title: Sexual communication, dyadic adjustment, and psychosexual well-being in premenopausal women with self-reported dyspareunia and their partners: a controlled study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although research that takes into account partner and relationship factors in dyspareunia is slowly emerging, little is known about how these couples communicate about their sexuality. Additionally, partner psychosexual adjustment has not been examined in a controlled fashion.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to compare dyadic sexual communication, dyadic adjustment, psychological adjustment, and sexual well-being of women with self-reported dyspareunia and their partners with those of pain-free control women and their partners.
  
  
  METHODS
  Premenopausal women (n = 38; mean [M] age = 24.92) with self-reported dyspareunia, their partners (n = 38; M age = 26.71), as well as pain-free control women (n = 44; M age = 25.86) and their partners (n = 44; M age = 27.95) completed an online survey measuring dyadic sexual communication, dyadic adjustment, anxiety, depression, sexual functioning, and sexual distress.
  
  
  METHODS
  Assessments of women and men's (i) dyadic sexual communication; (ii) dyadic adjustment; (iii) anxiety; (iv) depression; (v) sexual functioning; and (vi) women's sexual distress were the main outcome measures.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with pain-free controls, women with dyspareunia reported significantly poorer dyadic sexual communication, a difference not found between partners of women with dyspareunia and control partners. Compared with partners of control women, those of women with dyspareunia reported significantly more impaired sexual functioning. No differences in dyadic adjustment were found between women with dyspareunia and pain-free control women, or between their respective partners. Finally, compared with control women, those with dyspareunia reported significantly more impaired psychological and sexual well-being.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Findings suggest that dyspareunia impacts not only the psychosexual adjustment of affected women but also that of their partners. It seems relevant to include both members of the couple in future research and treatment for dyspareunia.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Family and Sexuality Studies, Department of Neuroscience, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Els
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pazmany
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bergeron
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Verhaeghe
authors.forename: Lukas
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Van Oudenhove
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Enzlin
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003142:Communication; D004414:Dyspareunia / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D017697:Premenopause / Q000523:psychology; D057566:Self Report; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D012747:Sexual Partners / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Couples; Dyadic Adjustment; Dyadic Sexual Communication; Dyspareunia; Pain; Partners; Psychological Adjustment; Sexual Distress; Sexual Functioning