Virginity lost, satisfaction gained? Physiological and psychological sexual satisfaction at heterosexual debut: Implications for sexual health

Context & Background: Despite the literature's focus on (hetero)sexual initiation, and despite the field's new focus on "positive sexual health," we know little about the degree to which young people are satisfied by their first vaginal intercourse experience, let alone the factors that predict satisfaction (including contraceptive use).

Methods: We analyzed data from a cross-sectional survey of 1986 non-Hispanic White and Black 18-25 year old respondents from four university campuses. Respondents were asked to rate the degree to which their first vaginal intercourse was physiologically and psychologically satisfying.

Results: Both Black and White women were significantly less likely than Black and White men to experience considerable or extreme satisfaction at first vaginal intercourse, particularly physiological satisfaction. Among all four gender-race groups, being in a committed relationship with one's sexual partner greatly increased psychological satisfaction, particularly among women. Experiencing less guilt at first sexual intercourse was also strongly associated with psychological satisfaction for women. Counter to expectations, contraceptive use was not significantly associated with either type of satisfaction among all four groups.

Conclusions: Developing sexual relationships with partners they care for and trust may greatly foster satisfaction among young people at first vaginal intercourse. Results also indicate that young women in particular strongly internalize the cultural stigma on their sexual behavior, which can seriously undermine their ability to achieve sexual satisfaction. Public health practitioners should continue efforts to diminish sexual guilt among young people, especially young women.