And how do LGB adults rate their orgasms in a relational context?

BACKGROUND: Subjective orgasm experience (SOE) refers to the perception, assessment, and/or sensation of orgasm on a psychological level, with the particularity that the study of SOE in nonheterosexual populations is currently very scarce. AIM: The study sought to analyze differences in SOE dimensions, comparing the intensity of each adjective of the Orgasm Rating Scale (ORS) and creating a ranking of the adjectives that better represent it in LGB men and women. METHODS: In a sample of 1475 adults organized into 4 groups according to the type of sexual relationships reported, comparisons were made using multivariate analysis of variance and chi-square tests. OUTCOMES: Differences were obtained in the intensity of all the SOE dimensions, and in 23 of the 25 ORS adjectives. RESULTS: Lesbians and bisexual women reported higher intensity in SOE compared with bisexual and gay men. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Because the ORS has been established as a good tool for detecting orgasmic difficulties in nonheterosexual populations, this study could provide LGBT affirmative psychotherapy with evidence on how these individuals evaluate their orgasms in a relational context. STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS: This study extends prior limited knowledge about how LGB people evaluate their orgasmic experiences in the context of sexual relationships. Despite this, the study poses limitations such as nonprobability sampling or the inclusion of exclusively cisgender and young individuals, making it difficult to generalize the results. CONCLUSION: Although significant differences were found between LGB men and women, all groups agree on the adjectives they use to describe the subjective experience of orgasm in the context of sexual relationships; therefore, evidence is provided about how LGB people evaluate their orgasmic experiences in this context.

Validation of the Spanish Version of the Massachusetts General Hospital-Sexual Functioning Questionnaire (MGH-SFQ) with Sexual Arousal Measures in Men.

Objective: Provide new validity evidence of the Spanish version of the Massachusetts General Hospital-Sexual Functioning Questionnaire (MGH-SFQ) by associating its scores with measures of sexual arousal. Method: In a sample of 48 men, using a quasi-experimental design, sexual functioning, propensity for sexual inhibition/excitation, subjective sexual arousal, and genital response (penile plethysmography recorded with Biopac MP150 equipment) were evaluated. Results: Arousal and erection scores correlated with sexual inhibition due to the threat of performance failure (r = .29; p < .05) and genital response (r = .31; p < .05), respectively. Participants with difficulties in sexual functioning indicated greater sexual inhibition due to the threat of performance failure (p = .04) and lower intensity in their genital response (p = .05). Conclusions: The validity of the measures obtained with the Spanish version of the MGH-SFQ is supported, showing the erection item to be useful for the detection of possible erectile disorders.

Objetivo: Aportar nuevas evidencias de validez a la versión española del Massachusetts General Hospital-Sexual Functioning Questionnaire (MGH-SFQ), asociando sus puntuaciones a medidas de la excitación sexual. Método: En una muestra de 48 hombres, mediante un diseño cuasiexperimental, se evaluó el funcionamiento sexual, la propensión para la excitación/inhibición sexual, la excitación sexual subjetiva y la respuesta genital (pletismografía peniana registrada con un equipo Biopac MP150). Resultados: Las puntuaciones en excitación y erección del MGH-SFQ correlacionaron significativamente con la inhibición sexual por miedo al fallo en el rendimiento sexual (r = .29; p < .05) y con la respuesta genital (r = .31; p < .05), respectivamente. Los participantes con dificultades en el funcionamiento sexual, en comparación con los que mostraron un adecuado funcionamiento, indicaron mayor inhibición sexual por miedo al fallo en el rendimiento sexual (p = .04) y menor intensidad en su respuesta genital (p = .05). Conclusiones: Se avala la validez de las medidas obtenidas con la versión española del MGH-SFQ, mostrándose el ítem de erección útil para la detección de posibles trastornos eréctiles.

Measurement invariance of the Arizona Sexual Experience Scale by sexual orientation: comparing the sexual functioning of gay and heterosexual individuals.

BACKGROUND: The assessment of sexual functioning requires accurate and reliable measures as well as short and easy to apply. The Arizona Sexual Experience Scale (ASEX), which provides a quick, easy, and nonintrusive assessment of sexual functioning in men and women, is a clear example of a commonly used scale that satisfies these qualities. AIM: The study sought to examine measurement invariance and differential item functioning (DIF) by sexual orientation of the Spanish version of the ASEX. METHODS: A confirmatory factor analysis was performed on a sample of 1600 adults (800 gay and 800 heterosexual individuals), testing measurement invariance of the ASEX by sexual orientation in men and women separately, and calculating its reliability and DIF. OUTCOMES: The measure provided by the Spanish version of the ASEX is reliable and valid for assessing the sexual functioning of gay men and lesbians, but comparisons by sexual orientation are not recommended for men. RESULTS: The results of the confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the unidimensional structure of the ASEX already found in the Spanish validation with heterosexual people. Measurement invariance showed that, in the men's sample, the factor structure of the ASEX only reached the weak level of invariance, whereas in the women's sample, strict invariance by sexual orientation was reached. The internal consistency reliability was adequate, with better coefficients in women than in men. No significant DIF was observed in either men or women. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Clinicians should further their training in sexual and gender diversity as approaches such as affirmative LGBT psychotherapy gain popularity, and they must have access to assessment instruments that are psychometrically robust enough to be used with this population. STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS: This research has some limitations. Because the distribution was administered solely through social media platforms, those without access to social media were unable to participate. Beyond these restrictions, however, the findings are thought to be significant from a research and clinical perspective since measurement invariance is a step that is often excluded when using an instrument validated in a mostly heterosexual sample. CONCLUSION: Validating assessment tools in gay men and lesbians is essential because sexual functioning is a crucial concept in sexual health. The findings of this study suggest that the Spanish version of the ASEX offers valid and reliable measures of sexual functioning for both heterosexual and gay people, though there would be bias in comparing men of both orientations.

Measurement Invariance across Sexual Orientation for Measures of Sexual Attitudes.

Despite the growing interest in the study of sexual attitudes across sexual orientation, few studies have tested whether the instruments used to measure them are invariant. This study examined measurement invariance (configural, weak, strong, and strict) across sexual orientation in three different sexual attitude scales: the Sexual Opinion Survey (SOS) to assess erotophilia, the Hurlbert Index of Sexual Fantasy (HISF) to assess attitudes toward sexual fantasies, and the Negative Attitudes Toward Masturbation Inventory (NATMI) to assess negative attitudes toward masturbation. A total of 2293 Spanish adult men and women with different sexual orientations (i.e., heterosexual, bisexual, and gay) participated in the study. The results indicated strict invariance for HISF across sexual orientation and only weak invariance for SOS and NATMI. Differential item functioning was also found in two items of the NATMI scale. Evidence of validity was provided for the three scales that were studied.

Evaluating the Subjective Orgasm Experience Through Sexual Context, Gender, and Sexual Orientation.

The subjective orgasm experience (SOE) is the psychological perception of orgasm sensations and closely related to sexual health. Here, SOE was studied through the context in which it is experienced (sexual relationships and solitary masturbation), gender, and sexual orientation. For this purpose, data were collected from 4255 people (1927 men and 2328 women) of different sexual orientations (heterosexual = 1545; bisexual = 1202; and gay = 1508) who completed two versions of the Orgasm Rating Scale (ORS) for both contexts (i.e., sexual relationships and solitary masturbation) along with a socio-demographic questionnaire. Results showed that the ORS in the context of solitary masturbation is an instrument invariant by gender and sexual orientation. Significant differences in SOE were found by context: it was more intense in the context of sexual relationships (vs. solitary masturbation); by gender: women (vs. men) reported greater intensity; and by sexual orientation, with heterosexual people (vs. gay and bisexual people) having a more intense experience.

Sexual Activity in Peruvian Adolescents: Relevance of Socio-Demographic Variables and Sexual Attitudes.

The aim of this study was to explain the masturbation frequency and sexual relationships in adolescents based on age, religious adherence, erotophilia, attitudes toward sexual fantasies and masturbation, and the traditional sexual double standard. A sample of 1120 Peruvian adolescents aged 13-17 years responded to a socio-demographic questionnaire and different scales about sexuality. The frequency of masturbation and sexual relationships, as well as in the sexual attitudes evaluated differed by sex, with boys scoring higher. The masturbation frequency was explained by erotophilia in boys, and by positive attitudes toward sexual fantasies in both sexes. The frequency of sexual relationships was explained by age and positive attitudes toward sexual fantasies in boys and only by the latter in girls. Positive attitudes toward sexual fantasies stand out as a variable for understanding sexual activity in adolescents.