Distinction between male and female invested partners in sexual disorders.

Using the SCL-90, a self-administered symptom inventory, the authors evaluated 48 sexually asymptomatic male and female partners (invested partners) of sexually dysfunctional men and women. They found that the male invested partners showed significantly more psychological symptoms than the female invested partners but about the same symptom distress levels as sexually dysfunctional men. The authors hypothesize that the reason for this gender-specific difference in distress levels of invested partners is society's definition of the male's role as the responsibe partner regarding satisfaction in sexual relationships.