Abstract
Roughly 160 million women live with endometriosis, a chronic disease involving the uterine lining shedding on the outside of the uterus causing immense physical and emotional pain. One common symptom of endometriosis is dyspareunia, or pain associated with sexual intercourse. With traditional sexual script theory and sexual script theory serving as theoretical frameworks and interpretive lenses, the study examines how traditional gender norms might influence women’s prioritization of their own health needs as well as the physical, emotional, and relational health outcomes of such prioritization. Engaging a mixed methods’ approach involving directed content analysis, grounded theory and statistical analyses, ninety posts from Reddit were coded and examined to identify the relationship between the script types (self, partner, or relationship) and the valence of physical, emotional, and relational health outcomes. Results indicate a significant prioritization of the self script and personal agency. Additionally, the relationship among the prioritized script (self, partner, or relationship) and the positive and negative outcomes as related to physical, emotional, and relational health is nonsignificant. Nevertheless, the results highlight the physical, emotional and relational barriers women face in their sexual health. Discussion, implications, and directions for future research follow as related to women, chronic illness and health.
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Wiese, M., Emmers-Sommer, T. Exercising Agency: Women, Endometriosis and the Navigation of Sexual Relationships. Sexuality & Culture 28, 1108–1132 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-023-10169-w
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-023-10169-w