Grant: Master's Award: Canada Graduate Scholarships

Sexual dysfunction has been associated with a large number of mental health and interpersonal problems. Gay and bisexual men report a higher prevalence of sexual dysfunction and childhood sexual abuse (CSA) compared to heterosexual men. The relationship between being a survivor of CSA and sexual health problems has been well established, however, the pathways leading from CSA to sexual dysfunction are currently poorly understood. One possible explanation of the relationship between CSA and sexual dysfunction is alcohol use. Survivors of CSA engage in more alcohol use and due to the depressant effects of alcohol on the central nervous system, heavy alcohol use has been linked to sexual dysfunction in males. A second possible explanation of the relationship is emotion dysregulation, as research has shown an association between a history of CSA and problems with emotion regulation. The present, longitudinal study will examine the role that alcohol use and emotion dysregulation play in the association between CSA and sexual dysfunction in gay and bisexual men. The study will be useful in identifying factors that may play a role in the development of sexual dysfunction. Additionally, it aims to identify targets for improving sexual dysfunction treatments for gay and bisexual men, a vulnerable population which has been relatively ignored in the scientific literature.