Keywords
Fear of Intimacy
Sexual Communication
Sexual Satisfaction
How to Cite
Abstract
Sexual satisfaction is an important indicator of sexual health and relationship functioning, yet young men who have difficulties recognizing and expressing emotions may experience lower satisfaction in their intimate lives. The present study addressed the research problem of whether and how alexithymia relates to sexual satisfaction in young heterosexual men by testing fear of intimacy and sexual communication as sequential mechanisms. In an online cross-sectional survey, 153 men aged 18–30 years who were in a romantic relationship (≥ 6 months) completed measures of alexithymia (TAS-20), fear of intimacy (FIS), sexual communication self-efficacy (SCSES), and sexual satisfaction (SSS). It was hypothesized that higher alexithymia would be associated with greater fear of intimacy, which would be linked to lower sexual communication, and in turn to lower sexual satisfaction. Serial mediation analyses (PROCESS Model 6, bootstrapping) supported the hypothesized pathway: alexithymia was indirectly related to sexual satisfaction through increased fear of intimacy and reduced sexual communication. The direct association between alexithymia and sexual satisfaction was attenuated after accounting for the mediators. The model explained 38% of the variance in sexual satisfaction. These findings suggest that intimacy-related avoidance and difficulties in sexual communication may explain why alexithymia undermines sexual satisfaction, highlighting potential targets for prevention and couple-focused interventions.
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