The effects of infidelity on lesbian relationships

Research has been conducted on heterosexual couples in terms of the effects of affairs or infidelity. However, there is little information on infidelity or affairs among lesbian couples. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the effects of infidelity on lesbian couples. An additional purpose of this study was to bring awareness to family therapists and mental health professionals about some challenges lesbian couples experience in their relationship. The study consisted of interviews with 10 lesbian participants recruited using a snowball sampling technique. Semi-structured interviews were conducted. In vivo coding, focused coding, and analytical memos along with member checking were used to analyze the data. Three themes emerged. First, infidelity due to distance and lack of attention, second was lack of trust, and third was the alteration of trust. Additional research is needed to identify appropriate therapeutic models when working with lesbian couples who have experienced infidelity.