https://doi.org/10.4087/UMLS7561">
 

Papers from the International Association for Cross-Cultural Psychology Conferences

Publication Date

11-1-2025

Abstract

Sexuality is a deeply ingrained aspect of human identity and experience, and its importance can vary greatly from person to person and across different cultures and contexts. There is a widely accepted perspective in sexual behavior research that western women have more flexible sexual norms and thus function better than women from eastern cultural background. Meanwhile, research in eastern countries often only focused on health matters and bounded to abstinence-centred moral value. This study addresses this gap by investigating the intricate relationship between sex guilt, sex anxiety, and sexual function among sexually active adult women in Indonesia. A sample of adult women (N = 169) who reported being sexually active participated in the study. Utilizing established measures, levels of sex guilt, sex anxiety, and sexual function were assessed to discern patterns and associations within these constructs with other demographic measures. The study reveals that both sex anxiety and sex guilt are inversely correlated with sexual function, indicating that higher levels of guilt and anxiety surrounding sexuality are associated with lower sexual functioning. These findings underscore the complex interplay between psychological factors, relationship dynamics, and personal experiences in shaping sexual function among adult women. Our main finding confirmed the global dynamics on how sexual guilt and anxiety may hinder one's sexual functioning, while the demographic data showed that sexual functioning in Indonesian women's context tied with normative relationship of marriage. We discussed the nuance and different meaning of "sexual liberation" in Indonesian society.

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Globalization in Context

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