Oral contraceptive use during relationship formation and current relationship satisfaction: Testing the congruency hypothesis in couples attending pregnancy and fertility clinics

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F00216208%3A11310%2F22%3A10436610" target="_blank" >RIV/00216208:11310/22:10436610 - isvavai.cz</a>

Alternative codes found

RIV/00064165:_____/22:10436610 RIV/00216208:11110/22:10436610

Result on the web

<a href="https://verso.is.cuni.cz/pub/verso.fpl?fname=obd_publikace_handle&handle=tt-7vWKB6W" target="_blank" >https://verso.is.cuni.cz/pub/verso.fpl?fname=obd_publikace_handle&handle=tt-7vWKB6W</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2021.105451" target="_blank" >10.1016/j.psyneuen.2021.105451</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

Oral contraceptive use during relationship formation and current relationship satisfaction: Testing the congruency hypothesis in couples attending pregnancy and fertility clinics

Original language description

According to the congruency hypothesis, relationship satisfaction is predicted by the congruency (or non congruency) between current use of oral contraceptives (OC) and their use during relationship formation. This is based on findings that OC may alter women&apos;s mate preferences, so that attraction to their partner may have changed in non-congruent women. Indeed, some studies find that women in a non-congruent state were less sexually satisfied with their partner, although they were more satisfied in non-sexual aspects of the relationship. However, some other studies have produced null results, calling the hypothesis into question. In this study, we tested the congruency hypothesis in two samples of pregnant women, and in two samples of couples attending a fertility clinic. In all four samples, couples completed questionnaires on relationship and sexual satisfaction and the women also reported their previous and current contraceptive use. In one sample of pregnant women, we found that women who used OC during relationship formation were more sexually satisfied with their partner compared to women who did not use OC at that time; this pattern has previously been interpreted as supporting the congruency hypothesis in view of certain similarities in hormonal profile between OC use and pregnancy. We did not find any significant effect of OC use during relationship formation on sexual and relationship satisfaction in the other sample of pregnant women, either sample attending the fertility clinic, or in the male partners of any of our samples. Our results thus provide mixed support for the congruency hypothesis. Finally, we discuss recommendations for future studies such as use of within-subject designs and more structured assessment of sexual satisfaction.

Czech name

—

Czech description

—

Type

J_imp - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database

CEP classification

—

OECD FORD branch

10602 - Biology (theoretical, mathematical, thermal, cryobiology, biological rhythm), Evolutionary biology

Project

<a href="/en/project/GA20-16698S" target="_blank" >GA20-16698S: Disgust sensitivity in pregnancy: Individual differences and longitudinal changes</a><br>

Continuities

P - Projekt vyzkumu a vyvoje financovany z verejnych zdroju (s odkazem do CEP)

Publication year

2022

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

Psychoneuroendocrinology

ISSN

0306-4530

e-ISSN

1873-3360

Volume of the periodical

135

Issue of the periodical within the volume

January

Country of publishing house

GB - UNITED KINGDOM

Number of pages

8

Pages from-to

105451

UT code for WoS article

000720451600008

EID of the result in the Scopus database

2-s2.0-85118499224