Abstract
Beliefs about sexuality tend to become more salient during sexual challenges and are associated with how individuals respond to these difficulties and, in turn, their sexual well-being. The transition to parenthood is marked by significant changes to couples’ sexuality. As such, this period of vulnerability may be an important context in which these beliefs impact how couples manage sexual stressors and may have implications for their sexual well-being. In a longitudinal dyadic study, we examined whether couples’ sexual growth beliefs (e.g., beliefs that sexual problems can be resolved through effort) and sexual destiny beliefs (e.g., beliefs that sexual problems reflect incompatibility with their partner) correspond with changes to various facets of couples’ sexual well-being over time. First-time parent couples (N = 203) completed online surveys assessing these beliefs in pregnancy (32 weeks) and measures of sexual well-being (satisfaction, desire, and distress) in pregnancy (20 and 32 weeks) and across the postpartum period (3, 6, 9, 12 months). Dyadic latent growth curve models showed that expectant mothers who reported stronger sexual destiny beliefs in pregnancy reported higher sexual distress and lower sexual satisfaction at 3 months postpartum. When partners reported stronger sexual destiny beliefs in pregnancy, both they and new mothers reported greater sexual desire at 3 months postpartum. Unexpectedly, partners’ higher sexual growth beliefs in pregnancy predicted mothers’ lower sexual desire at 3 months postpartum. Sexual growth and destiny beliefs were not associated with change in couples’ sexual well-being beyond 3 months postpartum. Findings shed light on the potential benefits and costs of sexual growth and destiny beliefs for couples’ sexual well-being early in the postpartum period, but not over time.
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The preregistered hypotheses and analysis plan, as well as all data and syntax, can be found on the Open Science Framework at the following link: https://osf.io/zb8my/?view_only=ae6d26fb8dc142d2908e358b37d788ef.
Notes
In response to reviewer comments on the manuscript regarding potential gender differences in the effects of sexual growth and destiny beliefs, we conducted all conditional models with and without same-gender couples. All results across sexual well-being outcomes remained consistent when excluding these couples.
All subsequent significant effects can be interpreted using unit-increase or decrease descriptions as in this example.
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This work was supported by Doctoral awards through the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), Research Nova Scotia, and Maritime SPOR Support Unit awarded to the first author and by an Insight Grant from SSHRC (FRN: 435–2017-0534) awarded to the last author.
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Rossi, M.A., Impett, E.A., Dawson, S.J. et al. A Longitudinal Investigation of Couples’ Sexual Growth and Destiny Beliefs in the Transition to Parenthood. Arch Sex Behav 51, 1559–1575 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-021-02267-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-021-02267-3