Sexual dysfunctions: Relationship to childhood sexual abuse and early family experiences in a nonclinical sample

• Published in: Child abuse & neglect 1995-07, Vol.19 (7), p.785-792
• Main Authors: Kinzl, Johann F., Traweger, Christian, Biebl, Wilfried
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Child Abuse; Child abuse & neglect; Child Abuse, Sexual - psychology; Childhood sexual abuse; College Students; Emotional Problems; Factors; Family - psychology; Family dynamics; Family functioning; Female; Females; Humans; Incest - psychology; Incidence; Libido; Medical sciences; Orgasm; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Psychosexual Development; Relationship; Risk Factors; Sex crimes; Sex Education; Sexual Abuse; Sexual behavior; Sexual behavior disorders. Psychogenic sexual dysfunctions; Sexual dysfunction; Sexual dysfunctions; Sexual Dysfunctions, Psychological - diagnosis; Sexual Dysfunctions, Psychological - psychology; Sexuality; Students; Universities; USA; Victims of Crime; Women
• ISSN: 0145-2134; 1873-7757
• DOI: 10.1016/0145-2134(95)00048-D

Studies investigating a possible relationship between childhood sexual abuse and adult sexual dysfunction have reported highly discrepant results. The purpose of the present study was to examine 202 female university students for early familial experience and childhood sexual abuse in relation to adult sexual disorders. Each student was asked to complete three questionnaires on victimization, sexual dysfunction, and early familial experiences. Results indicated that: (a) victims of multiple CSA more frequently reported sexual desire disorders and orgasm disorders than did single-incident victims and nonvictims; (b) single-incident victims and nonvictims reported no significantly different rates for any kind of sexual dysfunction; (c) negative early familial experiences were significantly related to any kind of sexual disorder; and (d) women who reported orgasm disorders more often reported an inadequate sex education than did women with another or no sexual dysfunction. The data suggest that both family dysfunction and sexual victimization contribute to sexual disorders in adulthood, and that later sexual disorders are to a large extent the result of sexual abuse-related factors in particular and family dysfunction in general. Les re´sultats des diversese´tudes sur la relation entre les abus sexuels en enfance et la dysfonction sexuelle concordent peu. L'article pre´sente unee´tude en Autriche de 202e´tudiantes universitaires; on a examine´leurs ente´ce´dents familiaux, leurs expe´riences d'agressions sexuelles et leurs difficulte´s sexuelles en tant qu'adultes. Lese´tudiantes ont comple´te´trois questionnaires, l'un sur leurs expe´riences en tant que victimes, l'un sur leurs difficulte´s sexuelles et le dernier sur leurs expe´riences en famille durant leur tendre enfance. Les re´sultats indiquent que (a) les victimes de plusieurs incidents d'abus sexuels ont rapporte´plus souvent des difficulte´s au niveau de leur de´sir sexuel et de leurs orgasmes que les victimes d'incidents singuliers ou les non victimes; (b) les victimes d'un incident et les non victimes rapportent des taux de difficulte´s sexuelles tre`s diffe´rents; (c) les mauvaises expe´riences familiales en basaˆge sont associe´es de façon importantea`tous les types de de´sordres sexuel; et (d) les femmes ayant des difficulte´s d'orgasmes rapportaient souvent avoir eu unee´ducation sexuelle inade´quate compare´es aux femmes souffrant d'autres difficulte´s ou sans difficulte´s. Les donne´es sugge`