| Room 518 | Sexuality and Relationships Thursday, July 14, 2005 Time: 2:30 PM-4:30 PM |
Gay Male Couples: Communication about Extra Dyadic Sexual Activity, Relationship Quality, and Psychological Adjustment.
Forssell, Stephen*,1, 1 George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
ABSTRACT- Many male same-sex couples adopt an Open relationship framework wherein sex outside the primary couple or extra dyadic sexual activity (EDSA) is acceptable. Others agree to be sexually exclusive or Closed, although EDSA occurs in Closed relationships as well. Relationship quality and psychological adjustment has generally been found to be similar in both types of couples. However, most of this research was conducted prior to the HIV/AIDS era. Moreover, no study to date has specifically quantified the role of intra-couple communication about EDSA. This study investigated the role of communication about EDSA in the relationship quality, psychological adjustment, and sexual behaviors of male couples with varied agreements regarding EDSA. It was hypothesized that couple communication about EDSA would relate to better relationship quality, better psychological adjustment, and higher adherence to agreements about EDSA. Main Body / Results One hundred ten (110) HIV-negative male couples aged 19-66 (M = 35.7) from across the U.S. completed an original measure of couple Communication about Extra Dyadic Sexual Activity (the CEDSA) as well as measures of psychological adjustment, relationship satisfaction, and sexual behaviors. As predicted, higher CEDSA was related to lower Depression, Panic Anxiety and Emotional Jealousy, and higher Dyadic Adjustment, Love, and Sexual Satisfaction. Contrary to expectation, within-group analyses revealed that higher CEDSA was not related to lower outside sexual activity in Closed couples (n = 54). However, the positive relationship between CEDSA and relationship quality and adjustment variables was stronger for Closed couples than for Open couples (n = 42) or for couples with No Agreement about EDSA (n =14). Conclusions It was concluded that communication about EDSA may contribute to male couple relationship quality and the psychological well-being of persons in those relationships, especially for Closed couples. Results suggest that talking about outside sex, even for couples for whom such activity is disallowed, may be a protective factor for these couples, improving trust and alleviating the negative impact of an EDSA if it does occur in violation of the couple agreement. Results are discussed in light of previous work and behavior on the modern HIV era.
Key words: gay, couples, sexuality, communication, open relationships