PS-1-11 Supporting Men to Support Women: Improving the Sexual Relationship for Women Who Experience Painful Intercourse due to Endometriosis

This study sought to explore the impact of women's painful intercourse due to endometriosis on their male partner's sexual wellbeing. This in-depth investigation provides rich detailed accounts of men's experiences, their experiments, their successes and ongoing difficulties for male partners who support women living with endometriosis. A qualitative study informed by interpretive description was adopted to explore the impact of endometriosis related painful intercourse on male partners. Nine men aged between 24 and 42 years engaged in in-depth, semi-structured interviews. Participants were in relationships ranging from one to twenty years. A purposive sampling approach was used. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. The sexual wellbeing of all participants was impacted. Sexual functioning changes occurred in sexual desire, arousal, ejaculation and satisfaction. Men differed as to whether these changes were distressing. Some participants adopted modified intercourse and non-coitus, their partner's sexual pleasure guiding them. Modified intercourse interfered with the erotic focus with men who reported higher levels of distress. Some men had no sexual engagement. Participants discussed 'aftercare' which extended their partner's, and relationship's, sexual pleasure where men 'stepped up' to take responsibility for building intimacy. The nine men revealed a range of impacts, adaptive and maladaptive; and demonstrated the vulnerability of their sexual wellbeing. They described innovative ways of adjusting to the painful intercourse.