Sexual Assertiveness in Men and Women: The Role of Body Appreciation and Enjoyment of Sexualization

Sexual assertiveness, intended as the voluntary ability to initiate sex, to refuse unwanted sexual activity, and to discuss sexual history with a sexual partner, is essential to individuals’ sexual satisfaction and psychological well-being. The present study aimed to extend existing knowledge on this construct by investigating the role of body appreciation and enjoyment of sexualization on sexual assertiveness in both men and women. Specifically, we hypothesized that body appreciation would be positively associated with sexual assertiveness, both directly and through the mediation of enjoyment of sexualization. Participants were 765 adults between 18 and 40 years old (mean age = 25.18; SD = 5.04). A multigroup structural equation model tested invariance across genders. Results showed that body appreciation was linked to enjoyment of sexualization and to initiating sex in both genders, but to refusing unwanted sex only in women and to communicating sexual history only in men. Among women, enjoyment of sexualization related to all dimensions of assertiveness, whereas among men it had no significant role. Findings are discussed in light of sociocultural processes influencing sexual assertiveness.