Development and initial validation of the Positive Sexuality Scale for female adults

Giulia Casu

Journal of Clinical Nursing, 2019, vol. 28, issue 7-8, 1289-1299

Abstract: Aim and objectives To develop and initially validate the Positive Sexuality Scale (PSS) to assess adult female‐positive sexuality. Background While traditional approaches focus on negative sexual experiences and sexual dysfunctions, within the positive psychology framework positive sexuality is a subjective experience of happiness and fulfilment with one’s sexual expression, which contributes to well‐being. No measure exists that specifically measures adult female‐positive sexuality and can be confidently used with women of any fertility/childlessness status. Design Two‐stage cross‐sectional study with a 4‐week test–retest, which follows the STROBE guidelines. Methods Participants were 912 Italian women aged 18–45 (52.74% mothers, 23.79% voluntarily childless and 23.46% primary infertile), who completed the 5‐item PSS and a self‐report of psychological well‐being. A subsample (n = 61) completed the 4‐week test–retest. Results Factor analyses supported a one‐factor model with measurement invariance across adulthood stage and fertility/childlessness status and good reliability. Younger and fertile women showed higher PSS scores, and moderate‐to‐high variability in infertile women’s well‐being was accounted for by PSS scores. Conclusion The PSS is a brief self‐report with initial evidence of validity and reliability that could be used in sex research, practice and education. Relevance to clinical practice The PSS could assist health professionals to identify a positive resource to which women can draw on to deal with sex‐related issues. Implementing the assessment of female‐positive sexuality in infertility protocols could help professionals to identify a potential resource within couples facing infertility and its treatment.

Date: 2019
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.14742

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:wly:jocnur:v:28:y:2019:i:7-8:p:1289-1299

Access Statistics for this article

More articles in Journal of Clinical Nursing from John Wiley & Sons
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Wiley Content Delivery ().