Are you avoiding sex because you're uncomfortable with your body?
According to Aphrodite Women’s Health, a survey of women aged between 35 and 55 found the cultural emphasis on being young and thin has more influence on sexual functioning than menopause.
Penn State researcher and study leader, Dr. Patricia Barthalow Koch, thinks body image could be the culprit. "There has been a dearth of research examining the relationship between body image and women's sexual response."
The more a survey participant perceived herself as less attractive, the more likely she was to report a decline in sexual desire or activity wrote Aphrodite Women’s Health.
Nearly 70 percent of the women reported one or more changes in their sexual response, usually desiring sex less and engaging in sex less often.
Dr. Terri Orbuch on Huffington Post added other research supports a direct connection between body image and sexual feelings.
One study found a significant relationship between body image and sexual satisfaction for both males and females. And others show a link between body image self-consciousness and increased sexual anxiety.
Sexual health expert Dr. Hilda Hutcherson said on the Rachael Ray Show, "In my experience, negative body image is the number one cause of bad sex for women. If you don't feel good about yourself, what happens is your brain kind of leaves your body and you become a spectator. And you say 'Oh don't touch, don't look at this, don't look at that,' and before you know it the sex is over."
Your body image is not what you see in the mirror, said Dr. Orbuch. It's how you think and feel about yourself physically and how you think others see the shape, weight and qualities of your body.
Sometimes we can't change our body, but we can boost our body image.
Discover self-confidence through what you do, not how you look, said Huffington Post. When you feel really good about your body and yourself, you radiate self-confidence, and that is sexy to both men and women.
You're not all good or all bad, wrote Suite101.com. Value yourself as a whole person, not just someone struggling with a negative body image.
Stop the negative self-talk! Huffington Post advised that you change the way you speak to yourself. Say what you love, and repeat it every day.
When you're being intimate, your partner isn't distracted by your cellulite -- you are, cautioned Suite101.com. Don't assume others think the same way.
Dr. Orbuch added that you can set realistic expectations for what you want to see and feel with your own body. Accept and be okay with the fact your body may look different from media images.
Sources:
"Body Image | Brown University Health Education." Brown University. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 July 2012.
http://brown.edu/Student_Services/Health_Services/Health_Education/nutrition_&_eating_concerns/body_image.php
"Dr. Terri Orbuch: Low Sex Drive? A Possible Reason." Breaking News and Opinion on The Huffington Post. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 July 2012.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-terri-orbuch/a-hidden-reason-for-low-s_b_837530.html
"Is Negative Body Image Hurting Your Sex Life?." Breaking News and Opinion on The Huffington Post. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 July 2012.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/08/sex-body-image_n_921323.html
"Low Libido? Body Image Could Be To Blame." Aphrodite Women's Health - Discussion Forums And Research News. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 July 2012.
http://www.aphroditewomenshealth.com/news/20051010234324_health_news.shtml
Pawlik-Kienlen, Laurie. "Body Image and Fear of Intimacy: How a Poor Body Image Weakens Relationships | Suite101.com." Suite101.com: Online Magazine and Writers' Network. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 July 2012.
http://suite101.com/article/body-image-and-fear-of-intimacy-a31104
"Rachael Ray Show - On the Show - Body Image & Sex." Rachael Ray Show . N.p., n.d. Web. 17 July 2012.
http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/show/segments/view/body-image-blues
"Sex and Your Body Image - HealthyPlace." HealthyPlace.com - Trusted Mental Health Information and Support - HealthyPlace. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 July 2012.
http://www.healthyplace.com/sex/body-image/sex-and-your-body-image
Reviewed on July 20, 2012
by Maryann Gromisch, RN
Edited by Jody Smith