Couple Communication on Sex Scale

Scale Objective

To measure the extent of sexual communication within couples

Type(s) of Behavior Predicted

Women’s empowerment to decide when to have sex or refuse sex

Types of Items Included

• Communication with partners about when to have sex
• Opinions regarding sexual desires
• Level of comfort in talking about sexual relationships with partners

Number of Items and Subscales

4 items

Scale Items

• Can you communicate with your partner about when to have intercourse?
• Can your partner communicate with you about when to have intercourse?
• Does your partner take into account your opinion regarding your sexual desires?
• Do you feel comfortable talking with your partner about your sexual relationship?

Scoring Procedures

• Each item was scored on a 3-point scale: 1 = never; 2 = sometimes; 3 = always.
• Scores were summed with a summated range between 4 and 12.

Psychometrics Used in Scale Construction

Estimates of internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha):

• Women's pretest: alpha = .61
• Women's post-test: alpha = .65
• Men's post-test: alpha = .58

Used with Women 

Yes (N=602)

Used with Men

Yes (N=361)

Country or Countries Where Tested or Applied

Guatemala

Downloads:

• Couple Communication on Sex Scale (PDF )
• DOWNLOAD ENTIRE COMPENDIUM (PDF )

Source(s):

• Leon, F, R Lundgren, and C Vasquez. Couple communication on sex scale. Institute for Reproductive Health, Georgetown University. Draft manuscript.