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Background: Although their individual contributions to sexual and relational outcomes are well-established, there has been a lack of research on the importance of sexual frequency and sexual communication to sexual and relationship satisfaction., Aim: To examine the contribution of sexual frequency and sexual communication to sexual and relationship satisfaction in the early stages of couple relationships., Methods: A sample of 126 young, heterosexual couples (mean age = 23.3 years, SD = 2.4; average relationship duration = 1.9 years, SD = 0.9) filled out questionnaires about sexual frequency, sexual communication, and sexual and relationship satisfaction. Analyses were guided by the actor-partner interdependence model., Outcomes: Main outcome variables were sexual satisfaction and relationship satisfaction, measured by the Quality of Sex Inventory and the Couple Satisfaction Index, respectively., Results: Analyses revealed a significant actor effect of both sexual communication and sexual frequency for sexual satisfaction. Only sexual communication, not sexual frequency, predicted relationship satisfaction. No significant partner or gender effects were found., Clinical Translation: These findings lend support to the notion that couples could benefit from focusing on non-behavioral processes (eg, sexual communication), rather than sexual behavior per se, when pursuing a fulfilling partnership., Strengths & Limitations: Strengths of the study include the dyadic nature of the data and analyses, allowing for the evaluation of both individual- and couple-level processes. Also, to our knowledge, this is the first study to specifically examine the importance of sexual frequency and sexual communication to both sexual and relationship satisfaction. Limitations include the reliance on self-report measures and a relatively homogeneous sample., Conclusion: Although both sexual frequency and sexual communication were relevant to the prediction of sexual satisfaction, only sexual communication predicted relationship satisfaction in this sample of young, heterosexual couples. Roels R, Janssen E. Sexual and Relationship Satisfaction in Young, Heterosexual Couples: The Role of Sexual Frequency and Sexual Communication. J Sex Med 2020;17:1643-1652., (Copyright © 2020 International Society for Sexual Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: A number of studies have found that hypersexuality is associated with a high propensity for sexual excitation. In comparison, less is known about the relationship between hypersexuality and sexual arousal at the state level. Also, previous research has revealed a relationship between hypersexuality and negative mood. However, the possibility that sexual response might not be as negatively impacted by negative mood in hypersexual individuals has, as yet, not been tested., Aim: The purpose of this study was to investigate sexual responsivity and the effects of negative mood on sexual arousal in hypersexual men who have sex with men (MSM)., Methods: A total of 211 MSM were assigned to a hypersexuality (N = 81) or a control (N = 130) group using an interview patterned with a semi-structured Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders format. Participants filled out questionnaires and were shown neutral, sexual, and anxiety- and sadness-inducing films., Outcomes: Changes in penile circumference and self-reported sexual arousal were the primary outcomes analyzed in this study., Results: Controlling for age and HIV status, no differences were found in genital response between hypersexual and non-hypersexual men. Also, the 2 groups did not differ in subjective sexual arousal. Moreover, no effects of negative mood were found. Time series clustering analyses revealed 3 groups-low responders and slow and fast high responders. Sexual excitation, but not sexual compulsivity or pornography use, predicted cluster membership., Clinical Translation: Hypersexual MSM may benefit more from an exploration of motivational and behavioral, as compared to psychophysiological, mechanisms underlying possible links between (negative) mood and sexual behavior., Strengths & Limitations: Strengths of the study include its sample size, making it one of the larger psychophysiological sex studies; the use of clinical interviews for group assignment; the inclusion of genital response measures; and the application of time series clustering to examine differences among participants. Limitations include possible sample heterogeneity and the reliance on researcher-selected stimuli., Conclusion: Given the lack of any effects of negative mood on sexual response in hypersexual MSM, future studies could explore in more depth possible motivational and behavioral effects, including, for example, the impact of negative mood on the tendency to seek out sex as a form of distraction or for validation or emotional support. Janssen E, Prause N, Romine RS, et al. Sexual Responsivity and the Effects of Negative Mood on Sexual Arousal in Hypersexual Men Who Have Sex With Men (MSM). J Sex Med 2020;17:1751-1760., (Copyright © 2020 International Society for Sexual Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Infrared thermography (IRT) is a non-contact technique that permits mapping and analysis of the temperature of the body's skin surface. This method has been applied to sexual psychophysiology since the 1980s and its use has been expanding ever since, mainly because it provides several advantages over existing genital response measures. This article presents a review of experimental studies employing IRT to investigate human sexual arousal, with the aim of summarizing the available procedures and evidence so far and to identify important caveats in the literature. The studies reviewed support the feasibility and validity of IRT as a real-time physiological measure of sexual arousal but varied substantially regarding methodology and procedures. The results of this review underscore the value and validity of IRT in sexual psychophysiology and point at the critical need for the standardization of IRT protocols to accommodate the specific needs of applying this methodology to sexual physiology., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The Sexual Inhibition and Sexual Excitation Scales (SIS/SES) were developed to assess individual propensities for sexual excitation and sexual inhibition in men and women. The objective of the present study was to validate the Portuguese version of the SIS/SES and to investigate the degree to which SIS/SES scores predict different dimensions of Portuguese men's and women's sexual functioning. Gender differences were also examined. A community sample of 370 Portuguese men and 373 women completed self-report measures of sexual function (IIEF, Rosen et al., 1997; FSFI, Rosen et al., 2000) and of the propensity for sexual inhibition and sexual excitation (SIS/SES, Janssen et al., 2002a). Exploratory factor analysis revealed a three-factor solution further supported by confirmatory factor analysis. The three factors identified resemble the original ones, and reliability analyses indicated they have both satisfactory internal consistency and stability over time. Age and Sexual Inhibition Due to the Threat of Performance Failure (SIS1) were both significant negative predictors of men's sexual desire, erectile function, and orgasm. Sexual Excitation (SES) was a positive predictor of sexual desire in both men and women and of men's erectile function and of women's lubrication and orgasm. Age was also a significant and negative predictor of women's sexual desire. Significant gender differences were found for all three SIS/SES scales with men having significantly higher excitation and lower inhibition scores as compared to women. The Portuguese version of the SIS/SES was shown to be suitable for use within the Portuguese population in both clinical and basic research. Our findings provide further cross-cultural validation of the Dual Control Model of Sexual Response and underscore the importance of the role of excitatory and inhibitory processes in women's and men's sexual functioning and response.

Research about masturbation tends to be limited to the assessment of masturbation incidence and frequency. Consequently, little is known about what people experience connected to masturbation. This might be one reason why theoretical approaches that specifically address the persistent gender gap in masturbation frequency are lacking. The aim of the current study was to explore several aspects of masturbation in young men and women, and to examine possible associations with their social backgrounds and sexual histories. Data from 1,566 women and 1,452 men (ages 18 to 22) from 52 Swedish senior high schools were analyzed. Comparisons between men and women were made regarding incidence of and age at first masturbation, the use of objects (e.g., sex toys), fantasies, and sexual functioning during masturbation, as well as about their attitudes toward masturbation and sexual fantasies. Cluster analysis was carried out to identify similarities between and differences within the gender groups. While overall more men than women reported experience with several of the investigated aspects, cluster analyses revealed that a large proportion of men and women reported similar experiences and that fewer experiences are not necessarily associated with negative attitudes toward masturbation. Implications of these findings are discussed in consideration of particular social backgrounds.

Messages that frame a target behavior in terms of its benefits (gain frame) or costs (loss frame) have been widely and successfully used for health promotion and risk reduction. However, the impact of framed messages on decisions to have sex and sexual risk, as well as moderators of these effects, has remained largely unexplored. We used a computerized laboratory task to test the effects of framed messages about condom use on young adults' sexual decision making. Participants (N = 127) listened to both gain- and loss-framed messages and rated their intentions to have sex with partners who posed a high and low risk for sexually transmitted infections (STIs). The effects of message frame, partner risk, participant gender, ability to adopt the messages, and message presentation order on intentions to have sex were examined. Intentions to have sex with high-risk partners significantly decreased after the loss-framed message, but not after the gain-framed message, and intentions to have sex increased for participants who received the gain-framed message first. Yet, participants found it easier to adopt the gain-framed message. Results suggest that loss-framed messages may be particularly effective in reducing intentions to have sex with partners who might pose a higher risk for STIs, and that message presentation order may alter the relative effectiveness of gain- and loss-framed messages on sexual decision making. Future studies should examine the precise conditions under which gain- and loss-framed messages can promote healthy sexual behaviors and reduce sexual risk behaviors.

Introduction: Condom-associated erection problems (CAEPs) are reported by a substantial number of young men and are associated with inconsistent and/or incomplete condom use. The underlying mechanisms of CAEP are not well understood, and research examining the possibility that men who report CAEP differ from other men in their sexual responsivity is lacking., Aim: This study used psychophysiological methods to examine whether men who report CAEP have a higher threshold for sexual arousal, a stronger need for tactile stimulation, and/or more easily lose their sexual arousal due to neutral distractors or performance-related demands., Methods: A total of 142 young, heterosexual men (53% reporting CAEP) were presented with four 3-minute erotic film clips. Three film clips were combined with one of the following manipulations: (i) distraction; (ii) performance demand; or (iii) vibrotactile stimulation. One erotic film clip was presented with no further instructions or manipulations., Main Outcome Measures: Average penile circumference changes during the first, second, and third minute (time) of the erotic film stimuli (condition) were submitted to a mixed-model analysis of variance with condition and time as within-subjects factors and group (CAEP/no-CAEP) as between-subjects factor., Results: Significant main effects of condition and time and a significant interaction of group × time were found. No significant interactions involving condition were found. Men who reported CAEP had smaller erectile responses during the first minute, regardless of film condition, than men who reported no CAEP (F(1,141) = 8.64, P < 0.005)., Conclusion: The findings suggest that men with and without CAEP differ in the ease with which they become sexually aroused. Men reporting CAEP needed more time and/or more intense stimulation to become aroused. To our knowledge, this study is the first to use psychophysiological methods to assess sexual responsivity in men who report CAEP., (© 2014 International Society for Sexual Medicine.)

Affective and cognitive factors play an important role in the activation and regulation of men's sexual arousal. Barlow (1986) argued that initial affective reactions determine the allocation of attention to sexual stimuli. We applied Barlow's model to our understanding of the role of sexual arousal in sexual orientation, where sexual arousal patterns have consistently been found to be congruent with self-reported orientation in men, but not in women. Visual attention of 28 heterosexual and 22 homosexual men to same- and opposite-sex erotic stimuli was assessed and experimentally-directed by means of a newly developed software application, while genital (penile rigidity) and affective responses (self-reported and physiological) were measured. In line with previous research, we found "category specificity" in men's sexual arousal, in that sexual responses were strongest to orientation-congruent stimuli. Also, both homosexual and heterosexual men experienced stronger sexual responses to conditions in which their attention was directed to sexual versus nonsexual content of orientation-congruent stimuli. Only homosexual men manifested higher sexual responses when their visual attention was directed towards the sexual content of orientation-incongruent stimuli. Heterosexual men experienced weaker positive and stronger negative affective responses to orientation-incongruent content, suggestive of potential avoidance or inhibitory mechanisms.