A recent study published in Frontiers in Psychology explored the impact of body image on sexual satisfaction in heterosexual, bisexual, and lesbian women. While the three groups of women reported similar levels of body dissatisfaction, lesbian women uniquely showed no significant impact of body image on sexual satisfaction.
While psychology researchers widely agree that nearly all women experience pressure to fit beauty standards, there has been some debate over whether or not lesbian women feel the same body dissatisfaction as heterosexual women. Findings on the subject have been mixed and non-heterosexuals have traditionally been understudied. Study authors Silvia Moreno-Domínguez and team wanted to fill this gap in research by exploring the link between body image and sexual satisfaction in a diverse sample of women.
“Starting from the premise of objectification theory,” the authors say, “we hypothesized that the sexual satisfaction of women interested in attracting men (heterosexual and bisexual women) would be more affected by their body concerns compared to those removed from the male gaze in their sexual relations (lesbian women).”
A study was conducted involving 333 Spanish women between the ages of 18-62. Of the sample, 176 of the women identified themselves as heterosexual, 79 identified as bisexual, and 78 identified as lesbian. Three-quarters of the women (75%) reported being in a stable relationship, 14% were casually dating, and 11% were not dating anyone. All women completed the Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ) to measure body image concern and the Index of Sexual Satisfaction (ISI) to assess satisfaction with sexual life.
Results showed no significant differences in body dissatisfaction or sexual dissatisfaction among heterosexual, bisexual, or lesbian women. The three groups also showed similar Body Mass Index scores (as calculated using the subject’s self-reported weight and height).
Interestingly, multiple regression analyses suggested that heterosexual and bisexual women experienced the greatest impact of body satisfaction on sexual satisfaction. Among heterosexual women, it was found that body dissatisfaction, as well as monthly sexual activity, predicted sexual dissatisfaction. The same was true for bisexual women, with BMI emerging as an additional predictor of sexual dissatisfaction. Conversely, among lesbian women, monthly sexual activity was the only predictor of sexual satisfaction.
“It could be argued,” the study authors suggest, “that women sensitive to the male gaze may have strongly internalized heterosexist values about beauty standards and, as a consequence, their body concerns may have more strongly affected their sex lives.”
The authors express that sexual orientation may actually serve as a protective factor for women who are less likely to be evaluated against the male standard of beauty. “Because lesbians seem to be freer from the male gaze, it could be argued that societal pressure to be physically attractive is less salient for lesbian women, as Brown (1987) pointed out,” the researchers say.
The authors discuss the limitations of their study, including the fact that their sample did not include transgender or non-binary individuals. They suggest that future research include these groups, and additionally consider certain factors related to body dissatisfaction such as “masculine and feminine gender expressions” and the “internalization of beauty and thinness ideals.”
As the researchers point out, the overall findings suggest that the extent to which women of different sexual orientations internalize heterosexist beauty standards may determine the degree of pressure they experience. They further add that their study “highlights the need to regulate the abuse of the dominant aesthetic canon that harms women of all sexual orientations and identities.”
The study, “Body Image and Sexual Dissatisfaction: Differences Among Heterosexual, Bisexual, and Lesbian Women”, was authored by Silvia Moreno-Domínguez, Tania Raposo, and Paz Elipe.
(Image by Sharon McCutcheon from Pixabay)