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. 2021 May 24;33(4):494-515.
doi: 10.1080/19317611.2021.1910890. eCollection 2021.

Psychosocial and Behavioral Aspects of Women's Sexual Pleasure: A Scoping Review

Joana Reis  1 , Leonor de Oliveira  1 , Cátia Oliveira  1   2   3 , Pedro Nobre  1
Affiliations

Psychosocial and Behavioral Aspects of Women's Sexual Pleasure: A Scoping Review

Joana Reis et al. Int J Sex Health. .

Abstract

Objectives: To clarify the psychosocial and behavioral factors related to women's sexual pleasure.

Methods: A search was conducted on EBSCO and Web of Science databases using the key terms "female sexual pleasure" and "women sexual pleasure" and following PRISMA guidelines.

Results: 76 articles were identified, referring to sexual practices, individual factors, interpersonal factors, societal factors, and ways of enhancing sexual pleasure.

Conclusions: Age, sexual experience, arousability, body-esteem, sexual autonomy, and sexual assertiveness seem to benefit women's sexual pleasure, while sexual compliance and a gender power imbalance seem to compromise it. Additional research regarding non-western and non-heterosexual women is still required.

Keywords: Sexual pleasure; review; sexual health; women.

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Conflict of interest statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

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