Body Image Assessments: BESAQ

The Body Exposure during Sexual Activities Questionnaire (BESAQ) is a measure of body image experiences in the specific, situational context of sexual relations. The 28-item self-report questionnaire assesses the extent to which, during sex, persons experience a self-conscious or anxious attentional focus on their body’s appearance and report desires/attempts to avoid the exposure of certain aspects of their body to sexual partners. The response scale is a 5-point frequency rating for each item. The BESAQ yields a single score, averaging the item responses after reverse scoring specific items. Its reliability and validity have been established and are reported in the article referenced below. This article is available without charge from the website of the open-access Electronic Journal of Human Sexuality.

Cash, TF, Maikkula, CL, & Yamamiya, Y. (2004, June 29). “Baring the Body in the Bedroom”: Body Image, Sexual Self-Schemas, and Sexual Functioning among College Women and Men. Electronic Journal of Human Sexuality, http://www.ejhs.org/volume7/bodyimage.html

The BESAQ is a measure for use with adults, 18 years old and older.

The BESAQ, with scoring and normative information, is available for a nominal fee. Purchasers are permitted limited duplication of the questionnaires for research or clinical purposes. Conditions of use are as follows:

• Period of use cannot exceed two years.
• Duplicated copies exceeding 500 require the author's written permission.
• Distribution for use by others is prohibited.
• Modification of the BESAQ items is prohibited.
• Any commercial use of the materials, other than use in research or clinical practice, is prohibited.
• Any document (i.e., technical report, thesis, dissertation, or published article) resulting from use of the BESAQ will include its proper citation.

If you wish to order and print the BESAQ, and you agree to the above terms, CLICK the following link and provide the necessary information as requested.