@article{ref1,
title="Sex in the shadow of child sexual abuse: the development and psychometric evaluation of the Post-Traumatic Sexuality (PT-SEX) Scale",
journal="Journal of interpersonal violence",
year="2022",
author="Gewirtz-Meydan, Ateret and Lassri, Dana",
volume="ePub",
number="ePub",
pages="ePub-ePub",
abstract="Sexual-related post-traumatic stress symptoms (sexual-related PTSS) refers to the traumatic reactions that are replicated during sexual activity among survivors of child sexual abuse (CSA). However, the construct of sexual-related PTSS have been adapted from clinical work with survivors, and research with limited examination of the scales themselves. Given this gap, the current study offers the development of a new measure (PT-SEX) that examines sexual-related PTSS. The study was conducted online, among two convenience samples of women survivors of CSA (study 1 included 451 women and study 2 included 330 women). Six reliable PT-SEX factors emerged from Study 1: Dissociation during sex, intrusiveness during sex, shame and guilt in regard to sexual aspects, pleasing the other during sex, interpersonal distress, and hypervigilance during sex. Study 2 revealed survivors of CSA had significantly higher sexual-related PTSS levels as compared to participants without such a history. Also, post-traumatic stress disorder and sexual-related PTSS made unique and unshared contributions to the observed data, including sexual self-esteem, sexual motives, relationship satisfaction, compulsive sexual behavior, and mental health. CSA significantly moderated the associations between sexual-related PTSS and sexual self-esteem, sexual motivations of self-affirmation and coping, and depression and anxiety. <br><br>FINDINGS from the current study show that over time, the trauma of CSA seems to be implicated in survivors' sexual experience. As sexual difficulties are accompanied by sexual-related PTSS, these symptoms are unlikely to resolve by trauma-focused therapy and must be actively targeted in therapy.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0886-2605",
doi="10.1177/08862605221118969",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/08862605221118969"
}