ABSTRACT

Lifestyle changes caused by the COVID-19 pandemic had mostly negative consequences for individual, relationship, and sexual functioning. However, some individuals have reported increases in sexual desire and made new additions to their sex lives. Given that stress-provoking situations can sometimes make mortality more salient and heighten sexual desire, it is possible that lifestyle changes and fear of COVID-19 infection may have benefited some relationships. We conducted a cross-sectional study with 303 romantically involved adults (58.1% men) and found that lifestyle changes were associated with negative changes in one’s sex life, unrelated to wanting to spend time with one’s partner, and positively associated with relationship quality. Lifestyle changes were also positively associated with sexual desire, but only for participants with high (vs. low) fear of COVID-19 infection. For these participants, sexual desire was associated with positive changes in one’s sex life and wanting to spend time with one’s partner, but not with overall relationship quality. Results were consistent after controlling for pandemic-related anxiety and demographic variables. This study advances literature focused on the importance of romantic relationships in stress-provoking situations such as the COVID-19 pandemic by shedding light on the association between sexual desire and personal and relational well-being.

摘要

COVID-19 大流行引起的生活方式改变主要对个人、人际关系和性功能产生负面影响。然而，有些人报告说性欲增加，并为他们的性生活增添了新的内容。鉴于引发压力的情况有时会使死亡率更加突出并提高性欲，生活方式的改变和对 COVID-19 感染的恐惧可能使某些关系受益。我们对 303 名恋爱中的成年人（58.1% 男性）进行了一项横断面研究，发现生活方式的改变与性生活的负面变化有关，与想要与伴侣共度时光无关，与关系质量呈正相关。生活方式的改变也与性欲呈正相关，但仅限于性欲高的参与者（vs. 低）对 COVID-19 感染的恐惧。对于这些参与者来说，性欲与性生活的积极变化和希望与伴侣共度时光有关，但与整体关系质量无关。在控制了与流行病相关的焦虑和人口统计变量后，结果是一致的。这项研究通过阐明性欲与个人和关系幸福感之间的关联，推进了关注浪漫关系在诸如 COVID-19 大流行等引起压力的情况下的重要性的文献。在控制了与流行病相关的焦虑和人口统计变量后，结果是一致的。这项研究通过阐明性欲与个人和关系幸福感之间的关联，推进了关注浪漫关系在诸如 COVID-19 大流行等引起压力的情况下的重要性的文献。在控制了与流行病相关的焦虑和人口统计变量后，结果是一致的。这项研究通过阐明性欲与个人和关系幸福感之间的关联，推进了关注浪漫关系在诸如 COVID-19 大流行等引起压力的情况下的重要性的文献。