Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4R2, Canada.
Department of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada.
J Sex Med. 2023 Jun 28;20(7):955-964. doi: 10.1093/jsxmed/qdad069.
Hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) is characterized by persistently low desire and associated distress. Low desire is one of the most common sexual complaints among men and is associated with poor well-being. Interpersonal factors are key to understanding low desire, yet there are few dyadic studies of HSDD in men. Previous work on genito-pelvic pain and low desire in women has established that greater facilitative (eg, affectionate) partner responses are associated with greater sexual satisfaction and function and that more negative (eg, critical) or solicitous (eg, sympathetic, avoidant) partner responses are associated with lower sexual satisfaction and function. Examining how partner responses are associated with adjustment to HSDD may shed light on the interpersonal dynamics of this understudied sexual dysfunction.
In a cross-sectional study, we examined whether partner responses to low desire in men were associated with sexual desire, sexual satisfaction, and sexual distress for both members of the couple.
Men with HSDD and their partners (N = 67 couples) completed measures of facilitative, negative, and avoidant partner responses to men's low sexual desire-as perceived by the man with HSDD and self-reported by their partner-and sexual desire, sexual satisfaction, and sexual distress. Data were analyzed using multilevel modeling guided by the actor-partner interdependence model.
Outcomes included the partner-focused subscale of the Sexual Desire Inventory-2, Global Measure of Sexual Satisfaction, and Sexual Distress Scale-Revised.
When men with HSDD perceived more facilitative partner responses to their low desire, they and their partners reported greater sexual satisfaction. When men with HSDD perceived and their partners self-reported more negative partner responses, they each reported lower sexual satisfaction. In addition, when men with HSDD perceived more avoidant partner responses, their partners reported greater sexual distress. Partner responses were not associated with sexual desire for either member of the couple.
Findings support the importance of the interpersonal context for HSDD in men and suggest potential future targets of treatment when working with affected couples.
This study is one of the only dyadic studies of HSDD in men, as assessed via clinical interview or self-report symptoms reviewed by the clinical team. Despite our best efforts to recruit this sample over 6 years, the small size limited power to detect all predicted effects.
More facilitative and fewer negative or avoidant partner responses to low desire are associated with greater sexual well-being in couples coping with HSDD.
性欲减退障碍（HSDD）的特征是持续的性欲低下和相关的痛苦。性欲低下是男性最常见的性抱怨之一，与健康状况不佳有关。人际因素是理解性欲低下的关键，但关于男性 HSDD 的对偶研究很少。以前关于女性生殖器-骨盆疼痛和性欲低下的研究已经确定，更大的促进性（例如，深情的）伴侣反应与更大的性满足和功能相关，而更多的负面（例如，批评性的）或关怀性的（例如，同情的，回避的）伴侣反应与较低的性满足和功能相关。研究伴侣反应如何与 HSDD 的适应相关，可能会揭示这种研究不足的性功能障碍的人际动态。
在一项横断面研究中，我们研究了男性 HSDD 患者的伴侣对男性低性欲的反应是否与夫妻双方的性欲、性满足和性困扰有关。
HSDD 男性及其伴侣（N=67 对）完成了男性 HSDD 患者感知的促进性、消极性和回避性伴侣反应以及自我报告的伴侣反应的评估，以及性欲、性满足和性困扰的评估。数据使用 Actor-Partner Interdependence Model 指导的多层次建模进行分析。
当 HSDD 男性感知到伴侣对他们的低性欲有更多的促进性反应时，他们和他们的伴侣报告的性满足感更高。当 HSDD 男性感知到伴侣有更多的消极反应，并且他们的伴侣自我报告有更多的消极反应时，他们各自报告的性满足感较低。此外，当 HSDD 男性感知到伴侣有更多的回避性反应时，他们的伴侣报告的性困扰更大。伴侣的反应与夫妻双方的性欲无关。
研究结果支持 HSDD 在男性中的人际背景的重要性，并为治疗受影响的夫妻时潜在的未来治疗目标提供了依据。
这项研究是为数不多的 HSDD 男性对偶研究之一，通过临床访谈或自我报告的症状进行评估，由临床团队进行审查。尽管我们在过去 6 年中尽了最大努力招募了这一样本，但样本量小限制了检测所有预测效果的能力。
伴侣对低性欲的反应更有促进性，负面或回避性反应更少，与应对 HSDD 的夫妻的性幸福感更高相关。
