Content area

Abstract

Consensual unwanted sex (CUS), which occurs when an individual agrees to sexual activity they do not want, remains a common but understudied experience across different ages, genders, and sexual orientations (Nickull et al., 2025; Rubinsky, 2020). Most existing research on CUS focuses on younger women in college (Peterson, 2024), often in dating or casual sexual relationships (Courtice et al., 2021), leaving a significant gap in understanding CUS among adults of varying ages, genders, and relationship lengths. Some studies link CUS to both positive and negative outcomes in relationship quality and sexual satisfaction (Froemming, 2020; Himanen & Gunst, 2024). Participants have also reported posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), including self-blame, hypervigilance, avoidance, and negative changes in mood and thinking (Kern & Peterson, 2021). However, existing studies rarely assess posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in relation to CUS. This dissertation uses the PTSD Checklist (PCL-5; Weathers et al., 2013) according to the criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition, Text Revision (DSM-5-TR, American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2022) to assess PTSD diagnoses (dx), the severity of each PTSS, and experiences of unrecognized coercion among adults aged 21 and older who report CUS in romantic relationships lasting at least two months. The study compares these outcomes by gender, CUS frequency, and reasons for consent.

Details

1010268
Title
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Consensual, Unwanted Sex: The Role of Frequency, Gender, and Reasons for Consenting
Number of pages
345
Publication year
2025
Degree date
2025
School code
1283
Source
DAI-A 87/6(E), Dissertation Abstracts International
ISBN
9798265482037
Committee member
Romero, Devon E.; Harrichand, John J. J. S.; Behl, Malvika
University/institution
The University of Texas at San Antonio
Department
Counseling
University location
United States -- Texas
Degree
Ph.D.
Source type
Dissertation or Thesis
Language
English
Document type
Dissertation/Thesis
Dissertation/thesis number
32285841
ProQuest document ID
3281657514
Document URL
https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/posttraumatic-stress-disorder-consensual-unwanted/docview/3281657514/se-2?accountid=208611
Copyright
Database copyright ProQuest LLC; ProQuest does not claim copyright in the individual underlying works.
Database
ProQuest One Academic