Solo and Partnered Sexual Satisfaction of Sexual and Gender Minorities Assigned Female at Birth: Roles of Body Appreciation, Social Support, and Gender Minority Status 

The relationship between body appreciation and sexual satisfaction in cisgender heterosexual women is established, but little is known about sexual and gender minorities assigned female at birth (SGM-AFAB). Additionally, most studies focus primarily on partnered sexual experience, while sexual satisfaction from masturbation remains understudied. We addressed these gaps by examining, among SGM-AFAB, the relationship between body appreciation and sexual satisfaction from both partnered sex and masturbation, as well as how perceived social support and gender identity (cisgender vs. gender minority) moderated this relationship. Participants (N = 287, Mage = 25.74, 79.1% cisgender) responded to an online survey assessing their sexual satisfaction from partnered sex and from masturbation. We found that higher body appreciation was associated with higher sexual satisfaction both from partnered sex and from masturbation. Exploratory moderation analysis revealed that, for gender minority AFAB (but not sexual minority cisgender women), the positive relationship between body appreciation and sexual satisfaction from masturbation only existed in those with low levels of social support. Taken together, the findings highlight the critical role of body appreciation in sexual satisfaction for SGM-AFAB, especially gender minority (e.g., transgender and non-binary) individuals who lack social support.