Sexual script flexibility, sexual satisfaction, and sexual communication: compasion between bisexual and heterosexual identifying cisgender women

Although a sizable body of research has utilized sexual script theory to examine factors related to sexual health, it has rarely been applied to cisgender bisexual women. Further, much of the existing research on sexual health is rooted in heteronormative and mononormative schemas that fail to recognize the diverse experiences of individuals in LGBTQ+ communities. The lack of attention to cisgender bisexual women is especially concerning given evidence that they demonstrate higher rates of negative sexual health outcomes and encounter both sexism and antibisexual discrimination. This study sought to address the gap in knowledge related to the sexual health of this group by exploring their experiences related to sexual script flexibility, sexual satisfaction, and sexual communication. Participants were 159 cisgender bisexual and heterosexual women. Consistent with the limited body of research examining these constructs, cisgender bisexual women demonstrated a significant difference on the combined variables of sexual script flexibility, sexual satisfaction, and verbal and nonverbal sexual communication compared to cisgender heterosexual women. Findings indicated the observed difference was primarily due to cisgender bisexual women reporting higher levels of sexual script flexibility. Results and implications are discussed in relation to an inclusive understanding of sexual health.