1. Objectifs

Intentions :
«Firstly, we aimed to document the frequency of sexual problems in the context of infertility, using validated measures of sexual functioning and sexual satisfaction. Secondly, we examined the association between attachment insecurities (anxiety, avoidance) and sexual functioning, among women and couples undergoing fertility treatment.» (p. 2)

Questions/Hypothèses :
«Attachment insecurities were expected to be related to lower sexual satisfaction and more difficulties in sexual function.» (p. 2-3)

2. Méthode

Échantillon/Matériau :
«The sample […] included 88 women. Of this sample of women, 45 male partners also participated in the study, creating a subsample of 45 couples.» (p. 3)

Instruments :
Questionnaire

Type de traitement des données :
Analyse statistique

3. Résumé

Regarding the first objective, «[t]he frequencies [of sexual problems] varied from 14.8% to 58.0% in women and from 6.7% to 28.9% in men. [D]esire and arousal were the domains in which more problems were reported.» (p. 5) Regarding the second objective, «[o]ur results partially supported [the] hypothesis and revealed that attachment-related avoidance, not anxiety, was related to greater sexual pain and lower sexual satisfaction. This finding is coherent with past research showing that avoidant individuals prefer to distance themselves from intimate sexual activities and even avoid sexual intercourse within long-term relationships. In the context of fertility treatment, women high on avoidance may be even more likely to experience discomfort with respect to sexuality, as sexual intercourse is often mandatory during treatment and cannot be avoided. [O]ur results [also] indicated that higher anxiety [in men] was related to greater difficulties with both erection and orgasm. In women, when considering the couple as a unit (i.e. controlling for the partner’s attachment), attachment anxiety emerged as an additional risk factor for sexual functioning whereby it inhibited sexual lubrication. […] Our results also revealed a partner effect in which men’s avoidance was significantly related to their female partner’s difficulty to achieve an orgasm. […] Findings emphasize the importance of studying the couple as the unit of analysis when considering sexuality in the context of infertility.» (p. 6)