Mapping the link between female sexual desires and behaviors in heterosexual dating relationships

Abstract

According to feminist researchers cultural norms that dictate what females' sexual desires should look like serve to obscure the variations that actually exist within the lived experiences of women. Data from a sample of 81 females in heterosexual dating relationships were examined to investigate the links between females' sexual desires and sexual behaviors over a period of 14 days. A method of using quantitative data to produce qualitative narratives was used on a subsample of these women to identify three distinct pathways to frequent correspondence between young women's desires to engage in sexual touching and intercourse, and their reported sexual behavior on a daily basis. These pathways differed in the amount of variation in both positive and negative dyadic states exhibited by group members and the necessary conditions of inclusion for each group. In addition HLM analyses indicate that correspondence between females' sexual desires and both less intimate (hugging/cuddling and kissing) and more intimate (sexual touching and intercourse) sexual behaviors tended to predict higher levels of closeness, higher levels of positive affect and lower levels of negative affect towards one's partner on a daily basis. Furthermore, on days when females desired but did not engage in both less intimate and more intimate sexual behaviors, they reported significantly lower levels of closeness. The impact of discordance between desire and behavior differed on positive affect towards their partner, depending upon whether the behaviors were less intimate behaviors, or more intimate behaviors. Interestingly, the discrepancy between their desires and behaviors did not impact negative affect towards partner significantly. Females' daily perceptions of equality with their partner moderated several of the above relationships.