Investigation of the Relationships among Self-Efficacy, Stress, and Dyspareunia during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

This study examined whether low self-efficacy and heightened perceived stress were associated with dyspareunia at two timepoints during COVID-19. Sixty-two participants (31 with and 31 without dyspareunia) completed a longitudinal online survey. Self-efficacy declined during the pandemic, and individuals with dyspareunia reported lower self-efficacy compared to those without dyspareunia. Although stress was greater for those with dyspareunia, both groups reported stress reductions over time. Lower stress was associated with increases in self-efficacy. This study is the first to examine longitudinal trends of dyspareunia during the COVID-19 pandemic and illuminates psychological factors that may influence the experience of dyspareunia.

An Investigation of Sexual and Relationship Adjustment During COVID-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the mitigation measures put in place have resulted in universal disruption in the usual ways of life for individuals. The current study sought to investigate how aspects of sexual health (well-being and functioning) and relationship satisfaction changed or remained stable during the pandemic. During two separate time points (Time 1 including Time 1 and a retrospective baseline, Time 2), participants completed online measures of sexual well-being (sexual pleasure, partnered and solitary orgasm frequency, sexual distress), sexual functioning, and relationship satisfaction. Participants reported slight declines in sexual pleasure, frequency of orgasms with a partner, and frequency of solitary orgasms from pre-COVID-19 (retrospective baseline) to Time 1, with no significant differences in sexual distress and relationship satisfaction. For individuals with vulvas, sexual functioning improved from Time 1 to Time 2, whereas no significant differences in sexual functioning were observed for individuals with penises. Aspects of sexual health and relational satisfaction did not sufficiently change across time points to be considered meaningful health outcome changes. Given that minimal disruptions were noted in pre-COVID-19 to COVID-19 sexuality, these results highlight the potential resiliency of individuals' sexuality when facing sudden changes in their daily lives. Implications of COVID-19's effects on sexual well-being and relationship satisfaction research are broadly discussed.