FEMALE SEXUAL DESIRE, RESPONSE, AND BEHAVIOR

This study explores sexual desire, response, and behavior in satisfied versus dissatisfied marriages as perceived by women, while controllin g for female sexual satisfaction. Seventy-eight married couples partic ipated in a structured interview and a series of open-ended interviews designed to gather behavioral self-report sexual data. The study had three objectives. First, the association between sexual desire and fre quency of sex for both husbands and wives was examined. Second, a typo logy for female sexual response was developed based on the wives' self -report description of their sexual activities. Five types of sexual r esponses were identified in these sexual activities through cluster an alysis; there were significant differences in how the wives responded to sex between groups. Third, sexual behaviors experienced during the reported sexual activities were assessed in open-ended interviews. Sig nificant differences were found between the groups of marriages in sex ual activities. These differences in sexual behavior with women in sat isfied and dissatisfied marriages are explored.