ABSTRACT
Sexual negotiations can become highly emotional, especially when the two members of the couple have very different desires and they cannot find an acceptable middle ground. If not resolved productively, it can lead to resentment, frustration, withdrawal, and hopelessness. It can end a relationship or leave a lasting tension if the couple stays together. Undue selfishness, insensitivity, or lack of consideration will probably become a deal breaker for at least one partner eventually. The balancing act in relationships involves getting our own needs met while also meeting our partner’s. Long-term relationships involve tons of negotiations on all sorts of topics, sexual and otherwise. Every couple needs to figure out what works for them, at each stage of the relationship. Sometimes couples find themselves stuck in an impasse where neither partner is willing to shift their position. Perhaps they have discussed it ad nauseum.
