The relationship between communication, arousal and postpartum sexual satisfaction: the role of sexual distress as a mediator

Aims: The present study investigates the relationships between sexual communication, sexual arousal, sexual distress and sexual satisfaction in the postpartum period, with a specific focus on the mediating role of sexual distress. The present research aims to provide a better understanding of the interaction between sexual communication, sexual arousal and postpartum sexual satisfaction with an analysis of the mediating role of sexual distress, which may significantly influence couples' adjustment to postpartum intimate changes. Participants: 105 women aged between 23 and 60 years in a couple relationship with a history of at least one childbirth. The postpartum interval was more than 1 year in 94.4% of cases, several months in 3.7% and several weeks in 1.9% of cases. The majority of the participants had higher education and were urban (75.7%). Instruments: Participants were asked to complete an online questionnaire on sexual communication, sexual arousal, sexual distress and postpartum sexual satisfaction. Results: Results showed that postpartum sexual arousal was positively associated with sexual satisfaction, while sexual distress correlated negatively with both variables. Sexual communication correlated negatively with sexual satisfaction and sexual arousal, contrary to expectations. Mediation analysis indicated that sexual distress partially mediated the relationship between sexual arousal and postpartum sexual satisfaction, explaining 49.18% of this effect. Conclusion : The study results validated three of the established hypotheses.