Bed death and other Lesbian sexual problems unraveled: a qualitative study of the sexual health of Lesbian women involved in a relationship.
OBJECTIVE
To shed light on lesbian "bed death" among lesbian women. To explore the wishes and expectations of lesbian women with respect to healthcare professionals.


METHODS
Semi-structured interviews with 30 self-identified lesbian women. The interviews were audio recorded. Three researchers classified and analyzed the most important themes.


RESULTS
The women indicated few sexual problems except for "bed death," a quasi-complete cessation of sexual activity. Twenty-three women experienced "bed death: during the current relationship or a previous one. The factors felt by the women to contribute to "bed death: were environmental influences, the existence of a symbiotic relationship, hormonal factors, and reduced sexual initiative. The women indicated that they would like family doctors to adopt a neutral attitude, be knowledgeable about homosexuality, and be able to recognize homosexuality in their patients.


CONCLUSIONS
A careful examination of the potential causes of "bed death" suggests that the phenomenon is more closely linked to a patient's gender than to her sexual orientation. Lesbian women would also like general practitioners to possess at least some basic knowledge about homosexuality.
van Rosmalen-Nooijens
K A W L
KA
Department of Women's Studies Medical Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Vergeer
C M
CM
Lagro-Janssen
A L M
AL
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000739:Anecdotes as Topic; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003142:Communication; D005260:Female; D018452:Homosexuality, Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007989:Libido; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands; D009948:Orgasm; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D012650:Self Disclosure; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D012938:Social Perception; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016387:Women's Health