| dc.contributor.advisor | Croff, Julie M. | |
| dc.contributor.author | Rebek, Bridget Louise | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2018-03-13T18:16:19Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2018-03-13T18:16:19Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2017-05-01 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/11244/54600 | |
| dc.description.abstract | Repartnering figures prominently in the literature as being an important part of emotional recovery after divorce. However, little is known about patterns of sexual behavior among midlife women immediately after marital dissolution but before long-term or permanent repartnering. Less still is known about the role of sexuality as a tool for overcoming the mental and physical health risks associated with divorce. I recruited 15 women who experienced divorce or permanent separation between age 35 and 55 for in-depth qualitative interviews. Using an inductive approach, we explored patterns of sexual behavior after marital dissolution. Five major themes emerged, including End of Marriage, Anomalous Relationships, Anomalous Partners, Condom Use and Psychological Sequelae. Participants often began sexual activity with novel partners just before or soon after marital separation and reported multiple sequential and overlapping sexual relationships, many of which began soon after meeting new partners. Many women chose partners anomalous to previous patterns of sexual behavior and reported relationship structures different from those they had previously experienced. Most expressed knowledge of the necessity of condom use, but few used condoms consistently for a variety of reasons. Many perceived psychological benefits, including greater self-awareness, from post-dissolution sexual activities, but also expressed some degree of self-judgment for their participation in them.Post-dissolution sexuality among midlife women begins long before separation or divorce is announced and includes a wide range of behaviors, risks and benefits. Women spend a great deal of time considering the origins of their post-dissolution sexual behavior and the implications of even short-term post-dissolution partnerships. They use these ruminations to inform their long-term behavior and lifestyle choices. Professionals working with women during this time period should time interventions early in the dissolution process and strive to ensure that their language and demeanor are judgment-free and devoid of assumptions of monogamous heterosexuality. | |
| dc.format | application/pdf | |
| dc.language | en_US | |
| dc.rights | Copyright is held by the author who has granted the Oklahoma State University Library the non-exclusive right to share this material in its institutional repository. Contact Digital Library Services at lib-dls@okstate.edu or 405-744-9161 for the permission policy on the use, reproduction or distribution of this material. | |
| dc.title | "Nothing Wrong with Me": Women's Sexuality after Midlife Marital Dissolution | |
| dc.contributor.committeeMember | Hubach, Randolph D. | |
| dc.contributor.committeeMember | Miller, Bridget M. | |
| osu.filename | Rebek_okstate_0664M_15109.pdf | |
| osu.accesstype | Open Access | |
| dc.description.department | Public Health (MPH) | |
| dc.type.genre | Thesis | |
| dc.type.material | text | |
