Impact of COVID-19 Related Stress on Sexual Desire and Behavior in a Canadian Sample
Lori A. Brotto, Faith Jabs, Natalie B. Brown, Sonia Milani, Bożena Zdaniuk
Abstract
Objectives: We evaluated various facets of sexual health in Canadians across phases of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Online questionnaires every four weeks from April-August 2020. Results: Higher COVID-19 stress predicted higher baseline dyadic sexual desire, lower relationship satisfaction, higher desire for solitary sexual behavior, and higher likelihood of experiencing sexual coercion among people with a live-in romantic partner. Dyadic sexual desire and pandemic-related stress both decreased with time, whereas solitary sexual behavior decreased and dyadic sexual behavior increased among participants without a live-in romantic partner. Conclusions: Our findings reveal differential impacts of COVID-19 related stress on sexual outcomes.