Trajectories of Sexual Self-Efficacy in Middle and Later Life: Do Gender and Time-Varying Contexts of Marital and Menopausal Transitions Matter?

Sexual self-efficacy is a person's sense of confidence and ability in the sexual areas of life. While it is well studied in adolescence and young adulthood, studies on sexual self-efficacy in mid-age and later adulthood are scant. The current study aimed to empirically define sexual self-efficacy, examine how it changed over nearly 10 years, and whether gender and key contexts in aging that are time-varying, such as marital and menopausal transitions, moderate the trajectories among mid-aged and older adults. Participants completed two waves of the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) surveys (n = 958), with over half of the sample being female (54%). Factor analyses validated a one-factor model with a five-item sexual self-efficacy construct at the baseline and time 2. Further, growth curve analyses showed that sexual self-efficacy declined similarly for all participants over 10 years; however, women had significantly lower levels than men. Additionally, compared to those who were married at both time points, those who were unpartnered at both time points had lower levels of sexual self-efficacy. Finally, how women's sexual self-efficacy changed over time depended on menopausal transitions, with older women who were late postmenopausal experiencing steep declines. While findings suggested gender differences in levels of sexual self-efficacy in aging, further study into how relationship statuses, and, for women, how menopausal transitions may affect sexual self-efficacy in later life is warranted.