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Sexual compliance (i.e., voluntarily engaging in sex despite a lack of sexual desire) is common in committed intimate relationships, but the consequences of compliance for the well-being of the individual and the relationship are poorly understood. We investigated the perceived consequences of sexual compliance and possible factors contributing to negative/positive consequences by applying reflexive thematic analysis on free-text retrospective survey responses from 107 (mostly) Finnish adults from different demographical backgrounds. We identified five themes of personal consequences (emotions and mood, sexual experience, sexual desire, pressure and violations, and physical pain), four themes of relational consequences (relationship satisfaction, value alignment, partner’s response, and relationship interaction), and nine possible factors contributing to negative/positive consequences (communication, self-esteem, motives for sex, agency and self-knowledge, relationship factors, mental health and stress, societal norms, psychological flexibility, and past negative experiences). The perceived consequences varied greatly between individuals, both in terms of experiencing any positive or negative consequences and in terms of whether compliance was perceived as improving or worsening specific domains of well-being. We discuss the identified themes in relation to previous theories on sexuality and intimate relationships and provide hypotheses that can be tested in future quantitative studies.

Education is a central determinant of adolescent health. School absences and bullying involvement jeopardize educational attainment. We analyzed time trends in school absenteeism over two decades and examined the association of absenteeism with bullying involvement. We analyzed data from the nationwide School Health Promotion study, with self-reported data from Finnish middle school students in grades 8 and 9 (ages 14–17, N = 1 000 970). Questionnaires assessed frequency of illness absences (IA), truancy, frequency of bullying victimization (BV), bullying perpetration (BP), and involvement in both bullying perpetration and victimization (BPV). Frequent school absences were defined as occurring at more than 3 days during the prior month (2000–2015), or least weekly (2017–2019). Frequent IA increased from 12% in 2000 to 22% in 2015. In 2017–2019 frequent IA was reported by 3.5%. Frequent truancy declined from 9% in 2000 to 4% in 2015, and 2017–2019. BV was reported at least weekly by 6.9%, BP by 5.4% and BVP by 1.9% of participants. In a logistic regression model, all kinds of bullying involvement increased odds for both IA and truancy. Since bullying involvement was associated with both IA and truancy, particular concern should be raised for adolescents involved in bullying, and for their social and educational functioning. The concurrent increase in IA and decrease in truancy may reflect destigmatization of mental health problems or other changing patterns in reporting absenteeism.

Positive gender-supportive relationships have been found to promote well-being of transgender youth. The present study investigates how the quality of relationships to parents, friends and partners affects the mental well-being of transgender youth. An online survey was used for data collection. The sample consisted of 1,613 Finnish youth between 15 and 25 years of age. Youths who were identified as a transgender ( n = 370) were compared to cisgender (= no gender conflict, n = 1,243, mostly sexual minority youth) on measures of relationship quality and positive well-being. Transgender youth reported poorer well-being and relationships to parents than the control group did. Relationship quality predicted well-being of all participants, and there were no significant interactions between gender identity and relationship quality. Social support is important for transgender youth and has an impact on the well-being of youth regardless of gender identification.

The aim of the present study was to investigate experiences that tell about coping and resilience in the lives of 19 Finnish transgender adults, aged 21–62 years (M = 35.20, SD = 12.10). The study was explorative in nature, using semistructured interviews. Results indicated, with data analyzed according to principles of grounded theory, the following three central sources of support: social relations, experiences of having a congruent gender and body identity and meaningful leisure time. On an overall level, the results indicated that transgender persons make use of a number of coping mechanisms, some general and some with elements specifically connected to transitioning to live in the desired gender. The results of this study are of importance for understanding how to support transgender persons both with their universal, and specific, needs.

An association between experiences of sexual abuse in one’s childhood (ECSA), and sexual offending against children in adult age has been established in several studies. The aim of the present stud...

Sex differences in parental investment and in age-related fertility variations are expected to have shaped the sexual strategies for both sexes. To investigate sex differences in sexual interest and sexual activity as a function of both the respondents' and the objects' age, we gathered observations from a population-based sample of 12,656 Finns. We found that women are interested in same-aged to somewhat older men and that this pattern displays itself across the measured life-span and that men show a tendency to be sexually interested in women in their mid-twenties. This tendency was also notable when the men themselves were younger or older than this age. Moreover, we found that sexual activity more closely mimics women's than men's sexual interest. We conclude that women show larger developmental plasticity than men with regard to the desired object's age and that men's heterosexual activity likely is constrained by female choice.

Alcohol intoxication, sexual arousal, and negative emotional states have been found to precede certain sexual behaviors. Using data from an online self-report survey distributed to adults (N = 717; 423 men and 304 women), we compared adults with adult online sexual interactions (n = 640; 89.3%) to adults with interactions with a child or an adolescent (n = 77; 10.7%) on how much they reported being affected by the following factors surrounding the time of the interactions: alcohol intoxication, sexual arousal, sadness, boredom, stress, and shame. We found that those with a child or adolescent contact reported higher sexual arousal and more shame before the interaction, compared with those with an adult contact. In addition, the levels of negative emotional states varied when levels before the interactions were compared with levels after the interactions, suggesting that engaging in online sexual interactions alleviated negative emotional states, at least temporarily. The alleviatory effects, however, were accompanied by higher levels of shame after the interactions. Overall, adults that engage in online sexual interactions have remarkably similar perceptions of the situation surrounding these activities, independent of the age of their online contacts. Limitations of the study are discussed.

The association between disordered eating and gender identity was examined in a sample of 20 (11 female-to-male, 9 male-to-female) transgender Finnish adults, aged 21-62 years. Using semi-structured interviews, participants' own understanding of the underlying causes of their disordered eating was analyzed, as well as the effect of gender reassignment on eating behaviors and cognitions. A majority of the participants reported current or past disordered eating. Participants most frequently described strive for thinness as an attempt to suppress features of one's biological gender, or accentuate features of one's desired gender. Gender reassignment was primarily perceived as alleviating symptoms of disordered eating.

Sociosexual orientation refers to the differences between individuals in willingness to engage in uncommitted sexual relations. According to evolutionary theory, much of the variation in sociosexua...

This study explores the relation between the level of current symptoms of depression and anxiety and recalled childhood gender atypical behavior (GAB), and quality of relationships with parents among men and women who reported same-sex sexual attraction or engaged in same-sex sexual behavior and men and women who did not. Matched pairs, 79 men (n = 158) and 148 women (n = 296), with equal levels of GAB were created of Finnish participants with either same-sex sexual attraction or behavior and participants without. The measures used were retrospective questionnaires. Ratings of maternal and paternal over-control and coldness differed as a function of same-sex sexual attraction or behavior. Childhood GAB was correlated with negative ratings of parental relationships. Both same-sex sexual attraction or behavior and a history of childhood GAB affected the reported levels of current depression and anxiety. Only gender typical participants with no same-sex sexual attraction or behavior reported significantly lower levels of symptoms. The findings suggest that childhood GAB is related to later distress both among hetero- and homosexual individuals. The elevated level of psychological distress among homosexual individuals, reported in several studies, might--to some extent--be caused by their generally higher levels of childhood GAB as opposed to a homosexual orientation per se.

The existence of genetic effects on gender atypical behavior in childhood and sexual orientation in adulthood and the overlap between these effects were studied in a population-based sample of 3,261 Finnish twins aged 33-43 years. The participants completed items on recalled childhood behavior and on same-sex sexual interest and behavior, which were combined into a childhood gender atypical behavior and a sexual orientation variable, respectively. The phenotypic association between the two variables was stronger for men than for women. Quantitative genetic analyses showed that variation in both childhood gender atypical behavior and adult sexual orientation was partly due to genetics, with the rest being explained by nonshared environmental effects. Bivariate analyses suggested that substantial common genetic and modest common nonshared environmental correlations underlie the co-occurrence of the two variables. The results were discussed in light of previous research and possible implications for theories of gender role development and sexual orientation.

BackgroundPrevious studies have shown moderate heritability for female orgasm. So far, however, no study has addressed the pattern of genetic and environmental influences on diverse sexual dysfunctions in women, nor how genetic and environmental factors contribute to the associations between them.MethodThe sample was drawn from the Genetics of Sex and Aggression (GSA) sample and consisted of 6446 female twins (aged 18–43 years) and 1994 female siblings (aged 18–49 years). The participants responded to the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), either by post or online.ResultsModel fitting analyses indicated that individual differences on all six subdomains of the FSFI (desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, and pain) were primarily due to non-shared (individual-specific) environmental influences. Genetic influences were modest but significant, whereas shared environmental influences were not significant. A correlated factors model including additive and non-additive genetic and non-shared environmental effects proved to have the best fit and suggested that both correlated additive and non-additive genetic factors and unique environmental factors underlie the co-occurrence of the sexual function problems.ConclusionsThe findings suggest that female sexual dysfunctions are separate entities with some shared aetiology. They also indicate that there is a genetic susceptibility for sexual dysfunctions. The unique experiences of each individual are, however, the main factors determining if, and which, dysfunction develops.

Associations between number of children, pregnancy, and overall relationship satisfaction were explored in a population-based sample of 2081 women, aged 33-43 years. Multiparous women had less orgasm problems compared to nulliparous women. Nulliparous women had more pain problems and were sexually less satisfied compared to women with children, regardless of the number. Women pregnant with the first child had fewer pain problems compared to a matched nonpregnant control and were sexually more satisfied. Being more satisfied with the overall relationship was related to higher sexual satisfaction and less sexual function problems.

Introduction The etiology of sexual preference disorders (paraphilias) in general and pedophilia in particular remains unknown. There are some indications of biological factors related to pedophilic interest and pedophilic disorder. Aim To examine single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) potentially associated with pedophilic sexual interest. Methods The sample consisted of 1,672 men 18 to 45 years old from the Genetics of Sex and Aggression sample who had submitted saliva samples. Fifty-four SNPs were genotyped and relevant SNPs were analyzed. Main Outcome Measures A self-report questionnaire designed specifically for the Genetics of Sex and Aggression sample was used to measure sexual interest in and sexual behavior toward children and adolescents. DNA extraction and genotyping were used to measure possible associations between male pedophilia and SNPs. Results Before controlling for multiple testing, statistically significant associations were found for SNPs linked to androgen, estrogen, prolactin, corticotrophin, serotonin, and oxytocin. No associations remained significant after controlling for multiple testing. Conclusion The results of the present study suggest a complex biological mechanism affecting adult sexual interest in children. Very small effect sizes characterized the findings, and several polymorphisms related to different hormonal functioning were initially related to the phenotype.

The purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of alcohol on EEG event-related desynchronization (ERD) and event-related synchronization (ERS) of the 4-6, 6-8, 8-10, and 10-12 Hz frequency bands during an auditory memory task. Twenty subjects performed an auditory memory task during which the EEG was recorded. Half the subjects performed the task without the administration of alcohol and half under the influence of alcohol ( approximately 0.7 g/l). The administration of alcohol itself did not alter the ERD/ERS responses. However, when the effects of alcohol were studied as a function of time and task (encoding vs. retrieval), we observed significant effects in the 4-6, 6-8, and 8-10 Hz frequency bands such that the administration of alcohol decreased the early-appearing ERS responses during auditory encoding and increased the later-appearing ERD responses during retrieval. Our results indicate that alcohol has disorganizing effects on brain electric oscillatory systems in the theta and lower alpha frequency range during cognitive processing.

Introduction Sexual interest in children resembles sexual gender orientation in terms of early onset and stability across the life span. Although a genetic component to sexual interest in children seems possible, no research has addressed this question to date. Prior research showing familial transmission of pedophilia remains inconclusive about shared environmental or genetic factors. Studies from the domains of sexual orientation and sexually problematic behavior among children pointed toward genetic components. Adult men's sexual interest in youthfulness‐related cues may be genetically influenced. Aim The aim of the present study was to test whether male sexual interest in children and youth under age 16 involves a heritable component. Main Outcome Measures The main outcome measure was responses in a confidential survey concerning sexual interest, fantasies, or activity pertaining to children under the age of 16 years during the previous 12 months. Methods The present study used an extended family design within behavioral genetic modeling to estimate the contributions of genetic and environmental factors in the occurrence of adult men's sexual interest in children and youth under age 16. Participants were male twins and their male siblings from a population‐based Finnish cohort sample aged 21–43 years (N = 3,967). Results The incidence of sexual interest in children under age was 3%. Twin correlations were higher for monozygotic than for dizygotic twins. Behavioral genetic model fitting indicated that a model including genetic effects as well as nonshared environmental influences (including measurement error), but not common environmental influences, fits the data best. The amount of variance attributable to nonadditive genetic influences (heritability) was estimated at 14.6%. Conclusions The present study provides the first indication that genetic influences may play a role in shaping sexual interest toward children and adolescents among adult men. Compared with the variance attributable to nonshared environmental effects (plus measurement error), the contribution of any genetic factors seems comparatively weak. Future research should address the possible interplay of genetic with environmental risk factors, such as own sexual victimization in childhood.

An association between childhood gender atypical behaviour (GAB) and a negative parent-child relationship has been demonstrated in several studies, yet the causal relationship of this association is not fully understood. In the present study, different models of causation between childhood GAB and parent-child relationships were tested. Direction of causation modelling was applied to twin data from a population-based sample (n= 2,565) of Finnish 33- to 43-year-old twins. Participants completed retrospective self-report questionnaires. Five different models of causation were then fitted to the data: GAB → parent-child relationship, parent-child relationship → GAB, reciprocal causation, a bivariate genetic model, and a model assuming no correlation. It was found that a model in which GAB and quality of mother-child, and father-child relationship reciprocally affect each other best fitted the data. The findings are discussed in light of how we should understand, including causality, the association between GAB and parent-child relationship.

Potential effects of sexual orientation on ejaculatory function have been overlooked in the literature. In anticipation of the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V), attempts have been made to formulate universally suitable definitions for different subtypes of premature ejaculation. However, the proposed definitions are centered around intravaginal ejaculation latency time, and little consideration has been given to whether such definitions are applicable to gay or bisexual men. The present study aimed to investigate effects of sexual orientation on premature and delayed ejaculation. When differences in frequencies and patterns of sexual activities were controlled for, there remained no significant effects of sexual orientation on ejaculatory dysfunction.

Individual differences in parenting behaviors are due, in part, to genetic factors. In the present study, the authors sought to determine whether the degree of genetic influence varied according to the type of parental behavior under consideration. A population-based sample of 2,334 pairs of Finnish twins provided ratings on the physical affection, control, abusiveness, and indifference shown by their father and mother during childhood. Genetic influences, shared environmental influences, and nonshared environmental influences accounted for a small-to-medium proportion (17%-30%), a small-to-large proportion (22%-44%), and a medium-to-large proportion (37%-55%) of the variance in each parenting measure, respectively. There were no significant differences in effect sizes for mothers and fathers or across the 4 types of parental behavior. The genetic results may reflect characteristic styles with which parents respond to genetically influenced behaviors of individuals (gene-environment correlations) or individual perceptions of this relationship (gene-person correlation processes). The findings have implications for intervention and prevention work with families and for interpretation of evidence for interactions between genes and parenting behaviors.

Introduction Recently, in anticipation of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders V , much consideration has been given to the diagnostic criteria for premature ejaculation (PE). The scientific community is yet to agree not only on the etiology of PE, but also on the most suitable diagnosis and forms of treatment. It has been suggested that the diagnostic criteria of PE should be strictly empirical and rely on intravaginal latency time alone, whereas others stress the need to also include psychological and personal factors. Aim To examine different indicators of PE and their relationship with and ability to predict sexual distress. Main Outcome Measures Statistical analyses of data on sexual distress and different measures of ejaculatory function on a population-based sample of 3,332 Finnish men. Methods The present study involved a population-based sample of 3,332 males, of which 2,328 were twins aged 18–33, and 1,004 were over 18-year-old siblings to the aforementioned (M = 26.17 years of age). The individual contributions of different PE-indicator variables to experienced sexual distress were investigated by calculating correlations and performing a regression analysis. Results All included indicators of PE were significantly associated with sexual distress, and significant and logical differences in sexual distress were found between intravariable levels for several of the indicator variables. Only variables relating to subjective experience (e.g., worrying about PE) were uniquely related to sexual distress when other indicators were controlled for. Conclusions The results suggest that variables measuring subjective experience may be useful when considering diagnostic criteria if indicators that are related to sexual distress are considered useful. However, overall, the association between PE and sexual distress is not especially strong, emphasizing the fact that more objective indicators of PE may not necessarily be associated with significant distress. Jern P, Santtila P, Johansson A, Varjonen M, Witting K, Algars M, Alanko K, von der Pahlen B, and Sandnabba K. Indicators of premature ejaculation and their associations with sexual distress in a population-based sample of young twins and their siblings. J Sex Med 2008;5:2191–2201.

Introduction A number of different theoretical approaches to understanding the etiology of ejaculatory dysfunction have been proposed, but no behavior genetic study has yet, to our knowledge, been conducted to explore the genetic and environmental influences on ejaculatory dysfunction. Aim The aim of the present study was to explore the genetic and environmental effects on premature (PE) and delayed (DE) ejaculation in a population-based sample. Methods The genetic and environmental influences on PE and DE were investigated in a population-based sample of 1,196 Finnish male twins, age 33–43 years, with 91 identical and 110 complete twin pairs. Several different aspects of ejaculatory function were measured by a self-report questionnaire (e.g., latency time, subjective experience of ejaculatory control). Factor analyses distinguished two subcomponents of ejaculatory function, and subsequently, composite variables measuring PE and DE were created. Structural equation modeling was performed on the composite variables. Main Outcome Measures Measurement of genetic and environmental effects on PE and DE. Results The results suggested moderate genetic influence (28%) on PE, but not on DE (0%). There was a moderate familial effect on DE with shared environmental effects accounting for 24% of the variance. However, omission of the shared environmental component did not directly result in a significantly decreased model fit for DE, and omission of the additive genetic component did not directly result in a significantly decreased fit for the PE model. Conclusions The findings from the present study provide useful information regarding the etiology and understanding of ejaculatory dysfunction. Jern P, Santtila P, Witting K, Alanko K, Harlaar N, Johansson A, von der Pahlen B, Varjonen M, Vikstrom N, Algars M, and Sandnabba K. Premature and delayed ejaculation: Genetic and environmental effects in a population-based sample of Finnish twins.

We investigated the potential to engage in homosexual behavior in 6001 female and 3152 male twins and their siblings finding that 32.8% of the men and 65.4% of the women reported such potential (p < 0.001). 91.5% of these men and 98.3% of these women reported no overt homosexual behavior during the preceding 12 months. The potential to engage in homosexual behavior was influenced by genetic effects for both men (37.4%) and women (46.4%) and these overlapped only partly with those for overt homosexual behavior.