Introduction: The female sexuality is well demonstrated, but when it comes to the woman’s experience of her own sexuality in relation with a man with erectile dysfunction, there still seem to be a limitation to what we know. This Master project wants to investigate, the role of the female partner within and for the relationship. And how the man’s erectile dysfunction implicates the woman and her own sexuality.
Aim: The aim of this project is to investigate, how the woman in the heterosexual relationship experience her own sexuality in relation to the man with erectile dysfunction.
Methods: Four women were contacted through their husbands who were patients in a neurological- and urological outpatient clinic. Common for the men was that their erectile dysfunction was caused by nerve damage related to primary disease.
The project is based on qualitative interviews with focus on the woman´s experience of her own sexuality, the level of involvement and communication both within and outside the relationship.
Results/Conclusions: It is evident that the women´s sexuality is affected by the man's erectile dysfunction, but the experience is complex and a lot of other biological, psychological and social factors play a big part for the women´s sexuality. The women lessen their own sexual needs, to benefit the man’s needs and express, that intercourse no longer is most essential, however their intimate life gets a higher priority. Within the relationship, communication about the sexual issue can be difficult. The women want to be involved in their husbands’ consultation in the outpatient clinic.