Differences in the sexual life of Spanish men during the covid-19 lockdown by sexual orientation

  1. Juan E. Nebot-Garcia
  2. Rafael Ballester-Arnal
  3. Estefanía Ruiz-Palomino
  4. Marcel Elipe-Miravet
  5. María Dolores Gil-Llario
Revista:
Psicothema

ISSN: 0214-9915,  1886-144X

Año de publicación: 2023

Volumen: 35

Número: 3

Páginas: 227-237

Tipo: Artículo

DOI: 10.7334/PSICOTHEMA2022.387 DIALNET GOOGLE SCHOLAR lock_openAcceso abierto editor

Otras publicaciones en: Psicothema

Resumen

The pandemic affected the psychological well-being and sexuality of the population, especially among vulnerable groups such as men from sexual minorities. Method: In Spain, a total of 320 heterosexual men and 151 sexual minority men, aged between 18 and 60, answered an ad hoc online questionnaire about sexual behavior during the lockdown. Results: Compared to heterosexual men, during the lockdown, sexual minority men masturbated more, engaged in more sexual activities online, and had more sex with non-cohabitants. Heterosexual men had more sexual relations with their partners. Living with a partner during the lockdown predicted an improvement in sex life, especially for heterosexual men. Furthermore, the emotional impact of lockdown was a predictor of a worsening sex life regardless of sexual orientation. Conclusions: Future interventions should take into account that men’s sex lives are mediated by the emotional impact of the moment, especially among sexual minority men, since the quality of their sex life shows a weaker relationship with some of the protective variables studied (living with a partner)

Referencias bibliográficas

  • Ballester-Arnal, R. & Gil-Llario, M.D. (2020). The virus that changed Spain: Impact of COVID-19 on people with HIV. AIDS & Behavior, 24, 2253- 2257. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-020-02877-3
  • Ballester-Arnal, R., Nebot-Garcia, J. E., Ruiz-Palomino, E., GiménezGarcía, C., & Gil-Llario, M. D. (2021). “INSIDE” Project on sexual health in Spain: Sexual life during the lockdown caused by COVID-19. Sexuality Research and Social Policy, 18(4), 1023-1041. https://doi. org/10.1007/s13178-020-00506-1
  • Bancroft, J., Janssen, E., Strong, D., & Vukadinovic, Z. (2003). The relation between mood and sexuality in gay men. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 32(3), 231-242. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1023461500810
  • Barrientos, J., Guzmán-González, M., Urzúa, A., & Ulloa, F. (2021). Psychosocial impact of COVID-19 pandemic on LGBT people in Chile. Sexologies, 30(1), e35-e41. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sexol.2020.12.006
  • Cito, G., Micelli, E., Cocci, A., Polloni, G., Russo, G. I., Coccia, M. E., Simoncini, T., Carini M., Minervini, A., & Natali, A. (2021). The impact of the COVID-19 quarantine on sexual life in Italy. Urology, 147, 37-42. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.urology.2020.06.101
  • Cohen, J. M., Blasey, C., Taylor, C. B., Weiss, B. J., & Newman, M. G. (2016). Anxiety and related disorders and concealment in sexual minority young adults. Behavior Therapy, 47(1), 91-101. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. beth.2015.09.006
  • Dodge, B., Herbenick, D., Fu, T. C. J., Schick, V., Reece, M., Sanders, S., & Fortenberry, J. D. (2016). Sexual behaviors of US men by self-identified sexual orientation: Results from the 2012 National Survey of Sexual Health and Behavior. The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 13(4), 637-649. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsxm.2016.01.015
  • Downing, M. J., Schrimshaw, E. W., Scheinmann, R., Antebi-Gruszka, N., & Hirshfield, S. (2017). Sexually explicit media use by sexual identity: A comparative analysis of gay, bisexual, and heterosexual men in the United States. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 46, 1763-1776. https://doi. org/10.1007/s10508-016-0837-9
  • Duarte, M., & Pereira, H. (2021). The Impact of COVID-19 on depressive symptoms through the lens of sexual orientation. Brain Sciences, 11(4), Article 523. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci11040523
  • Faul, F., Erdfelder, E., Buchner, A., & Lang, A. G. (2009). Statistical power analyses using G*Power 3.1: Tests for correlation and regression analyses. Behavior Research Methods, 41(4), 1149-1160. https://doi. org/10.3758/BRM.41.4.1149
  • Faul, F., Erdfelder, E., Lang, A. G., & Buchner, A. (2007). G*Power 3: A flexible statistical power analysis program for the social, behavioral, and biomedical sciences. Behavior Research Methods, 39(2), 175-191. https://doi.org/10.3758/bf03193146
  • Gato, J., Barrientos, J., Tasker, F., Miscioscia, M., Cerqueira-Santos, E., Malmquist, A., Seabra, D., Leal, D., Houghton, M., Poli, M., Gubello, A., Ramos, M. d. M., Guzmán, M., Urzúa, A., Ulloa, F., & Wurm, M. (2021). Psychosocial effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and mental health among LGBTQ+ young adults: A cross-cultural comparison across six nations. Journal of Homosexuality, 68(4), 612-630. https://doi.org/10.10 80/00918369.2020.1868186
  • Gibb, J. K., DuBois, L. Z., Williams, S., McKerracher, L., Juster, R. P., & Fields, J. (2020). Sexual and gender minority health vulnerabilities during the COVID-€19 health crisis. American Journal of Human Biology, 32(5), Article e23499. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajhb.23499
  • Gonzales, G., de Mola, E. L., Gavulic, K. A., McKay, T., & Purcell, C. (2020). Mental health needs among lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender college students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Adolescent Health, 67(5), 645-648. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2020.08.006
  • Griffin, M., Jaiswal, J., Martino, R. J., LoSchiavo, C., Comer-Carruthers, C., Krause, K. D., Stults, C. B., & Halkitis, P. N. (2022). Sex in the time of COVID-19: Patterns of sexual behavior among LGBTQ+ individuals in the US. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 51(1), 287-301. https://doi. org/10.1007/s10508-022-02298-4
  • Hammoud, M. A., Maher, L., Holt, M., Degenhardt, L., Jin, F., Murphy, D., Jin F., Myrphy, D., Bavinton B., Grulich, A., Lea T., Haire B., Bourne A., Saxton, P., Vaccher, S., Ellard, J., Mackie, B., Batrouney, C., Bath, N., & Prestage, G. (2020). Physical distancing due to COVID-19 disrupts sexual behaviors among gay and bisexual men in Australia: Implications for trends in HIV and other sexually transmissible infections. Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes, 85(3), 309-315. https://doi. org/10.1097/qai.0000000000002462
  • Harkness, A., Weinstein, E. R., Atuluru, P., Vidal, R., Rodriguez-Diaz, C. E., & Safren, S. A. (2021). “Let’s hook up when the pandemic is over:” Latinx sexual minority men’s sexual behavior during COVID-19. The Journal of Sex Research, 58(8), 951-957. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224 499.2021.1888064
  • Karsiyakali, N., Sahin, Y., Ates, H. A., Okucu, E., & Karabay, E. (2021). Evaluation of the sexual functioning of individuals living in Turkey during the COVID-19 pandemic: An Internet-based nationwide survey study. Sexual Medicine, 9(1), Article 100279. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. esxm.2020.10.007
  • Kashdan, T. B., Adams, L., Savostyanova, A., Ferssizidis, P., McKnight, P. E., & Nezlek, J. B. (2011). Effects of social anxiety and depressive symptoms on the frequency and quality of sexual activity: A daily process approach. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 49(5), 352-360. https://doi. org/10.1016/j.brat.2011.03.004
  • Kline, N. S. (2020). Rethinking COVID-19 vulnerability: A call for LGTBQ+ im/migrant health equity in the United States during and after a pandemic. Health Equity, 4(1), 239-242. https://doi.org/10.1089/heq.2020.0012
  • Ko, N. Y., Lu, W. H., Chen, Y. L., Li, D. J., Chang, Y. P., Wu, C. F., Wang, P. W., & Yen, C. F. (2020). Changes in sex life among people in Taiwan during the covid-19 pandemic: The roles of risk perception, general anxiety, and demographic characteristics. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(16), Article 5822. https:// doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17165822
  • Lehmiller, J. J., Garcia, J. R., Gesselman, A. N., & Mark, K. P. (2021). Less sex, but more sexual diversity: Changes in sexual behavior during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. Leisure Sciences, 43(1-2), 295-304. https://doi.org/10.1080/01490400.2020.1774016
  • Li, W., Li, G., Xin, C., Wang, Y. & Yang, S. (2020). Challenges in the practice of sexual medicine in the time of COVID-19 in China. The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 17(7), 1225-1228. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. jsxm.2020.04.380
  • Liu, Y., Frazier, P. A., Porta, C. M., & Lust, K. (2022). Mental health of US undergraduate and graduate students before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: Differences across sociodemographic groups. Psychiatry Research, 309, Article 114428. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. psychres.2022.114428
  • McKay, T., Henne, J., Gonzales, G., Gavulic, K. A., Quarles, R., & Gallegos, S. G. (2023). Sexual behavior change among gay and bisexual men during the first COVID-19 pandemic wave in the United States. Sexuality Research and Social Policy, 20(2), 438-452. https://doi.org/10.1007/ s13178-021-00625-3
  • Meyer, I. H. (2003). Prejudice, social stress, and mental health in lesbian, gay, and bisexual populations: Conceptual issues and research evidence. Psychological Bulletin, 129(5), 674-697. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033- 2909.129.5.674
  • Mumm, J. N., Vilsmaier, T., Schuetz, J. M., Rodler, S., Zati Zehni, A., Bauer, R. M., Staehler, M., Stief, C. G., & Batz, F. (2021). How the COVID-19 pandemic affects sexual behavior of hetero-, homo-, and bisexual males in Germany. Sexual Medicine, 9(4), Article 100380. https://doi. org/10.1016/j.esxm.2021.100380
  • Nebot-Garcia, J. E., Ruiz-Palomino, E., Giménez-García, C., Gil-Llario, M. D., & Ballester-Arnal, R. (2020). Sexual frequency of Spanish adolescents during confnement by COVID-19. Revista de Psicologia Clinica Con Ninos y Adolescentes, 7(3), 16–26. https://doi.org/10.21134/ rpcna.2020.mon.2038
  • Nelson, K. M., Gordon, A. R., John, S. A., Stout, C. D., & Macapagal, K. (2020). “Physical sex is over for now”: Impact of COVID-19 on the wellbeing and sexual health of adolescent sexual minority males in the US. Journal of Adolescent Health, 67(6), 756-762. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. jadohealth.2020.08.027
  • Plöderl, M., & Tremblay, P. (2015). Mental health of sexual minorities. A systematic review. International Review of Psychiatry, 27(5), 367-385. https://doi.org/10.3109/09540261.2015.1083949
  • Rodríguez Domínguez, C., Lafuente Bacedoni, C., & Durán Segura, M. (2021). Predictores de la satisfacción sexual durante el confinamiento por COVID-19 en España [Predictors of sexual satisfaction during lockdown by COVID-19 in Spain]. Behavioral Psychology/Psicología Conductual, 29(3), 627-646. https://doi.org/10.51668/bp.8321307s
  • Ross, L. E., Salway, T., Tarasoff, L. A., MacKay, J. M., Hawkins, B. W., & Fehr, C. P. (2018). Prevalence of depression and anxiety among bisexual people compared to gay, lesbian, and heterosexual individuals: A systematic review and meta-analysis. The Journal of Sex Research, 55(4-5), 435-456. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2017.1387755
  • Sanchez, T. H., Zlotorzynska, M., Rai, M., & Baral, S. D. (2020). Characterizing the impact of COVID-19 on men who have sex with men across the United States in April, 2020. AIDS and Behavior, 24, 2024- 2032. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-020-02894-2
  • Sandín, B., Valiente, R. M., García-Escalera, J., & Chorot, P. (2020). Impacto psicológico de la pandemia de COVID-19: Efectos negativos y positivos en población española asociados al periodo de confinamiento nacional [Psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic: Negative and positive effects in Spanish people during the mandatory national quarantine]. Revista de Psicopatologia y Psicologia Clinica, 25(1), 1-22. https://doi.org/10.5944/rppc.27569
  • Semlyen, J., King, M., Varney, J., & Hagger-Johnson, G. (2016). Sexual orientation and symptoms of common mental disorder or low wellbeing: Combined meta-analysis of 12 UK population health surveys. BMC Psychiatry, 16, Article 67. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-016-0767-z
  • Shilo, G., & Mor, Z. (2020). COVID-19 and the changes in the sexual behavior of men who have sex with men: Results of an online survey. The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 17(10), 1827-1834. https://doi. org/10.1016/j.jsxm.2020.07.085
  • Soria, K. M., & Horgos, B. (2021). Factors Associated with College Students’ Mental Health during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Journal of College Student Development, 62(2), 236-242. https://doi.org/10.1353/ csd.2021.0024
  • Spanish Ministry of Health, Consumer Affairs and Social Welfare (2020). Actualización nº 105. Enfermedad por el coronavirus (COVID-19). 14.05.2020 [Update No. 105. coronavirus disease (COVID-19). 14.05.2020]. https://www.sanidad.gob.es/profesionales/saludPublica/ ccayes/alertasActual/nCov/documentos/Actualizacion_105_ COVID-19.pdf
  • Stephenson, R., Chavanduka, T. M., Rosso, M. T., Sullivan, S. P., Pitter, R. A., Hunter, A. S., & Rogers, E. (2021). Sex in the time of COVID-19: Results of an online survey of gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men’s experience of sex and HIV prevention during the US COVID-19 epidemic. AIDS and Behavior, 25(1), 40-48. https://doi. org/10.1007/s10461-020-03024-8
  • Suso-Ribera, C., & Martín-Brufau, R. (2020). How much support is there for the recommendations made to the general population during confinement? A study during the first three days of the COVID–19 quarantine in Spain. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(12), Article 4382. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17124382
Fuente de los datos: Dialnet