Tradition and Transition: American Orthodox Jewish Women Becoming and Being Sexually Active within Marriage

Background and Purpose: The study of female sexuality is somewhat limited and only recently entered social welfare scholarship. Literature related to Orthodox Jewish women is even scarcer. Little scholarly attention has been paid to how Orthodox Jewish women experience their sexuality. This study addresses an under researched subject of how religious women experience their early marital sexual lives. The central question of this study is how do Jewish women who are faithful to the Orthodox Jewish traditions, rituals, and laws experience their transition into sexual intimacy in marriage.

By examining what this population have experienced sexually and how they think about and understand their sexuality and sexual relationships in their early marital sexual lives, this study will address a number of broader clinical and community needs. The purpose of this project is to expand knowledge about the lived experience of married Orthodox Jewish women’s preparation and transition into sexual activity in marriage in order to inform clinical practice, education and program development to address their needs and to contribute to the broader conversation regarding female sexuality, particularly, within cultural context.

Methods: An online mixed methods (QUANT/QUAL sequential) study was conducted that included a 99 item quantitative survey with an option for participants to submit online guided narrative.  The mixed methods online research tool was distributed utilizing social media and 398 subjects completed the online survey and 102 submitted narratives.  In order to participate, participants attested that they were female, over the age of 18, were currently married and identified as an Orthodox Jew. The survey collected data about participants’ background, experience of sex education, access to mental health, sexual subjectivity and help seeking behaviors. The narratives focused on early sexual experience and sexual education. Participant information is summarized using descriptive, continuous, and categorical tests. The heuristic process of phenomenological inquiry guided analysis of the qualitative data.

Findings: Three key concepts that emerged from the data include:

• Pre-marital educational courses serve as a gateway to providing information.
• Courses should include more explicit physiological and sexual health information.
• Specifically, participants shared history of sexual pain disorders and need to have more access and information.

The quantitative data echoed these themes. Of the participants that reported that their premarital education was helpful, they reported that the premarital instructor exude a level of comfort around issues of sexuality, provided physiological information and sexual behavior.

Implications: The findings implicate the importance of providing comprehensive sexual education as part of the premarital education courses. Although these courses are not standardized or regulated, it would benefit women if instructors had access to culturally sensitive education and tools to provide better information. Additionally, community professionals should find way to provide accessible culturally sensitive information directly to women by creating websites, pamphlets for mikvaot (ritual baths) and women’s educational programs. Mental health professionals and medical professionals serving this community also need to become more comfortable and forthcoming with information and asking targeted questions about sexual behaviors and experiences to better serve individuals’ needs.