Body Image and Sex: How Women\u27s Body Image Influences and Impacts Sexual Experiences

Body image, the subjective view about one’s own body and how others perceive it, has been shown to have numerous impacts on women in multiple facets of their lives, including sexual experiences. This study seeks to examine the specific impact that body image has on women using sexual relationships for self-validation. Findings suggest that the more likely a woman is to perceive herself as overweight, the higher the chance that she seeks out sex in order to validate her feelings with regards to her body. Parental involvement and comments about the participant’s body were also shown with the woman seeking out sex for self-validation. Body image can have numerous impacts on the sexual health of women, as well as on their overall mental health and view of healthy relationships