Sext Me Tender: Sexting Frequency, Sexual Communication, and Sexual Satisfaction in Canadian Young Women
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Abstract
Sexting, exchange of sexually explicit digital content, is prevalent among young adults (Courtice & Shaughnessy, 2017). While previous research has explored texting as a tool to communicate about desires and sexual health (Tannebaum, 2018), limited research has investigated the ways sexting might be linked to quality of sexual communication (Bridle, 2019) and confidence with sexual communication (Falconer, 2019). The study utilized secondary data analysis of survey data from Elle Canada. The purpose of this study was to investigate how young women’s sexting frequency was related to communication and satisfaction. Results from 1302 women found that sexters were more likely to be verbal communicators (p = 0.05), to regularly disclose their current sexually transmitted infection (STI) status (p < 0.001), and to ask a partner about their STI status (p < 0.001). Frequent sexters were more sexually satisfied (p < 0.001) and were more likely to report a very pleasurable last sexual encounter (p < 0.001). These findings have applications in relationship research, as well as exploring sexting as a potential tool in couple’s therapy.