Automatic Thoughts During Sexual Activity, Distressing Sexual Symptoms & Sexual Orientation

Studies with heterosexual samples have supported the role of cognitions on sexual functioning in men and women. However, there is no research on the impact of automatic thoughts on sexual functioning in sexual minority samples. 

Therefore, the current study aimed to analyze the differences in automatic thoughts during sexual activity between gay and heterosexual men, and lesbian and heterosexual women, with and without distressing sexual symptoms, in order to establish similarities and differences between samples. A web-survey was completed by 156 men and 168 women. 

A group of men and women with distressing sexual symptoms (78 men and 84 women) and a group without distressing sexual symptoms (78 men and 84 women) equally distributed in terms of sexual orientation and matched for sociodemographic variables were constituted. Participants answered to a sociodemographic questionnaire, to a specific questionnaire about sexual symptoms, and to an Automatic Thoughts measure. 

Main findings suggested that men and women with distressing sexual symptoms reported significantly more negative automatic thoughts and less erotic thoughts during sexual activity, regardless of sexual orientation. 

Overall, current findings were consistent with previous research with heterosexual samples, suggesting a similar pattern in heterosexual samples, and gay men and lesbian women samples.

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By:  Peixoto MM1, Nobre P1.

• 1 Faculdade de Psicologia e de Ciências da Educação da Universidade do Porto , Porto , Portugal.

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