קונפליקטים פנימיים דתיים ורוחניים, קידוש המיניות ושביעות רצון מינית בקרב יהודים ישראלים

Background: Sexual satisfaction is an important element in marital and general well-being. Therefore, it is important to identify predictors of this phenomenon. Aims: To examine the association between religious and spiritual struggles (r/s struggles) and sexual satisfaction, and whether this association is moderated by sanctification of sexuality. Methods: The sample consisted of 309 Israeli Jewish individuals who reported being married or in a stable relationship and having some degree of religious or spiritual inclination. The research employed a cross-sectional methodology, and data collection was conducted through online self-report questionnaires. Participants provided demographic information and completed measures assessing r/s struggles, sexual satisfaction, and two types of sanctification of sexuality: theistic, referring to the divine presence within a relationship; and non-theistic, referring to sacred qualities within a relationship. Findings: The findings revealed a negative correlation between r/s struggles and sexual satisfaction, as well as a positive correlation between non-theistic sanctification and sexual satisfaction. Furthermore, non-theistic sanctification was found to moderate the association between r/s struggles and sexual satisfaction. Conversely, theistic sanctification was not found to be correlated with sexual satisfaction, nor did it moderate the relationship between r/s struggles and sexual satisfaction. Conclusions and Implications for Practice: These findings highlight the multifaceted nature of religion and spirituality in relation to sexual satisfaction. Paradoxically, they suggest that religion and spirituality may offer solutions to diminished sexual satisfaction that can arise from challenges inherent in religious and spiritual life.