The Power of Positivity: Investigating the Influence of Body Image on Sexual Pleasure Through Sexual Agency, with a Focus on Pleasure-Inclusive Sex Education as a Moderator

Abstract

Background: The pervasive and gendered societal messages about young women's bodies often contribute to body image dissatisfaction which can negatively impact their ability to have pleasurable sexual experiences. This is problematic given the growing recognition of sexual pleasure’s role in positive sexual health and wellbeing outcomes. This master thesis aims to deepen the understanding of how body image influences sexual pleasure among sexually active adolescent girls and young women in the Netherlands. It investigates the potential mediating role of sexual agency in the relationship, and if pleasure-inclusive sex education can further enhance young women’s sexual agency in the pursuit of sexual pleasure.

Research Question: To what extent does sexual agency mediate the relationship between body image and sexual pleasure among sexually active adolescent girls and young women in the Netherlands, and is influenced by pleasure-inclusive sex education?

Methods: The analysis was done in SPSS utilizing existing data from Rutgers’ large-scale study conducted in 2017 on the sexual health of young people aged 12-25 in the Netherlands (n = 7,959). It involved running a correlation matrix between the variables of interest and a moderated-mediation analysis using the “PROCESS” macro from Hayes (2022).

Results: The results indicated that a more positive body image is associated with increased sexual pleasure, partly explained by increased sexual agency. The study did not validate the expected moderation effect of pleasure-inclusive sex education on the relationship between sexual agency and sexual pleasure. Nonetheless, as previous research has linked pleasure-inclusive sex education to the ability to express sexual desires and boundaries and have more pleasurable sexual experiences, this study suggests future research investigates the moderating effect using other more comprehensive operationalization.

Conclusion: Overall, this thesis contributes to furthering the understanding of the complex interplay between body image, sexual agency, and sexual pleasure. It provides compelling evidence for the prioritization of more targeted interventions that recognize body image as key to supporting young women to embrace their sexuality, negotiate their pleasure, and experience positive sexual health and wellbeing outcomes.