Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Women's sexuality is influenced by their perceptions of their bodies. Negative body appraisals have been implicated in the development and maintenance of sexual concerns in women with a history of childhood sexual abuse (CSA). The sexuality of these women is often expressed in extremes of approach and avoidant sexual tendencies, which have been related to the sexual inhibition and sexual excitation pathways of the dual control model. AIM: To test the influence of body esteem on the sexual excitation and inhibition responses of women with and without a history of CSA. METHODS: One hundred thirty-nine women with CSA and 83 non-abused women reported on their abuse history, depressive symptomology, sexual response, and affective appraisals of their body. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Validated self-report measurements of sexual excitation and inhibition responses (Sexual Excitation/Sexual Inhibition Inventory for Women) and body esteem (Body Esteem Scale) were administered. RESULTS: Body esteem was significantly associated with sexual inhibition responses of women regardless of CSA history status but was significantly related only to the sexual excitation responses of women with a CSA history. Perceived sexual attractiveness was a unique predictor of sexual excitation in women with a history of CSA. CONCLUSION: Women with a history of CSA have lower body esteem than non-abused women, particularly in self-perceived sexual attractiveness, and these perceptions appear to influence their sexual responses by acting on the sexual excitation and inhibition response pathways.