Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2020 Dec;17(12):2362-2369.
doi: 10.1016/j.jsxm.2020.07.084. Epub 2020 Aug 29.

Sexual Orientation-Related Differences in Sexual Satisfaction and Sexual Problems-A Population-Based Study in Sweden

Charlotte Björkenstam  1 , Louise Mannheimer  2 , Matilda Löfström  3 , Charlotte Deogan  4
Affiliations

Sexual Orientation-Related Differences in Sexual Satisfaction and Sexual Problems-A Population-Based Study in Sweden

Charlotte Björkenstam et al. J Sex Med. 2020 Dec.

Abstract

Introduction: Human sexuality is a natural and important part of peoples' life and well-being. The underlying interactions affecting sexual satisfaction are complex, and sexual orientation differences partly remain to be identified as well as explained.

Aim: Our aim was to investigate sexual orientation-related differences in sexual satisfaction and sexual dissatisfaction and differences in sexual function and sexual-related problems.

Methods: We used Swedish data from SRHR2017 (sexual and reproductive health and rights), based on self-administered surveys, linked to nationwide registers. The national sample consisted of 14,537 women and men aged 16-84 years. With logistic regression, we examined sexual orientation-related differences in self-reported sexual satisfaction and sexual dissatisfaction, stratified by sex.

Main outcome measures: The main outcome measures of this study are odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

Results: Bisexual women were more dissatisfied with their sex life, as compared with heterosexual women (OR: 1.8; 95% CI: 1.3-2.6), as were bisexual men compared with heterosexual men (OR: 2.7; 95% CI: 1.7-4.4). A bisexual or lesbian identity was a robust risk factor for premature orgasm (OR: 2.1; 95% CI: 1.1-3.9 and OR: 8.0; 95% CI: 3.2-20.0, respectively). Lesbian women seemed to have lower risk for many sexual-related problems (however not significant). Gay men lacked arousal (OR: 3.3; 95% CI: 1.6-6.9), had no orgasm (OR: 2.6; 95% CI: 1.4-4.7), and were at lower risk of experiencing premature ejaculation (OR: 0.4; 95% CI: 0.2-0.9), as compared with heterosexual men.

Conclusion: Our findings contribute to the sparse evidence of some sexual orientation differences in sexual satisfaction and sexual dysfunctions. Especially bisexual women and men appear to experience less sexual satisfaction in relation to heterosexual and homosexual women and men. Björkenstam C, Mannheimer L, Löfström M, et al. Sexual Orientation-Related Differences in Sexual Satisfaction and Sexual Problems-A Population-Based Study in Sweden. J Sex Med 2020;17:2362-2369.

Keywords: LBGT; Population-Based Survey; Sexual Dysfunctions; Sexuality; Sweden.

PubMed Disclaimer