Pub Date : 2026-02-01Epub Date: 2025-05-30DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2025.2510451
Éliane Dussault, Madison E Williams, David Lafortune
Research on sex toys has mostly studied female or community samples of non-connected sex toy users. Less is known about connected sex toy use (i.e. teledildonics) among men, or the sociodemographics and sexual well-being associated with their usage. A convenience sample of 617 cisgender men who used connected sex toys was recruited among Kiiroo company's listserv and social media (i.e. Discord, Reddit) to respond to an online questionnaire assessing their demographics, sex toy usage (e.g. frequency, motivations), and sexual well-being (e.g. sexual satisfaction, pleasure, self-esteem, functioning). Descriptive, comparative, and binomial multivariable regression analyses were conducted. Partnered teledildonics use, compared to exclusively solo use, was significantly associated with relationship status, higher number of sex toys and sexual partners, higher sexual desire, ability to orgasm with a partner, and sexual self-esteem. This study helps us better understand male teledildonics use and the contexts in which it is associated with higher sexual well-being.
{"title":"'How' Matters More Than 'How Much': Demographics, Usage Context, and Sexual Well-Being Related to Partnered Teledildonics Use in Men.","authors":"Éliane Dussault, Madison E Williams, David Lafortune","doi":"10.1080/00224499.2025.2510451","DOIUrl":"10.1080/00224499.2025.2510451","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Research on sex toys has mostly studied female or community samples of non-connected sex toy users. Less is known about connected sex toy use (i.e. teledildonics) among men, or the sociodemographics and sexual well-being associated with their usage. A convenience sample of 617 cisgender men who used connected sex toys was recruited among Kiiroo company's listserv and social media (i.e. Discord, Reddit) to respond to an online questionnaire assessing their demographics, sex toy usage (e.g. frequency, motivations), and sexual well-being (e.g. sexual satisfaction, pleasure, self-esteem, functioning). Descriptive, comparative, and binomial multivariable regression analyses were conducted. Partnered teledildonics use, compared to exclusively solo use, was significantly associated with relationship status, higher number of sex toys and sexual partners, higher sexual desire, ability to orgasm with a partner, and sexual self-esteem. This study helps us better understand male teledildonics use and the contexts in which it is associated with higher sexual well-being.</p>","PeriodicalId":51361,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sex Research","volume":" ","pages":"299-309"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144188460","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-01Epub Date: 2025-03-28DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2025.2478574
D Lafortune, J Bonneau, V A Lapointe, S Dubé, F Castillo-Calazana, C Labrie, C Canivet, N Godbout
A growing body of research utilizes virtual reality (VR) in the field of mental health. Yet, the potential of this technology for sexual dysfunctions remains underexplored. This study focused on erectile disorder (ED) and evaluated the ability of virtual three-dimensional sexual scenarios to elicit ED manifestations (e.g. sexual performance anxiety, low sexual response). It further investigated the influence of viewer perspective in VR - first-person point of view (POV) versus third-person POV - on the activation of ED manifestations. Sixty adults (30 with ED; 30 without ED) viewed three virtual sexual scenarios (oral sex, masturbation, penetrative sex) in the laboratory. Measures of fear, catastrophizing, sexual arousal, and sexual presence were collected throughout the scenarios. Mixed repeated-measures ANOVAs revealed no differences between ED and non-ED groups in levels of fear and catastrophizing; however, individuals with ED reported significantly lower sexual arousal scores during the oral sex and masturbation scenarios. The POV modality had no effect on the examined outcomes among individuals with ED. These findings suggest that VR sexual stimuli may hold promise for examining impaired sexual responses in ED, while highlighting the need for future research evaluating the efficacy of more interactive and realistic virtual environments in eliciting sexual performance anxiety.
越来越多的研究将虚拟现实（VR）应用于心理健康领域。然而，这项技术在性功能障碍方面的潜力仍未得到充分挖掘。本研究侧重于勃起障碍（ED），并评估了虚拟三维性爱场景诱发 ED 表现（如性表现焦虑、性反应低下）的能力。研究还进一步调查了 VR 中观众视角--第一人称视角（POV）与第三人称视角--对 ED 表现激活的影响。60 名成年人（30 名患有 ED；30 名无 ED）在实验室观看了三种虚拟性场景（口交、手淫、插入式性交）。在整个场景中收集了恐惧、灾难化、性兴奋和性存在的测量数据。混合重复测量方差分析显示，在恐惧和灾难化水平上，ED 组和非 ED 组之间没有差异；但在口交和手淫场景中，ED 患者的性兴奋得分明显较低。POV 模式对 ED 患者的检查结果没有影响。这些研究结果表明，VR 性刺激可能有望检查 ED 患者受损的性反应，同时也强调了未来研究的必要性，即评估更具互动性和真实性的虚拟环境在引发性表现焦虑方面的功效。
{"title":"Examining Erectile Disorder Manifestations and the Impact of Point-Of-View in Virtual Reality Erotica.","authors":"D Lafortune, J Bonneau, V A Lapointe, S Dubé, F Castillo-Calazana, C Labrie, C Canivet, N Godbout","doi":"10.1080/00224499.2025.2478574","DOIUrl":"10.1080/00224499.2025.2478574","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>A growing body of research utilizes virtual reality (VR) in the field of mental health. Yet, the potential of this technology for sexual dysfunctions remains underexplored. This study focused on erectile disorder (ED) and evaluated the ability of virtual three-dimensional sexual scenarios to elicit ED manifestations (e.g. sexual performance anxiety, low sexual response). It further investigated the influence of viewer perspective in VR - first-person point of view (POV) versus third-person POV - on the activation of ED manifestations. Sixty adults (30 with ED; 30 without ED) viewed three virtual sexual scenarios (oral sex, masturbation, penetrative sex) in the laboratory. Measures of fear, catastrophizing, sexual arousal, and sexual presence were collected throughout the scenarios. Mixed repeated-measures ANOVAs revealed no differences between ED and non-ED groups in levels of fear and catastrophizing; however, individuals with ED reported significantly lower sexual arousal scores during the oral sex and masturbation scenarios. The POV modality had no effect on the examined outcomes among individuals with ED. These findings suggest that VR sexual stimuli may hold promise for examining impaired sexual responses in ED, while highlighting the need for future research evaluating the efficacy of more interactive and realistic virtual environments in eliciting sexual performance anxiety.</p>","PeriodicalId":51361,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sex Research","volume":" ","pages":"284-298"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143732791","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-26DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2025.2577650
Julia C Bond, Michele L Ybarra, Lynsie R Ranker, Kimberly M Nelson
Self-report data are integral to sexuality research, yet their reliability is often questioned. We leveraged a cohort study of adolescents aged 13-17 years and living in the United States (recruited 2022-2023) to evaluate the consistency of self-reported sexual behavior initiation. Participants were surveyed at baseline, 4-, 9-, and 15-month follow-ups. Eligible participants completed at least two surveys (n = 1,300). At each timepoint, participants reported the age they first consensually engaged, if ever, in: penetration of the vagina or anus with fingers (digital penetration), oral sex, sex with a toy, penile-vaginal sex, and penile-anal sex. We assigned response patterns as consistent or inconsistent over follow-up. To evaluate whether reports more proximal to the age of initiation were more consistent, we evaluated the proportion of inconsistent responses stratified by whether first engagement was prior to versus during study follow-up. Consistency was high: 81-94%, depending on the type of sex. Nineteen percent of participants had inconsistent reports for digital penetration versus 15% for oral sex, 12% for penetration with toys, 9% for penile-vaginal sex, and 6% for penile-anal sex. Reports collected more proximal to initiation were more consistent. In a diverse cohort of adolescents, we report high consistency of self-report data. Initiating data collection prior to first sex may improve consistency.
{"title":"Consistency of Adolescent Self-Report of Age at First Engagement in Five Sexual Behaviors.","authors":"Julia C Bond, Michele L Ybarra, Lynsie R Ranker, Kimberly M Nelson","doi":"10.1080/00224499.2025.2577650","DOIUrl":"10.1080/00224499.2025.2577650","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Self-report data are integral to sexuality research, yet their reliability is often questioned. We leveraged a cohort study of adolescents aged 13-17 years and living in the United States (recruited 2022-2023) to evaluate the consistency of self-reported sexual behavior initiation. Participants were surveyed at baseline, 4-, 9-, and 15-month follow-ups. Eligible participants completed at least two surveys (<i>n</i> = 1,300). At each timepoint, participants reported the age they first consensually engaged, if ever, in: penetration of the vagina or anus with fingers (digital penetration), oral sex, sex with a toy, penile-vaginal sex, and penile-anal sex. We assigned response patterns as consistent or inconsistent over follow-up. To evaluate whether reports more proximal to the age of initiation were more consistent, we evaluated the proportion of inconsistent responses stratified by whether first engagement was prior to versus during study follow-up. Consistency was high: 81-94%, depending on the type of sex. Nineteen percent of participants had inconsistent reports for digital penetration versus 15% for oral sex, 12% for penetration with toys, 9% for penile-vaginal sex, and 6% for penile-anal sex. Reports collected more proximal to initiation were more consistent. In a diverse cohort of adolescents, we report high consistency of self-report data. Initiating data collection prior to first sex may improve consistency.</p>","PeriodicalId":51361,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sex Research","volume":" ","pages":"1-8"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146054342","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-23DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2026.2612976
Kiva F Tinglof,Senad Handanagic,Rommel Bain,Andrew L Baughman,Alexandra Lutnick,Christine Agnew-Brune,
Women who exchange sex for drugs or money (WES) are disproportionately affected by HIV, particularly in the United States. We used latent class analysis to identify distinct groups, or classes, of sex work modalities (ways in which women find their exchange sex partners) and assess differences between class membership and behaviors associated with HIV transmission. Data are from the 2016 National HIV Behavioral Surveillance (NHBS) cycle focused on heterosexuals at increased risk for HIV infection (HET). Four cities participated in a pilot study exploring a subset of WES. All participants (n = 1,392) were recruited using respondent-driven sampling (RDS). We identified four distinct classes of sex work modalities and calculated posterior class probabilities for the four-class model. Based on the distinct patterns observed between classes, we labeled class 1 "drug network," class 2 "social ties," class 3 "online and escort services," and class 4 "unstructured sex work"; 26.5% of women were in the drug network class, 15.2% in the social ties class, 5.1% in the online and escort services class, and 53.2% in the unstructured sex work class. Women in the drug network class reported higher odds of engaging in substance use and condomless sex behaviors compared to women in other classes of sex work modalities. Findings suggest there are differential risk profiles associated with sex work modality membership. Ways in which women find their exchange sex partners (i.e. sex work modalities) should be considered when designing prevention programs tailored to women at increased risk for HIV infection.
{"title":"Associations of Sex Work Modality Classifications with Condom and Substance Use Behaviors Among Women Who exchange Sex for Drugs or Money - Four Metropolitan U.S. Cities, 2016.","authors":"Kiva F Tinglof,Senad Handanagic,Rommel Bain,Andrew L Baughman,Alexandra Lutnick,Christine Agnew-Brune, ","doi":"10.1080/00224499.2026.2612976","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2026.2612976","url":null,"abstract":"Women who exchange sex for drugs or money (WES) are disproportionately affected by HIV, particularly in the United States. We used latent class analysis to identify distinct groups, or classes, of sex work modalities (ways in which women find their exchange sex partners) and assess differences between class membership and behaviors associated with HIV transmission. Data are from the 2016 National HIV Behavioral Surveillance (NHBS) cycle focused on heterosexuals at increased risk for HIV infection (HET). Four cities participated in a pilot study exploring a subset of WES. All participants (n = 1,392) were recruited using respondent-driven sampling (RDS). We identified four distinct classes of sex work modalities and calculated posterior class probabilities for the four-class model. Based on the distinct patterns observed between classes, we labeled class 1 \"drug network,\" class 2 \"social ties,\" class 3 \"online and escort services,\" and class 4 \"unstructured sex work\"; 26.5% of women were in the drug network class, 15.2% in the social ties class, 5.1% in the online and escort services class, and 53.2% in the unstructured sex work class. Women in the drug network class reported higher odds of engaging in substance use and condomless sex behaviors compared to women in other classes of sex work modalities. Findings suggest there are differential risk profiles associated with sex work modality membership. Ways in which women find their exchange sex partners (i.e. sex work modalities) should be considered when designing prevention programs tailored to women at increased risk for HIV infection.","PeriodicalId":51361,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sex Research","volume":"71 1","pages":"1-9"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146021775","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-22DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2025.2607594
Leanna J Papp,Majel R Baker,L Monique Ward,Lauren A Reed
Sexualized aggression - common, everyday forms of contact and non-contact sexual violence - is commonly experienced by young women in social drinking settings, such as parties, bars, and clubs. Existing scales intended to assess permissive attitudes toward violence against women do not capture women's attitudes toward sexualized aggression at all, let alone in drinking environments. To address this gap in the literature, we developed the Acceptance of Sexualized Aggression (ASA) Scale. The scale incorporates behaviorally specific items and language familiar to young women to understand their normalization of men's sexualized aggression toward women in drinking settings. Initial items were based on focus group research with college women; these items were pilot-tested and underwent two rounds of expert review. The structure of the final scale was validated in a sample of college women from two large, public universities in the United States (N = 599). Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses supported a one-factor, 13-item scale, and convergence and known-groups validity were established. The ASA is related to, but distinct from, attitudes regarding heteronormative gender roles, rape myths, and dating violence, indicating its potential usefulness for understanding young women's development of permissive attitudes about violence against women and its outcomes.
{"title":"Development and Validation of the Acceptance of Sexualized Aggression Scale Among U.S. College Women.","authors":"Leanna J Papp,Majel R Baker,L Monique Ward,Lauren A Reed","doi":"10.1080/00224499.2025.2607594","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2025.2607594","url":null,"abstract":"Sexualized aggression - common, everyday forms of contact and non-contact sexual violence - is commonly experienced by young women in social drinking settings, such as parties, bars, and clubs. Existing scales intended to assess permissive attitudes toward violence against women do not capture women's attitudes toward sexualized aggression at all, let alone in drinking environments. To address this gap in the literature, we developed the Acceptance of Sexualized Aggression (ASA) Scale. The scale incorporates behaviorally specific items and language familiar to young women to understand their normalization of men's sexualized aggression toward women in drinking settings. Initial items were based on focus group research with college women; these items were pilot-tested and underwent two rounds of expert review. The structure of the final scale was validated in a sample of college women from two large, public universities in the United States (N = 599). Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses supported a one-factor, 13-item scale, and convergence and known-groups validity were established. The ASA is related to, but distinct from, attitudes regarding heteronormative gender roles, rape myths, and dating violence, indicating its potential usefulness for understanding young women's development of permissive attitudes about violence against women and its outcomes.","PeriodicalId":51361,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sex Research","volume":"222 1","pages":"1-17"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146021518","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-18DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2026.2613212
Akansha Sirohi,Holley Wilkin
The conceptualization of sexual violence and consent varies across cultures, but previous research has focused primarily on high-income countries. Less is known about perceptions of sexual consent and its role in romantic relationships in middle- to lower-income countries. The current study explored how young adults in India - in the absence of formal sex education programs and with sex being a socially taboo subject - learn about sex and consent. In-depth interviews were conducted with 32 young adults (male = 15, female = 17) between the ages of 18 and 28. A thematic analysis was conducted to find recurring themes and sub-themes in the data. Findings highlighted how young adults perceive sexual consent, the role of consent communication in adults' exercising sexual agency, and the consequences of disregarding consent for individuals' health and their relationships. Participants offered varied definitions of consent, including binary (yes/no) definitions, those shaped by past experiences of sexual violence, and those illustrating a deeper understanding of consent. Furthermore, participants described that sexual consent is important for establishing trust and comfort in romantic relationships, deeming it necessary for a healthy relationship and the health of both partners. The findings of this study provided insight into how young adults perceive sexual consent and how these perceptions are shaped in the Indian context. This knowledge can be used to develop culturally tailored interventions and advocate for sexual education programs to promote ethical sexual behaviors and reduce sexual violence in India.
{"title":"Young Adults' Perceptions of Sexual Consent and Its Role in Romantic Relationships - An Indian Perspective.","authors":"Akansha Sirohi,Holley Wilkin","doi":"10.1080/00224499.2026.2613212","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2026.2613212","url":null,"abstract":"The conceptualization of sexual violence and consent varies across cultures, but previous research has focused primarily on high-income countries. Less is known about perceptions of sexual consent and its role in romantic relationships in middle- to lower-income countries. The current study explored how young adults in India - in the absence of formal sex education programs and with sex being a socially taboo subject - learn about sex and consent. In-depth interviews were conducted with 32 young adults (male = 15, female = 17) between the ages of 18 and 28. A thematic analysis was conducted to find recurring themes and sub-themes in the data. Findings highlighted how young adults perceive sexual consent, the role of consent communication in adults' exercising sexual agency, and the consequences of disregarding consent for individuals' health and their relationships. Participants offered varied definitions of consent, including binary (yes/no) definitions, those shaped by past experiences of sexual violence, and those illustrating a deeper understanding of consent. Furthermore, participants described that sexual consent is important for establishing trust and comfort in romantic relationships, deeming it necessary for a healthy relationship and the health of both partners. The findings of this study provided insight into how young adults perceive sexual consent and how these perceptions are shaped in the Indian context. This knowledge can be used to develop culturally tailored interventions and advocate for sexual education programs to promote ethical sexual behaviors and reduce sexual violence in India.","PeriodicalId":51361,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sex Research","volume":"19 1","pages":"1-19"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145993054","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Psychedelics are theorized to enhance emotional openness and interpersonal attunement, but their effects in sexual contexts - particularly among those with a history of sexual trauma - remain underexplored. This study investigated whether individuals who had used psychedelics to cope with or overcome sexual trauma (Psy-CST) reported different experiences of sexual communication and emotional connection compared to those who had not (No-Psy-CST). The Psy-CST label reflects participants' self-classification based on a single survey item; the study did not assess whether psychedelics were intentionally used as a means of trauma recovery. Rather, it examined self-reported experiences within sexual contexts among these groups. Participants (N = 675; Mage = 32.8) were drawn from the 2022 Global Drug Survey and had engaged in sexual activity within four to six hours of a full psychedelic experience. Chi-square tests and regression analyses were used to compare outcomes between groups. Psy-CST participants were significantly less likely to report improved sexual communication (relative risk ratio [RRR] = 0.310, p < .01); no significant differences were observed for emotional connection (odds ratio [OR] = 1.160, p = .536). Within the Psy-CST group, women were significantly more likely than men to report improved communication (RRR = 1.83, p = .02) and emotional connection (OR = 1.85, p < .01). Findings suggest gender significantly moderates psychedelics' effects on intimacy outcomes. Further research is needed to inform harm reduction and trauma-informed care frameworks for psychedelic use in sexual contexts.
从理论上讲，迷幻药可以提高情感的开放性和人际关系的协调性，但它们在性环境中的作用——特别是对那些有性创伤史的人——仍然没有得到充分的研究。本研究调查了使用致幻剂来应对或克服性创伤的个体与没有使用致幻剂的个体相比，是否报告了不同的性交流和情感联系体验（p - cst）。psyc - cst标签反映了参与者基于单一调查项目的自我分类；该研究没有评估迷幻药是否被故意用作创伤恢复的手段。相反，它调查了这些群体在性背景下的自我报告经历。参与者（N = 675；年龄= 32.8）从2022年全球药物调查中抽取，并在完全迷幻体验后的4到6小时内进行性活动。采用卡方检验和回归分析比较组间结果。p - cst参与者报告性交流改善的可能性显著降低（相对风险比[RRR] = 0.310, p < 0.01）；情感联系方面无显著差异（比值比[OR] = 1.160, p = .536）。在Psy-CST组中，女性比男性更有可能报告沟通改善(RRR = 1.83, p =。02)和情感联系（OR = 1.85, p < 0.01）。研究结果表明，性别显著调节了迷幻药对亲密行为的影响。需要进一步的研究来为在性环境中使用致幻剂的减少伤害和创伤护理框架提供信息。
{"title":"Psychedelics and Sexual Trauma: Effects on Communication and Emotional Connection.","authors":"Mason Levey,Benjamin Bonenti,Timothy Piatkowski,Jason Ferris,Alex Frankovitch,Monica Barratt,Emma L Davies,Adam Winstock,Cheneal Puljević","doi":"10.1080/00224499.2025.2601165","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2025.2601165","url":null,"abstract":"Psychedelics are theorized to enhance emotional openness and interpersonal attunement, but their effects in sexual contexts - particularly among those with a history of sexual trauma - remain underexplored. This study investigated whether individuals who had used psychedelics to cope with or overcome sexual trauma (Psy-CST) reported different experiences of sexual communication and emotional connection compared to those who had not (No-Psy-CST). The Psy-CST label reflects participants' self-classification based on a single survey item; the study did not assess whether psychedelics were intentionally used as a means of trauma recovery. Rather, it examined self-reported experiences within sexual contexts among these groups. Participants (N = 675; Mage = 32.8) were drawn from the 2022 Global Drug Survey and had engaged in sexual activity within four to six hours of a full psychedelic experience. Chi-square tests and regression analyses were used to compare outcomes between groups. Psy-CST participants were significantly less likely to report improved sexual communication (relative risk ratio [RRR] = 0.310, p < .01); no significant differences were observed for emotional connection (odds ratio [OR] = 1.160, p = .536). Within the Psy-CST group, women were significantly more likely than men to report improved communication (RRR = 1.83, p = .02) and emotional connection (OR = 1.85, p < .01). Findings suggest gender significantly moderates psychedelics' effects on intimacy outcomes. Further research is needed to inform harm reduction and trauma-informed care frameworks for psychedelic use in sexual contexts.","PeriodicalId":51361,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sex Research","volume":"269 1","pages":"1-10"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145986649","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-13DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2025.2610412
Laura Pavón-Benítez,Carmen Ruiz-Repullo
Mainstream pornography has played a prominent role in shaping sexualities and gender dynamics among young adults, influencing self-perception and perception of others in terms of sex, gender, and body. This phenomenon can reinforce unequal power relations, generating tensions between sexual empowerment and patriarchal norms. Although there is extensive research on the general impact of mainstream pornography on youth, little attention has been paid to how young adults negotiate these influences in their sexual-affective relationships. This research sought to fill that gap by exploring how they interpret, integrate, or even resist the representations and practices derived from mainstream pornography in their sexual relationships. A qualitative approach based on in-depth interviews (N = 29) with young adults aged 18 to 30 from Spain was employed. The findings shed light on patterns of coercion, inequality, and gender normativity in sexual practices that stem from mainstream pornography and eroticize nonconsent. Attention is given to gender challenges and associated ethical dilemmas, as well as to strategies of resistance and empowerment that emerge in response. The importance of gender analysis and the role of feminism is highlighted in adopting a critical perspective on mainstream pornographic images and the gender ideals promoted in contemporary society.
{"title":"'Feminism Has Saved Me': Agency and Consent in the Face of Mainstream Pornography's Influence on Spanish Young Adults.","authors":"Laura Pavón-Benítez,Carmen Ruiz-Repullo","doi":"10.1080/00224499.2025.2610412","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2025.2610412","url":null,"abstract":"Mainstream pornography has played a prominent role in shaping sexualities and gender dynamics among young adults, influencing self-perception and perception of others in terms of sex, gender, and body. This phenomenon can reinforce unequal power relations, generating tensions between sexual empowerment and patriarchal norms. Although there is extensive research on the general impact of mainstream pornography on youth, little attention has been paid to how young adults negotiate these influences in their sexual-affective relationships. This research sought to fill that gap by exploring how they interpret, integrate, or even resist the representations and practices derived from mainstream pornography in their sexual relationships. A qualitative approach based on in-depth interviews (N = 29) with young adults aged 18 to 30 from Spain was employed. The findings shed light on patterns of coercion, inequality, and gender normativity in sexual practices that stem from mainstream pornography and eroticize nonconsent. Attention is given to gender challenges and associated ethical dilemmas, as well as to strategies of resistance and empowerment that emerge in response. The importance of gender analysis and the role of feminism is highlighted in adopting a critical perspective on mainstream pornographic images and the gender ideals promoted in contemporary society.","PeriodicalId":51361,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sex Research","volume":"7 1","pages":"1-13"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145956069","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-13DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2026.2612979
Andrés R Riquleme,Manuel Gámez-Guadix,Rocío Vizcaíno-Cuenca,Estíbaliz Mateos-Pérez,Daniel Íncera-Fernández
Sexualized Substance Use (SSU) refers to the use of substances to intensify sexual experiences, often involving substances such as methamphetamine, mephedrone, or GHB/GBL. Using a multifaceted syndemic approach, this cross-sectional study examined the prevalence of SSU among sex workers in Spain, their motivations, health risks such as sexually transmitted infections (STIs), substance related health consequences, and experiences of lifetime violence victimization. It also explored psychosocial factors, including recreational use, perceived sexual satisfaction, and social support, providing a multifaceted view of SSU. A total of 98 sex workers (ages 18-60; 57.1% cisgender women, 30.6% cisgender men, 4.1% transgender women, 1% transgender men, and 6.1% non-binary) were recruited through Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and social media to complete an online questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and hierarchical regression models. Findings showed that 25.5% reported SSU in the last 12 months. Regarding health outcomes, 44.9% had experienced an STI at some point, though 93.9% reported using preventive methods. Main motivations for SSU included escaping reality or coping with emotions such as shame, sadness, anxiety, or emptiness. Furthermore, 86.7% of participants had experienced some form of victimization in their lifetime, particularly LGBTQIA+ women. Regression analyses revealed that sexual satisfaction (β = 0.74) was positively associated with SSU, while perceived social support (β = -0.25) was negatively associated. These results highlight the psychosocial vulnerabilities linked to SSU and underscore the importance of tailored sexual health interventions and harm reduction strategies to support the well-being of sex workers.
{"title":"Sexualized Substance Use and Psychosocial Vulnerabilities Among Sex Workers in Spain: Findings from a Cross-Sectional Study.","authors":"Andrés R Riquleme,Manuel Gámez-Guadix,Rocío Vizcaíno-Cuenca,Estíbaliz Mateos-Pérez,Daniel Íncera-Fernández","doi":"10.1080/00224499.2026.2612979","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2026.2612979","url":null,"abstract":"Sexualized Substance Use (SSU) refers to the use of substances to intensify sexual experiences, often involving substances such as methamphetamine, mephedrone, or GHB/GBL. Using a multifaceted syndemic approach, this cross-sectional study examined the prevalence of SSU among sex workers in Spain, their motivations, health risks such as sexually transmitted infections (STIs), substance related health consequences, and experiences of lifetime violence victimization. It also explored psychosocial factors, including recreational use, perceived sexual satisfaction, and social support, providing a multifaceted view of SSU. A total of 98 sex workers (ages 18-60; 57.1% cisgender women, 30.6% cisgender men, 4.1% transgender women, 1% transgender men, and 6.1% non-binary) were recruited through Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and social media to complete an online questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and hierarchical regression models. Findings showed that 25.5% reported SSU in the last 12 months. Regarding health outcomes, 44.9% had experienced an STI at some point, though 93.9% reported using preventive methods. Main motivations for SSU included escaping reality or coping with emotions such as shame, sadness, anxiety, or emptiness. Furthermore, 86.7% of participants had experienced some form of victimization in their lifetime, particularly LGBTQIA+ women. Regression analyses revealed that sexual satisfaction (β = 0.74) was positively associated with SSU, while perceived social support (β = -0.25) was negatively associated. These results highlight the psychosocial vulnerabilities linked to SSU and underscore the importance of tailored sexual health interventions and harm reduction strategies to support the well-being of sex workers.","PeriodicalId":51361,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sex Research","volume":"29 1","pages":"1-16"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145956044","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-09DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2025.2609736
Abigail J Caselli,Iris Daniels,Deana Vitrano
Same-gender interracial relationships are more common than mixed-gender interracial relationships, yet remain a vastly understudied population in relationship science. Considering intersectionality theory, people in same-gender interracial relationships are subject to heightened stress due to challenges they face, such as discrimination and societal disapproval stemming from their multiple stigmatized identities. This heightened stress has the potential to decrease perceptions of sexual desire, which is problematic as being motivated to engage in sex with one's partner is an important feature of relationship maintenance. Previous research has focused on self-expansion, a process in which people are motivated to grow through novel activities with their partner, as a way to preserve sexual desire. However, self-expansion has not been tested as a buffer among those in same-gender interracial relationships. In the current pre-registered replication study (N = 205), we predicted and found that people in same-gender interracial relationships who self-expand through engaging in novel activities with their partner reported higher sexual desire than people who did not engage in self-expanding activities with their partner. In addition, participants also reported higher relationship satisfaction and sexual satisfaction as a result of the self-expanding activities. Overall, these findings are consistent with prior work and generalize previous findings that self-expansion is a meaningful relationship process that can enhance sexual desire and relationship outcomes among those in relationships who experience heightened discrimination and stress.
{"title":"The Influence of Self-Expansion on Sexual Desire Among People in Same-Gender Interracial Relationships.","authors":"Abigail J Caselli,Iris Daniels,Deana Vitrano","doi":"10.1080/00224499.2025.2609736","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2025.2609736","url":null,"abstract":"Same-gender interracial relationships are more common than mixed-gender interracial relationships, yet remain a vastly understudied population in relationship science. Considering intersectionality theory, people in same-gender interracial relationships are subject to heightened stress due to challenges they face, such as discrimination and societal disapproval stemming from their multiple stigmatized identities. This heightened stress has the potential to decrease perceptions of sexual desire, which is problematic as being motivated to engage in sex with one's partner is an important feature of relationship maintenance. Previous research has focused on self-expansion, a process in which people are motivated to grow through novel activities with their partner, as a way to preserve sexual desire. However, self-expansion has not been tested as a buffer among those in same-gender interracial relationships. In the current pre-registered replication study (N = 205), we predicted and found that people in same-gender interracial relationships who self-expand through engaging in novel activities with their partner reported higher sexual desire than people who did not engage in self-expanding activities with their partner. In addition, participants also reported higher relationship satisfaction and sexual satisfaction as a result of the self-expanding activities. Overall, these findings are consistent with prior work and generalize previous findings that self-expansion is a meaningful relationship process that can enhance sexual desire and relationship outcomes among those in relationships who experience heightened discrimination and stress.","PeriodicalId":51361,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sex Research","volume":"264 1","pages":"1-11"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145937682","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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