The Wife, The Mother, and The Slut: Sexual Pleasure for the Filipino Woman a Grounded Theory Approach

The present study aimed to build a theory of sexual pleasure for the Filipino women using a constructivist grounded theory approach. The theory constructed is composed of two models: the Identity Model of Sexual Pleasure and the Relational Model of Sexual Pleasure. The Identity Model consists of six categories showing how women identify in relation to how they see their sexual experiences: as adolescents, as girlfriends, as mothers, as wives, as sexual women or as “sluts”, and as renewed women. In this model, nine processes describe their experiences of pleasure: learning masturbation, having sex for the thrill, deprioritizing sexual encounters, engaging in sex primarily for their husbands, giving in to unwanted sex, getting pleasure by giving pleasure, reawakening of one’s sexual self, owning their sexual desire and pleasure, and having pleasurable sex for the communion. Within the Identity Model is the Relational Model of Pleasure. This model consists of eight processes: being “connected” in the relationship, experiencing “laglag panty moments,” feeling wanted and desired, letting go of inhibitions, savoring slow, sensual love making, having fun with rough sex, avoiding dryness and exhaustion/dealing with discomfort, reaching orgasm for both partners. These processes are categorized into three aspects that are crucial for the women to experience pleasure in a specific sexual encounter: interpersonal motivation, emotional and psychological disposition, and physiological needs. Results of the study can be used to aid in future interventions for sex and marital therapy in the country