“I Think I Just like Having Sex”: A Qualitative Study of Sexual Assault Survivors and Their Sexual Pleasure

Sexual assaults’ effects on survivors’ sexual pleasure have been well-documented in the literature. However, much of this research is quantitative in nature and focuses on the negative effects of assault on sexual satisfaction. The present study seeks to address a gap in the literature that has failed to ask survivors what they enjoy about having sex and the pleasure they derive from sex. Through a qualitative interview study of a diverse, community sample of sexual assault survivors, we identified several themes around survivors’ sexual pleasure. Prior to the assault, survivors mentioned limited pleasure due to men not being interested in giving them sexual pleasure, but they also enjoyed the emotional connections felt during sex. Some survivors mentioned impacts on their ability to enjoy sex, but this was not universal in the sample. Finally, queer survivors mentioned feeling more sexual pleasure with women, and survivors found empowerment in exploring what they liked about having sex and sexual pleasure with current partners who supported them emotionally. We discuss the importance of a focus on the sexual pleasure of survivors from a sex-positive, rather than a “high risk”, framework in future research, along with suggestions to improve sexual health interventions with survivors.