The Meaning of Sexual Well-being Among LGBTQ+ People in the Netherlands Using the Framework of Mitchell et al.

Objective: This qualitative study aims to explore the meaning of a sexual well-being framework among LGBTQ+ people in the Netherlands.

Methods: A recently introduced framework of sexual well-being serves as the basis for this study. Interviews were conducted with twenty self-identified LGBTQ+ participants, aged 25 to 35, to collect perceptions and personal experiences regarding sexual well-being.

Results: Participants define sexual well-being as a state in which someone enjoys the aspects of one's sexuality that one considers important. Without compromising the diversity of the unique stories and experiences or their subjectivity, the common denominator when explaining sexual well-being lies within "feeling comfortable and safe with sexuality and accompanying sexual behavior." Other aspects that were considered vital, corresponding with the used framework, were identified: sexual desires and boundaries, sexual freedom and exploration and communication. Moreover, participants repeatedly expressed how sexual pleasure is an important facet of sexual well-being as a whole. Central to the narratives is the influence of cis-heteronormativity on how sexual well-being is shaped and experienced.

Conclusion: What counts as sexual well-being may mean different things to different people; it is individually shaped and individually interpreted. Sexual well-being as a concept is concerned with someone's appraisal and quality of aspects of one's sexuality that one considers important. It must be understood as a reciprocated concept, between the individual and partner(s), where individual autonomy triumphs. We suggest the addition of sexual agency into the framework of sexual well-being, based on the observed influence of cis-heteronormativity on LGBTQ+ sexual well-being. We argue that sexual well-being could be an important principle to consider when developing interventions in the domain of public health in relation to sexuality, as it represents reality by embracing individuality.