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

Joana Reis; Leonor de Oliveira; Cátia Oliveira; Pedro Nobre

doi:10.1080/19317611.2021.1910890

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

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

Authors

Joana Reis¹, Leonor de Oliveira¹, Cátia Oliveira^{1

2

3}, Pedro Nobre¹

Affiliations

¹ Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Center for Psychology at University of Porto, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.
² HEI-Lab, Lusófona University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.
³ CUF Hospital, Porto, Portugal.

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.