827, k = 8, daily reports = 18,321). Contrary to theoretical and lay perspectives, partnered women reported slightly greater sexual satisfaction than did partnered men (r = .08).. To further explore why partnered women reported greater sexual satisfaction than did partnered men, we conducted supplemental analyses that revealed that women's greater sexual satisfaction was not a result of engaging in less frequent sexual behavior, their broader satisfaction with their relationship, or considering partners' sexual enjoyment. In sum, although women may face obstacles that hinder their sexual experiences, these findings suggest that partnered women do not report being less satisfied and instead report being slightly more satisfied with their sex lives than do partnered men. Nevertheless, it is still unknown whether these slight differences in sexual satisfaction have practical implications for couples' relationships or well-being.

Although 22% of new HIV diagnoses in the USA are attributed to heterosexual contact, uptake of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) remains low among heterosexually active individuals and information about PrEP considerations in this population is limited. We report on a cross-sectional qualitative study exploring attitudes toward PrEP among a diverse sample of 50 heterosexually active cisgender adults (31 women, 19 men) in New York City. Approximately, two-thirds (34) had previously heard of PrEP, but none had used it. Many learned about PrEP through marketing and social interactions, leading them to perceive it as primarily intended for gay or bisexual men and transgender individuals. Most had never discussed PrEP or received information about it in healthcare settings, despite recent HIV screenings. Participants generally viewed PrEP as irrelevant because they perceived themselves at low risk for HIV, considering it appropriate only for people with many sex partners or partners with HIV. Some said they would view a potential partner using PrEP positively (e.g., as responsible), while others expressed concerns about their presumed behaviors. Concerns about side effects and long-term drug toxicity were common and a few participants expressed anti-medication beliefs. While awareness appears high, heterosexually active New Yorkers do not seem to have started to think of PrEP as one of their HIV prevention options. PrEP promotion for this population could benefit from: messaging targeted to heterosexual adults; ensuring health-care providers inform all sexually active patients about PrEP; and clarifying for practitioners and the public that PrEP is an option for any sexually active person, regardless of self-reported HIV risk.