Sexual Distress Among Married Women of Reproductive Age in a Regional Sample from Türkiye: The Role of Violence Exposure and Psychological Well-Being

This cross-sectional study aimed to determine the effects of exposure to violence and psychological well-being on sexual distress in married women of reproductive age. The study sample consisted of 423 women from a sample recruited among hospital patients aged 18-45. Data were collected using the Female Sexual Distress Scale-Revised (FSDS-R) and the Psychological Wellbeing Scale (PWBS). Women who were exposed to insults, humiliations, or degrading behaviors, as well as kicking, slapping, beating, or being hit by their husbands, who were prevented from working or put in financial difficulties, who were forced into sexual intercourse, and who were afraid of their husbands had higher levels of sexual distress (<i>p <</i> 0.01). The results imply that 9.7% of the women had sexual distress; the mean FSDS-R score was 3.26 ± 5.48, and the mean PWBS score was 44.44 ± 11.72. For 17.3% of women's sexual distress scores, the variables of forced sexual intercourse, insults, humiliation, or degrading behavior, age, marital satisfaction, and willingness to marry were found to be significant predictors (<i>p <</i> 0.001). The results reveal a correlation between women's exposure to sexual and emotional violence and sexual distress.