Episode 337: Understanding Women’s Sexual Desire (Essential Listen)

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Oct 18, 2024

Marta Meana, a Professor of Psychology at UNLV, is known for her work on female sexual desire and genital pain. In this engaging discussion, she unpacks the complexities of women's sexual desire, revealing that it is unique and influenced by societal and relational dynamics. The conversation touches on the challenges of maintaining passion in long-term relationships, the significance of being desired, and the role of erotic self-focus in enhancing women's sex lives. Prepare for a thought-provoking exploration of intimacy and the nuances of desire!

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INSIGHT

Defining Desire

Defining sexual desire is complex, with no single agreed-upon definition.
Some view it as a drive towards sexual behavior, others as a wish for a sexual goal, or awareness of arousal.

INSIGHT

Multiple Desires

Marta Meana prefers to talk about "desires" rather than a singular "desire".
This acknowledges the diversity of motivations and experiences related to sexual connection.

ANECDOTE

Happy Marriage, Low Desire

Dr. Meana studied happily married women with low desire for sex with their husbands.
This revealed that even good relationships don't guarantee sexual desire, highlighting the importance of novelty and excitement.

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Sexual desire is complex. Scientists can’t even agree on a definition of it, let alone whether and how it is distinct from arousal. In today’s show, we’re going to revisit one of my favorite conversations of all time on the show, which offers a deep dive into the science behind women’s sexual desire. Some of the topics we’ll discuss include how to treat problems with low desire, why monogamy is so hard on desire, as well as why wanting to be wanted is so vital to feeling desire.

My guest is Dr. Marta Meana, a Professor of Psychology at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. The author of numerous academic publications and two books, her research has focused on genital pain in women, as well as female sexual desire.

Some of the topics we explore include:

Diversity in how sexual desire is experienced.
Why long-term monogamy is hard on sexual desire for everyone, but especially for women.
Whether it’s possible to maintain both intense intimacy and intense passion at the same time.
Why women are more likely than men to see themselves as the object of desire in their fantasies.
How having more erotic self-focus can benefit women’s sex lives.

Got a sex question? Send me a podcast voicemail to have it answered on a future episode at speakpipe.com/sexandpsychology.

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Credits: Precision Podcasting (Podcast editing) and Shutterstock/Florian (Music). Image created with Canva; photos used with permission of guest