SEXUAL SATISFACTION AND DYSFUNCTION IN MARRIAGES OF MALE ALCOHOLICS -COMPARISON WITH NONALCOHOLIC MARITALLY CONFLICTED AND NONCONFLICTED COUPLES

Objective: This study examined the contribution of alcoholism and mari tal conflict to male alcoholics' sexual problems. Method: Married coup les with an alcoholic husband (n = 26) were compared with 26 maritally conflicted and 26 nonconflicted couples without alcohol-related probl ems on both sexual dysfunction and sexual satisfaction. Results: The m ale alcoholics and their wives experienced less sexual satisfaction ac ross a range of variables and more sexual dysfunction-specifically hus bands' diminished sexual interest, impotence and premature ejaculation , and wives' painful intercourse-than nonconflicted couples. However, impotence was the only aspect on which alcoholics reported more diffic ulties than did maritally conflicted couples. When husbands' age was c onsidered, more frequent retarded ejaculation with older age was uniqu e to the alcoholics since it did not occur in conflicted or nonconflic ted husbands; and there was a greater decline in frequency of intercou rse with older age among the alcoholic than among the conflicted coupl es. Conclusions: These findings are consistent with a biopsychosocial formulation of alcoholics' sexual adjustment problems that implicates (1) marital conflict as a major contributing factor to most of these p roblems and (2) the combined role of both marital conflict and the phy sical effects of chronic alcohol abuse as most relevant to the elevate d rates of impotence and retarded ejaculation (among older alcoholics) and the steeper decline in intercourse frequency with age.