First, it is common – in fact, it is so common that research has been done about it and measurements have been made to define it. So if you experience this – you are normal!! The key now is to know that sexual self-consciousness and sexual embarrassment may be something that holds women back from experiencing sexual pleasure and orgasm.
Compared to men, women score higher on Sexual Embarrassment. This study was able to correlate sexual embarrassment with sexual psychological distress. Which basically means that if one is feeling embarrassed during sex, one will also be sexually holding back and not be able to experience sexual pleasure and orgasm, thus experiencing sexual distress. To that end, being sexually self-consciousness and sexually embarrassed are factors in developing sexual problems or in scientific terms, called sexual dysfunction.
Here are a few questions from the Sexual Self-Conscious Scale:
Sexual Embarrassment Questions
- It takes me quite some time for me to overcome my shyness in sexual situations.
- I quickly feel embarrassed in sexual situations.
- I feel uncomfortable in sexual situations.
- I find it difficult to sexually let myself go in front of another person.
- When I see myself during sex, I am irritatingly aware of myself.
- I continuously feel being observed by the other person during sex.
Sexual Self-Consciousness Subscale
- I am aware during sex on the impression I make on the other person.
- I pay much attention to my sexual thoughts and feelings.
- I often wonder during sex what the other person thinks of me.
- I am preoccupied by the way I behave sexually.
- During sex, I pay much attention to what happens inside my body.
- I often imagine how I behave during sex.
Citation: J. J. D. M. van Lankveld, H. Sykora, W. E. H. Geijen. 12 Aug 2010, Sexual Self-
Consciousness Scale from: Handbook of Sexuality-Related Measures Routledge
Accessed on: 22 Oct 2020 https://www.routledgehandbooks.com/doi/10.4324/9781315881089.ch193
