The limited body of research on sexuality in eating disorders supports the occurrence of considerable sexual concerns. The aim of the present study was to examine eating disorder symptoms in relation to sexual function, and sexual pain in particular. Female undergraduate students completed a series of online questionnaires. All domains of sexual function were predicted by aspects of disordered eating, with disordered eating generally being associated with more sexual difficulties. Psychological characteristics common to those with eating pathology were also associated with sexuality variables, such that psychological maladjustment was associated with poorer sexual function. Psychological maladjustment was found to mediate the association between eating disorder risk and sexual function. The results of this study suggest that sexual function should be addressed during eating disorder care.

Chinese women in Western nations frequently report less engagement with sexuality, such as lower sexual response and behaviors, and more restrictive sexual attitudes, than their Euro-Caucasian peers. This difference is likely related to sexual conservatism within traditional Chinese culture, though the mechanisms underlying how culture influences sexual responding are not well understood. The current study investigated if these differences were consistent with the dual control model, a well-established model for understanding regulation of sexual response. Chinese and Euro-Caucasian women (N = 471; age M = 20.7 years, SD = 3.3) residing in Canada from a university sample completed self-report questionnaires on sexual excitation and inhibition, sexual attitudes, and various sexual response and behavior measures. Sexual excitation was significantly lower in Chinese than Euro-Caucasian women and was significantly associated with sexual response in both groups. Structural equation modeling showed that sexual response variables were associated with a latent sexual excitation factor and that sexual attitudes partially mediated the relationship between this latent factor and ethnicity. The findings showed that sexual excitation and sexual attitudes contribute to cross-cultural differences in women’s sexual responding. Theoretical and clinical considerations are discussed.

Previous research has demonstrated the association between sexual functioning and attachment orientation in women. However, the mechanisms of this relation are not yet well understood, and this effect has not been substantially investigated in men. The current study examines the role of sexual anxiety and dysfunctional beliefs about sexuality as mediators of the correlation of attachment orientation with sexual functioning and distress in both women and men. A university sample of men (n=307) and women (n=716) completed questionnaires assessing attachment orientation, sexual functioning, sexual distress, sexual anxiety, and dysfunctional sexual beliefs. Multiple regression analyses indicated that insecure attachment orientation significantly predicted poorer sexual functioning and higher sexual distress in both men and women. Path analyses showed partial mediation of these effects by sexual anxiety and dysfunctional sexual beliefs. Gender differences existed in the specific pattern of associations between the variables. These results suggest that attachment difficulties may facilitate the development of sexual difficulties through an increased vulnerability to maladaptive cognitions and negative affect (specifically anxiety) regarding sexuality.

This paper reviews the recent literature on human asexuality, which is generally defined as an absence of sexual attraction.

The often narrow representations of sexual performance and physical attractiveness in pornography may be linked to sexual concerns and sexual expectations among young men and women (e.g., body- and performance-related sexual distractions, negative genital self-image, expectations of one's partner). Investigation of the relations between these constructs is needed to assess the potential impact of pornography on young adult's sexual lives. Undergraduate men (n = 333) and women (n = 668) completed an online survey assessing pornography viewership, body- and performance-related cognitive distractions during sexual activity, genital self-image, and pornography-based partner expectations. Multivariate regression analyses revealed that visual pornography viewership was uniquely associated with higher partner performance expectations among women. Among men, visual pornography viewership was uniquely associated with body- and performance-related cognitive distractions during sexual activity. Literary pornography use was not uniquely associated with these variables among men or women. The results of this investigation suggest that individuals who consume visual pornography may experience some forms of sexual insecurity and sexual expectations related to their pornography use. Importantly, many sexual concerns were unrelated to pornography consumption, which is consistent with research in favour of pornography consumption as a healthy sexual outlet for young adults.

Human asexuality is generally defined as a lack of sexual attraction. We used online questionnaires to investigate reasons for masturbation, and explored and compared the contents of sexual fantasies of asexual individuals (identified using the Asexual Identification Scale) with those of sexual individuals. A total of 351 asexual participants (292 women, 59 men) and 388 sexual participants (221 women, 167 men) participated. Asexual women were significantly less likely to masturbate than sexual women, sexual men, and asexual men. Asexual women were less likely to report masturbating for sexual pleasure or fun than their sexual counterparts, and asexual men were less likely to report masturbating for sexual pleasure than sexual men. Both asexual women and men were significantly more likely than sexual women and men to report that they had never had a sexual fantasy. Of those who have had a sexual fantasy, asexual women and men were significantly more likely to endorse the response “my fantasies do not involve other people” compared to sexual participants, and consistently scored each sexual fantasy on a questionnaire as being less sexually exciting than did sexual participants. When using an open-ended format, asexual participants were more likely to report having fantasies about sexual activities that did not involve themselves, and were less likely to fantasize about topics such as group sex, public sex, and having an affair. Interestingly, there was a large amount of overlap between sexual fantasies of asexual and sexual participants. Notably, both asexual and sexual participants (both men and women) were equally likely to fantasize about topics such as fetishes and BDSM.

There has long been a proposed clinical link between sexuality and eating disorders; however, little empirical evidence exists regarding this relationship. The limited body of research on sexuality in eating disorders supports the occurrence of considerable sexual concerns. The aim of the present study was to expand on the dearth of empirical literature exploring altered sexuality in relation to disordered eating. This research examines disordered eating in relation to sexual insecurities. Undergraduate female UBC students (n=789) completed a series of online questionnaires assessing sexual insecurities and eating habits. Several domains of sexual insecurities were associated with disordered eating symptom severity. Mean differences in sexual self-efficacy, as well as body- and performance-based cognitive distractions during sexual activity emerged among women categorized as being at elevated, typical, or low eating disorder risk, with those at greater risk reporting greater sexual difficulties. Sexuality is rarely considered in the context of eating disorder treatment unless a history of sexual abuse is present. The results of this study suggest that sexual insecurities should be addressed during eating disorder care.

Attachment theories have recently been applied to adult romantic relationships, and more specifically, sexuality within these relationships. However, few studies have examined the influence of attachment-related avoidance and anxiety on sexual communication, gender role ideology, sexual satisfaction or the relations between these constructs. Men (n = 106) and women (n = 349) undergraduate students and young adults from the community completed an online questionnaire measuring attachment style, sexual communication, gender role ideology, and sexual satisfaction. Multiple mediation and path analyses showed several interrelations between these variables among women. Additionally, gender role ideology and sexual communication together were found to totally mediate the relation between attachment-related anxiety and sexual satisfaction in women. Sexual communication partially mediated the relation between attachment-related avoidance and sexual satisfaction in women. Among men, the only significant finding was that attachment-related anxiety and avoidance were related to lower sexual communication. These results indicate that there is disparity in sexual communication, gender role ideology, and sexual satisfaction among individuals with differing attachment orientations and that these effects may be more prominent in women than men.

Prior research has documented various ways in which adult attachment styles are characteristic of differential behavioral and cognitive patterns within romantic relationships and sexuality. However, few studies have examined the direct influence of anxious or avoidant attachment orientation on sexual function. The aim of the present study was to assess the impact of insecure attachment on sexual function. Undergraduate students completed questionnaires measuring attachment style and sexual functioning. Among women, attachment avoidance tended to be associated with impairments in all aspects of sexual function, whereas anxious attachment tended to be associated with declines in arousal, satisfaction, and ability to achieve orgasm. A different trend was seen in men: Anxious attachment tended to be associated with multiple facets of sexual dysfunction, while avoidant attachment did not correlate with any sexual function deficits and was associated with superior physiological competence. These results suggest that both anxious and avoidant attachment styles are important yet differential predictors of sexual function in men and women.

Extant research connecting borderline personality disorder (BPD) to sexuality is sparse. The current study aimed to expand the limited body of research on borderline personality traits and human sexuality, and to shed light on the personality features that contribute specifically to sexual sensation seeking, sexual compulsivity, and sexual risk-taking behaviours. Undergraduate students (n=955) completed an online questionnaire containing scales assessing BPD symptoms (affective instability, identity disturbance, negative relationships, and self-harm), sexual sensation seeking, sexual compulsivity, and sexual risk-taking. Multiple linear regression analyses were conducted and revealed no significant gender X symptom interaction predictors. Results did indicate links between specific BPD symptoms and specific sexuality variables. Total sexual compulsivity and compulsive sexual control behaviours were positively predicted by all four BPD symptoms, whereas compulsive sexual violence was predicted by all symptoms except for identity disturbance. Sexual sensation seeking was positively predicted by negative relationships and self-harm. Sexual risk taking was not significantly predicted by any BPD symptoms. These findings improve our understanding of how individuals with borderline personality traits experience romantic and sexual relationships, and may inform the future development of therapeutic interventions.

Introduction. Past studies have shown an association between low sexual functioning and engaging in sexually coercive behaviors among men. The mechanism of this relationship is not well understood. Moreover, most studies in this area have been done in incarcerated sex offenders.Aims. The aim of the current study was to investigate the role of potential distal predictors of sexual coercion, including insecure attachment style and dysfunctional sexual beliefs, in mediating the relationship between sexual functioning and sexual coercion. The study also seeks to extend past findings to a novel non-forensic population.Methods. Male university students (N = 367) anonymously completed online questionnaires.Main Outcome Measures. Participants completed the Sexual Experiences Survey, Improved Illinois Rape Myth Acceptance Scale, Hostility Towards Women Scale, Likelihood of Rape Item, Experiences in Close Relationships Scale, Dysfunctional Sexual Beliefs Scale, and Brief Sexual Functioning Questionnaire.Results. Sexual functioning was not significantly associated with sexually coercive behaviors in our sample (r = 0.08, P = 0.247), though a significant correlation between sexual functioning and rape myth acceptance was found (r = 0.18, P = 0.007). Path analysis of all variables showed that the likelihood of rape item was the strongest correlate of sexually coercive behaviors (beta = 0.34, P < 0.001), while dysfunctional sexual beliefs appeared to mediate the association between anxious attachment and likelihood of rape item score. Anxious (r = -0.27, P = 0.001) and avoidant (r = -0.19, P = 0.004) attachment also correlated significantly with lower sexual functioning.Conclusions. These findings suggest the relationship between sexual functioning and sexual coercion may be less robust than previously reported, and may be due to a shared association with other factors. The results elaborate on the interrelation between attachment style and dysfunctional sexual beliefs as predictors of sexual coercion proclivity, suggesting avenues for further research.

Adolescence is a period characterized by many distinct physical, behavioral, and neural changes during the transition from child-to adulthood. In particular, adolescent neural changes often confer greater plasticity and flexibility, yet with this comes the potential for heightened vulnerability to external perturbations such as stress exposure or recreational drug use. There is substantial evidence to suggest that factors such as adolescent stress exposure have longer lasting and sometimes more deleterious effects on an organism than stress exposure during adulthood. Moreover, the adolescent neuroendocrine response to stress exposure is different from that of adults, suggesting that further maturation of the adolescent hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is required. The endocannabinoid (eCB) system is a potential candidate underlying these age-dependent differences given that it is an important regulator of the adult HPA axis and neuronal development. Therefore, this review will focus on (1) the functionality of the adolescent HPA axis, (2) eCB regulation of the adult HPA axis, (3) dynamic changes in eCB signaling during the adolescent period, (4) the effects of adolescent stress exposure on the eCB system, and (5) modulation of HPA axis activity and emotional behavior by adolescent cannabinoid treatment. Collectively, the emerging picture suggests that the eCB system mediates interactions between HPA axis stress responsivity, emotionality, and maturational stage. These findings may be particularly relevant to our understanding of the development of affective disorders and the risks of adolescent cannabis consumption on emotional health and stress responsivity.

Previous research has identified the detrimental effects of sexual insecurities on various sexual outcomes. However, few studies have investigated factors that may protect against the development and maintenance of these insecurities. Mindfulness has shown promise in promoting sexual well-being in several recent investigations, and may play a role in protecting against sexual insecurities and enhancing sexual satisfaction. Therefore, the goal of this investigation was to determine whether mindfulness was related to reduced sexual insecurities and whether mindfulness mediated the relationship between sexual insecurities and sexual satisfaction. An online survey measuring sexual insecurities, sexual satisfaction and mindfulness was administered to female (n=687) and male (n=334) undergraduate students. Multiple regression analyses revealed that higher levels of mindfulness were associated with fewer sexual insecurities and greater sexual satisfaction in men and women. A series of bootstrap multiple mediation analyses indicated that mindfulness partially mediated the relationship between sexual insecurities and several aspects of sexual satisfaction. These research findings suggest that mindfulness may promote sexual satisfaction and mitigate sexual insecurities in men and women. Investigating the efficacy of mindfulness-based interventions in the reduction of sexual insecurities represents a promising area of future research.

Human asexuality has been described as a lack of sexual attraction toward anyone or anything. One percent of the adult population is thought to be asexual, and research suggests that asexuality is best conceptualized as a sexual orientation. A serious limitation in past research on asexuality has been the complete lack of a validated tool to measure asexuality. Due to limitations in recruiting sufficiently powered local samples, most studies have relied on recruiting via online web-based asexual communities. This is problematic because it limits the sample to individuals who have been recruited through established asexuality networks/communities. The present study aimed to develop and validate a self-report questionnaire to assess asexuality. The questionnaire was intended to provide a valid measure independent of whether the individual self-identified as asexual and was developed in several stages, including: development and administration of open-ended questions (209 participants: 139 asexual and 70 sexual); administration and analysis of resulting 111 items (917 participants: 165 asexual and 752 sexual); administration and analysis of 37 retained items (1,242 participants: 316 asexual and 926 sexual); and validity analysis of the final items. The resulting Asexuality Identification Scale (AIS), a 12-item questionnaire, is a brief, valid, and reliable self-report instrument for assessing asexuality. It is psychometrically sound, easy to administer, and has demonstrated ability to discriminate between sexual and asexual individuals. It should prove useful to allow researchers to recruit more representative samples of the asexual population, permitting for an increased understanding of asexuality.

The endocannabinoid (eCB) system is known to regulate neural, endocrine and behavioral responses to stress in adults; however there is little knowledge regarding how this system governs the development and maturation of these responses. Previous work has reported dynamic and time-specific changes in CB1 receptor expression, N-arachidonylethanolamine (AEA) content and fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) activity within corticolimbic structures throughout the pen-adolescent period. To examine whether fluctuations in adolescent eCB activity contribute to the development of adult stress responsivity and emotionality, we treated male Sprague Dawley rats daily with the CB1R antagonist, AM-251 (5 mg/kg), or vehicle between post-natal days (PND) 35-45. Following this treatment, emotional behavior, HPA axis stress reactivity and habituation to repeated restraint stress, as well as corticolimbic eCB content were examined in adulthood (PND 75). Behaviorally, AM-251-treated males exhibited more active stress-coping behavior in the forced swim test, greater risk assessment behavior in the elevated plus maze and no significant differences in general motor activity. Pen-adolescent AM-251 treatment modified corticosterone habituation to repeated restraint exposure compared to vehicle. Pen-adolescent CB1R antagonism induced moderate changes in adult corticolimbic eCB signaling, with a significant decrease in amygdalar AEA, an increase in hypothalamic AEA and an increase in prefrontal cortical CB1R expression. Together, these data indicate that pen-adolescent endocannabinoid signaling contributes to the maturation of adult neurobehavioral responses to stress. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The prefrontal cortex (PFC) provides executive control of the brain in humans and rodents, coordinating cognitive, emotional, and behavioral responses to threatening stimuli and subsequent feedback inhibition of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. The endocannabinoid system has emerged as a fundamental regulator of HPA axis feedback inhibition and an important modulator of emotional behavior. However, the precise role of endocannabinoid signaling within the PFC with respect to stress coping and emotionality has only recently been investigated. This review discusses the current state of knowledge regarding the localization and function of the endocannabinoid system in the PFC, its sensitivity to stress and its role in modulating the neuroendocrine and behavioral responses to aversive stimuli. We propose a model whereby steady-state endocannabinoid signaling in the medial PFC indirectly regulates the outflow of pyramidal neurons by fine-tuning GABAergic inhibition. Local activation of this population of CB1 receptors increases the downstream targets of medial PFC activation, which include inhibitory interneurons in the basolateral amygdala, inhibitory relay neurons in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and monoamine cell bodies such as the dorsal raphe nucleus. This ultimately produces beneficial effects on emotionality (active coping responses to stress and reduced anxiety) and assists in constraining activation of the HPA axis. Under conditions of chronic stress, or in individuals suffering from mood disorders, this system may be uniquely recruited to help maintain appropriate function in the face of adversity, while breakdown of the endocannabinoid system in the medial PFC may be, in and of itself, sufficient to produce neuropsychiatric illness. Thus, we suggest that endocannabinoid signaling in the medial PFC may represent an attractive target for the treatment of stress-related disorders.

Human asexuality is defined as a lack of sexual attraction, and research suggests that it may be best conceptualized as a sexual orientation. Sexual fantasies are thought to be universally experienced and are often understood to represent true sexual desire more accurately than sexual behaviour. We investigated the relationship between asexuality, masturbation and sexual fantasy as part of a larger online study. Self-identified asexual individuals were compared to sexual individuals with and without low sexual desire. A total of 924 individuals (153 men, 533 women, and 238 individuals who did not respond to the query about sex) completed online questions asking about masturbation and sexual fantasy. Five hundred thirty four were classified in the asexual group, 87 met diagnostic criteria for hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD), 78 met criteria for subthreshold HSDD without distress, and 187 were a sexual comparison group (i.e., identified as sexual, and had no reported difficulties in sexual desire or distress). Asexual individuals were significantly less likely to have masturbated in the past month and significantly more likely to report never having had a sexual fantasy. Specifically, 40% of asexual participants reported never having had a sexual fantasy compared to between 1% and 8% of participants in the sexual groups. Eleven percent of asexual individuals reported that their sexual fantasies did not involve other people, compared to 1.5% of all sexual individuals. Taken together, these findings suggest that there are notable differences in patterns of sexual fantasy between asexual individuals and sexual individuals with and without low sexual desire.

This review investigates whether sexual desire and arousal decline in response to partner familiarity, increase in response to partner novelty, and show differential responding in men and women. These questions were considered through the perspective of two leading evolutionary theories regarding human mating strategies: sexual strategies theory and attachment fertility theory. The hypotheses emerging from these theories were evaluated through a critical analysis of several areas of research including habituation of arousal to erotic stimuli, preferences regarding number of sexual partners, the effect of long-term monogamous relationships on sexual arousal and desire, and prevalence and risk factors associated with extradyadic behavior. The current literature best supports the predictions made by sexual strategies theory in that sexual functioning has evolved to promote short-term mating. Sexual arousal and desire appear to decrease in response to partner familiarity and increase in response to partner novelty in men and women. Evidence to date suggests this effect may be greater in men.

INTRODUCTION:Human asexuality is defined as a lack of sexual attraction to anyone or anything. Various theories have been proposed to explain how asexuality should best be classified, and some have maintained that asexuality is an extreme variant of hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD)-a sexual dysfunction characterized by a lack of interest in sex and significant distress. To date, this has never been empirically examined.AIM AND METHOD:Using measures of sexual desire and behavior, sex-related distress, personality, and psychopathology, the aim of the current study was to compare individuals scoring above the cutoff for asexuality identification (AIS >40) (n = 192) to sexual individuals (n = 231). The sexual group was further divided into a control group (n = 122), a HSDD group (n = 50), and a group with symptoms of low desire that were nondistressing (n = 59).RESULTS:Analyses were controlled for age. Individuals in the AIS >40 group had a greater likelihood of never previously engaging in sexual intercourse, fantasies, or kissing and petting than all other groups and a lower likelihood of experiencing sex-related distress than those with HSDD. For women, those in the HSDD and AIS >40 groups had significantly lower desire than the subclinical HSDD and control groups. Men in the AIS >40 group had significantly lower desire than the other three groups. Symptoms of depression were highest among those with subclinical HSDD and HSDD, whereas there were no group differences on alexithymia or desirable responding. A binary logistic regression indicated that relationship status (long-term dating/married), sexual desire, sex-related distress, and lower alexithymia scores were the best predictors of group membership (HSDD vs. AIS >40).CONCLUSION:Taken together, these results challenge the speculation that asexuality should be classified as a sexual dysfunction of low desire.