Within committed relationships, a wide range of factors may challenge or facilitate sexual satisfaction. The aim of this study was to clarify which individual, partner-, and partnership-related aspects of a sexual relationship are crucial for the prediction of sexual satisfaction. The study included data of a representative sample of couples from the general population. The actor-partner interdependence model was used to estimate actor and partner effects.
Actor effects were found for sexual function, sexual distress, frequency of sexual activity, desire discrepancy, sexual initiative, sexual communication, sociosexual orientation, masturbation, and life satisfaction. Gender-specific partner effects were found for sexual function and sexual distress. Neither age, nor relationship duration were significant predictors. To deepen our understanding of sexual satisfaction, it is necessary to take quantitative and qualitative aspects of sexual relationships into account and to consider actor-, partner-, and relationship-related predictors.
How individual, partner, and relationship factors impact sexual satisfaction within partnerships. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License , which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Data Availability: All relevant data are within the paper and its Supporting Information files. Competing interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. Countless myths surround sexual satisfaction. Mass media suggest that multiple or simultaneous orgasms, large penis size, or hour-long tantric sex are needed for women or men to feel sexually satisfied. While research has already falsified some of these myths e.
These dimensions may include personal experiences e. Most studies that have investigated sexual satisfaction have done so with samples of individuals, not couples.
