L’intimité chez les couples dont la femme présente une vulvodynie : étude des relations entre la réponse empathique, le dévoilement et le bien-être sexuel
Intimacy has been a neglected area of research among couples coping with vulvodynia, a sexual health problem which has a negative impact on the sexual well-being of both the woman and her partner. Yet, intimacy has been associated with indicators of psychological and marital adjustment in other clinical populations. The main goal of this thesis was to investigate associations between intimacy and sexual well-being in women with vulvodynia and their partners.  The first article aimed to examine relationship intimacy and sexual intimacy in relation to sexual satisfaction, sexual function, pain self-efficacy and pain during intercourse in women. Ninety-one women with vulvodynia and their partners completed self-report questionnaires. Women’s higher sexual intimacy was associated with their higher sexual satisfaction and pain self-efficacy. Women’s higher relationship intimacy and sexual intimacy were also associated with their higher sexual function. Relationship intimacy and sexual intimacy were not associated with pain intensity.  Using a combination of observational and self-report methodologies, the second article aimed to investigate the associations between two central components of intimacy –  empathic response and disclosure –  and sexual satisfaction and distress among fifty women and their partners.  Disclosure and empathic response were measured from the perspective of a trained observer and self-reported by women and their partners immediately following a discussion task. During the discussion, greater empathic response in women and partners were associated with their own higher sexual satisfaction.  Greater women’s empathic response was associated with their partners’ higher sexual satisfaction. Greater disclosure in couples, as perceived by women and partners, was associated with higher partners’ sexual satisfaction. Greater empathic response in women was associated with partners’ lower sexual distress. Greater disclosure in couples, as perceived by partners, was associated with partners’ lower sexual distress. Clinical, theoretical, methodological implications of the thesis are discussed.
couple vulvodynia provoked vestibulodynia intimacy disclosure empathic response sexual satisfaction sexual function pain self-efficacy sexual distress