The Effect of Having Children on Female Sexual Functioning and its Variation based on Relationship Status
Nylander, Pia (2018-12-11)
The Effect of Having Children on Female Sexual Functioning and its Variation based on Relationship Status
Nylander, Pia
(11.12.2018)
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Turun yliopisto
Tiivistelmä
Introduction: Female sexual functioning is associated with having children and relationship factors. However, the effect of having children has not been studied while taking relationship factors in to account. The purpose of the present thesis was to investigate longitudinally whether having the first child, or an increase in number of children affects changes in female sexual functioning, and if the effect varies based on relationship status or based on congruency in the status.
Method: Survey data was collected at two time points, seven years apart, in large-scale population based data collections. The sample consisted of 1,701 women aged 18-48 at the first time point. The main measures were the Female Sexual Function Index, number of children, and relationship status. Two sets of structural equation models were tested: the effect of (1) having the first child and (2) increase in number of children on female sexual functioning. Both sets of models were conducted for (a) the full sample, (b) three groups based relationship status, and (c) two groups based on congruency in relationship status.
Results: In the full sample, having the first child decreased desire, arousal, lubrication, and satisfaction, whereas increase in number of children decreased desire and satisfaction. In the relationship status groups, women in a relationship with a new partner reported a larger decrease in desire due to having children than women who were in a relationship with the same partner. Similarly, in the congruency groups, women who had a change in their relationship status reported larger decreases in desire than women who did not have a change.
Discussion: Having children was found to be associated with decreased female sexual functioning and the association appeared to be strongest between having children and a decrease in desire. The largest decrease in desire related to having children was found for women in a relationship with a new partner. Having the first child affected more domains of female sexual functioning and more consistently across groups, than just an increase in number of children. These results could help developing better treatment interventions for problems in female sexual functioning.
Method: Survey data was collected at two time points, seven years apart, in large-scale population based data collections. The sample consisted of 1,701 women aged 18-48 at the first time point. The main measures were the Female Sexual Function Index, number of children, and relationship status. Two sets of structural equation models were tested: the effect of (1) having the first child and (2) increase in number of children on female sexual functioning. Both sets of models were conducted for (a) the full sample, (b) three groups based relationship status, and (c) two groups based on congruency in relationship status.
Results: In the full sample, having the first child decreased desire, arousal, lubrication, and satisfaction, whereas increase in number of children decreased desire and satisfaction. In the relationship status groups, women in a relationship with a new partner reported a larger decrease in desire due to having children than women who were in a relationship with the same partner. Similarly, in the congruency groups, women who had a change in their relationship status reported larger decreases in desire than women who did not have a change.
Discussion: Having children was found to be associated with decreased female sexual functioning and the association appeared to be strongest between having children and a decrease in desire. The largest decrease in desire related to having children was found for women in a relationship with a new partner. Having the first child affected more domains of female sexual functioning and more consistently across groups, than just an increase in number of children. These results could help developing better treatment interventions for problems in female sexual functioning.