LE3 .A278 2015

2015

Rosen, Natalie
Price, Lisa

Acadia University

Master of Science

Masters

Clinical Psychology

Psychology

The current study examined associations between vaginal penetration cognitions and sexual and pain outcomes in women with provoked vestibulodynia (PVD), and the moderating role of sexual communication and facilitative partner responses to pain. When examined together, women’s higher positive cognitions, lower catastrophic and pain cognitions, higher sexual communication, and higher facilitative partner responses to pain each uniquely predicted higher sexual satisfaction. For women reporting higher catastrophic/pain cognitions, higher positive penetration cognitions and higher sexual communication predicted improved sexual function. Conversely, among women reporting lower sexual communication, higher positive and lower catastrophic and pain penetration cognitions predicted higher sexual function. Furthermore, for women reporting higher sexual communication in the relationship, as positive cognitions increased, there was a significantly greater decrease in pain intensity compared to women reporting lower sexual communication. The results of this study may inform psychological interventions aimed at improving the pain and sexual well-being of women with PVD.

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https://scholar.acadiau.ca/islandora/object/theses:349