Gewirtz-Meydan Ateret, Lazar Aryeh
School of Social Work, Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Sciences, University of Haifa.
Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Ariel University.
J Sex Res. 2025 Jul 24:1-17. doi: 10.1080/00224499.2025.2533275.
War profoundly impacts psychological well-being and relationships, yet its effects on sexual well-being remain understudied. This study examined changes in sexual functioning problems, sexual distress, and frequency of sexual activity following the October 7, 2023 Israel - Hamas war, identifying distinct trajectories of sexual well-being over time, and their psychological and relational determinants. A sample of 921 Israeli adults (M_age = 44.6, = 13.9) participated in a two-wave longitudinal study. The first wave (T1), conducted three weeks into the war, included retrospective reports on pre-war sexual well-being (T0) and current functioning. The second wave (T2), four months later, assessed changes over time. Latent profile analysis identified three distinct profiles: (1) (55.3%), characterized by consistently low sexual distress, low levels of sexual functioning problems, and minimal change in sexual activity; (2) (24.2%), marked by initially high sexual distress and reduced functioning that improved over time; and (3) (20.5%), characterized by increasing sexual distress, heightened sexual functioning problems, and a sustained decline in sexual activity throughout the war. Differences between profiles were associated with psychological distress, war-related exposure, and relational disruptions. Women were significantly more likely to belong to the , whereas sexual orientation was not associated with profile membership. The impact of war on sexuality appears heterogeneous - while some individuals experienced chronic distress, others maintained stability or showed signs of recovery. Understanding these patterns can inform interventions supporting sexual well-being in conflict-affected populations.
战争对心理健康和人际关系有着深远影响，但其对性健康的影响仍未得到充分研究。本研究调查了2023年10月7日以色列与哈马斯战争后性功能问题、性困扰及性活动频率的变化，确定了性健康随时间变化的不同轨迹及其心理和关系决定因素。921名以色列成年人（平均年龄=44.6岁，标准差=13.9）参与了一项两波纵向研究。第一波（T1）在战争爆发三周后进行，包括对战前性健康（T0）和当前功能的回顾性报告。四个月后的第二波（T2）评估了随时间的变化。潜在剖面分析确定了三种不同的剖面：（1）稳定组（55.3%），其特征是性困扰持续较低、性功能问题水平较低且性活动变化最小；（2）改善组（24.2%），其特征是最初性困扰较高且功能下降，但随时间推移有所改善；（3）恶化组（20.5%），其特征是性困扰增加、性功能问题加剧且在整个战争期间性活动持续下降。不同剖面之间的差异与心理困扰、与战争相关的暴露及关系破裂有关。女性属于改善组的可能性显著更高，而性取向与剖面归属无关。战争对性的影响似乎是异质性的——虽然一些人经历了长期困扰，但另一些人保持稳定或显示出恢复的迹象。了解这些模式可为支持受冲突影响人群性健康的干预措施提供参考。
