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Abstract

This paper explores and theorises education-based workshops delivered in secondary schools in support of a relationships and sex education curriculum that aims to bring forth more positive understandings and experiences of gender and sexuality. We cast this work as a form of sexual health activism, with our paper deepening understanding of how the motivations of those engaged in this form of activism interface with the decision to invest time in this work. Based on interviews with 40 workshop facilitators in England and Wales we argue that this form of sexual health activism is motivated by facilitators' life experiences as well as the desire to make the world a better place. As such, this form of work can function as a means of 'caring for' both past selves and future generations, thus functioning simultaneously as a form of self-care and a form of 'societal care work'. Ultimately, these activities may be understood as a form of 'extra-clinical' healthcare practice, with leading gender and sexual health workshops serving as an important means of solidifying health students' identities as both healthcare providers and activists for social change.

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Article Details

Title:
Sexual health activism: the motivations of near-peer volunteer educators working to promote positive understandings of gender and sexuality in UK secondary schools.

Author(s):
Boyer K; Wood I

Summary:
This paper talks about workshops in schools to help students understand gender and sexuality better. People who run these workshops want to use their own life experiences to make the world better for others. By teaching, they care for themselves and future generations while helping students learn about health and activism.

Meta:
pubmed id: 36547365 Indexed on February 9th, 2025

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Abstract

The experiences of heterosexual men with paraplegia who are the victims of intimate partner violence remains an under-researched area. This article responds to the call for more research and offers an analysis of the narratives of five working-class coloured men in Cape Town, South Africa, who acquired spinal cord injuries and then fell victim to intimate partner violence. Narrative interviews were conducted with men and their wives. Drawing on Tarzia's notion of the 'invisible impacts of intimate partner violence', narrative analysis explored the meanings and complexities involved in (re)claiming a sense of identity and sexual intimacy among these men, after their experiences of intimate partner violence. In many cases, the abuse was levelled against them as acts of revenge for having previously been violent non-disabled men. Wives' narratives show nuances that complement the narratives of their partners as they too reflect on what it means to hold a space of safety, emotional stability, intimacy, love, and care for a paralysed husband, after the prior experience of intimate partner violence. Findings provide insight into ways of surviving intimate partner violence and (re)building healthy sexual relationships. At the intersection of intimate partner violence, disability and masculinity, the process of self-healing and (re)building satisfying intimate relations coexists with breaking the silence surrounding intimate partner violence.

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Article Details

Title:
'Every slap demeans me': at the intersection of disability, masculinity and intimate partner violence in the Global South.

Author(s):
Louw H; Nomdo G; Nencel L

Summary:
The study looks at the lives of five men in South Africa who got hurt and lost feeling in their legs, and then their partners hurt them. It talks about how the men and their wives feel and try to be happy and safe again after the hurt. The findings help us understand how they try to heal and have good relationships again.

Meta:
pubmed id: 36541734 Indexed on February 9th, 2025

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Abstract

In the "treat all" era, the high rate of late HIV diagnosis (LHD) worldwide remains an impediment to ending the HIV epidemic. In this study, we analyzed LHD in newly diagnosed people living with HIV (PLWH) and its impact on HIV transmission in Northeast China. Sociodemographic information, baseline clinical data, and plasma samples obtained from all newly diagnosed PLWH in Shenyang, the largest city in Northeast China, between 2016 and 2019 were evaluated. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify risk factors associated with LHD. A molecular network based on the HIV pol gene was constructed to assess the risk of HIV transmission with LHD. A total of 2882 PLWH, including 882 (30.6%) patients with LHD and 1390 (48.2%) patients with non-LHD, were enrolled. The risk factors for LHD were older age (≥ 30 years: p < .01) and diagnosis in the general population through physical examination (p < .0001). Moreover, the molecular network analysis revealed that the clustering rate (p < .0001), the fraction of individuals with ≥ 4 links (p = .0847), and the fraction of individuals linked to recent HIV infection (p < .0001) for LHD were significantly or marginally significantly lower than those recorded for non-LHD. Our study indicates the major risk factors associated with LHD in Shenyang and their limited contribution to HIV transmission, revealing that the peak of HIV transmission of LHD at diagnosis may have been missed. Early detection, diagnosis, and timely intervention for LHD may prevent HIV transmission.

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Article Details

Title:
Molecular Network Analysis Discloses the Limited Contribution to HIV Transmission for Patients with Late HIV Diagnosis in Northeast China.

Author(s):
Zhao B; Song W; Kang M; Dong X; Li X; Wang L; Liu J; Tian W; Ding H; Chu Z; Wang L; Qiu Y; Han X; Shang H

Summary:
This study looked at people in Northeast China who found out they had HIV late. It found that older people and those diagnosed during routine check-ups often found out late. The study suggests that finding out sooner can help stop the spread of HIV.

Meta:
pubmed id: 36539633 Indexed on February 9th, 2025

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Abstract

Contact tracing is a core public health intervention for a range of communicable diseases, in which the primary goal is to interrupt disease transmission and decrease morbidity. In this article, we present lessons learned from COVID-19, HIV, and syphilis in San Francisco to illustrate factors that shape the effectiveness of contact tracing programs and to highlight the value of investing in a robust disease intervention workforce with capacity to pivot rapidly in response to a range of emerging disease trends and outbreak response needs.

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Article Details

Title:
COVID-19, HIV, and Syphilis Contact Tracing: What Have We Learned and Where Are We Headed?

Author(s):
Sachdev D; Chew Ng RA; Hernandez K; Nguyen TQ; Cohen SE

Summary:
Contact tracing helps stop the spread of diseases by finding people who might be sick. This study talks about what we learned from COVID-19, HIV, and syphilis in San Francisco, showing how important it is to have a strong team ready to act quickly when new diseases appear.

Meta:
pubmed id: 36538488 Indexed on February 9th, 2025

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Abstract

Assisted partner services (APS) is a longstanding public health strategy to reduce transmission of sexually transmitted infection (STI) and human immunodeficiency virus in the United States. However, with rapidly increasing rates of STI, innovations to APS are needed to allow health departments to conserve limited public health resources while improving the effectiveness of APS. Disease Intervention Specialists (DIS), public health staff who conduct APS, have a wealth of experience in identifying, locating, and interviewing index patients and their sexual partners, but are currently limited in the services that they are able to provide in the field. Although several state and local health departments are working to expand the role of DIS to incorporate less traditional APS activities, such programs are uncommon. We discuss several services that DIS could conceivably provide in the field, such as STI testing, treatment, and vaccination, and identify critical issues to be addressed to implement these changes in DIS activities on a larger scale. Broadening the scope of DIS activities may result in multiple benefits to health departments, including more effectively delivering STI testing and treatment to hard-to-reach populations, imparting more responsibility to DIS, thereby potentially increasing job satisfaction, and building a workforce that is better prepared for public health crises. Effective approaches to address variable state level regulations governing DIS scope of practice are needed.

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Article Details

Title:
Field Services-Facilitated Treatment and Prevention: Challenges and Opportunities.

Author(s):
Bachmann LH; Kerani RP

Summary:
Assisted partner services (APS) is an important strategy to stop the spread of infections like STIs and HIV. The paper talks about new ways to make these services better and how public health workers could do more things like testing and treating in the field. More jobs and training for these workers could help reach more people and prepare for health emergencies.

Meta:
pubmed id: 36538476 Indexed on February 9th, 2025

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Abstract

The percentage of Neisseria gonorrhoeae (GC) isolates with resistance or elevated minimum inhibitory concentrations to antimicrobials has steadily increased. Current estimates are based on the Gonococcal Isolate Surveillance Project (GISP), a sentinel surveillance study of male GC in the United States. This analysis seeks to assess for adjustment before treating aggregated GISP estimates as nationally representative of all reported male urogenital infections.

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Article Details

Title:
Assessing the National Representativeness of Estimates of Antimicrobial-Resistant Urogenital Neisseria gonorrhoeae in US Men, Gonococcal Isolate Surveillance Project, 2008-2018.

Author(s):
Nielsen KE; St Cyr SB; Pham CD; Kreisel KM

Summary:
Gonorrhea bacteria are getting harder to treat because they resist medicine more. Scientists are checking if data from a special study represents all cases well.

Meta:
pubmed id: 36538365 Indexed on February 9th, 2025

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Abstract

The prevalence and impact of sexual abuse is of global concern, and the alarming rates of victimization have inspired a focus on its prevention. Whilst research has begun to explore the experiences of non-offending individuals to inform prevention initiatives, there is limited exploration of those who have struggled with their sexual interests and go on to commit sexual crime. Arguably these individuals hold key information about gaps in service provision, which may inform approaches to crime prevention. This study aimed to provide a phenomenological exploration of the pre-offense experiences of convicted individuals' beliefs about help-seeking, their desires for support, and any barriers that might have prevented them from coming forward for help. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 individuals convicted of sexual offenses ( = 13 against children; = 1 sexually motivated violence), and interpretative phenomenological analysis elicited three superordinate themes: and . The findings shed light on the distressing experience of living with sexual interests that are so openly rejected by society and the many ways participants attempted to cope with this, including multiple failed attempts to seek help. Implications and limitations are discussed.

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Article Details

Title:
"Falling Through the Cracks": A Retrospective Exploration of the Barriers to Help-Seeking Among Men Convicted of Sexual Crimes.

Author(s):
Swaby H; Lievesley R

Summary:
This study looked at why some people who did bad things didn't ask for help before they did them. Researchers talked to 14 people who did these things to understand their thoughts and struggles. The study found that these people often felt alone because of their feelings and had a hard time finding help.

Meta:
pubmed id: 36537848 Indexed on February 9th, 2025

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Abstract

During the past few years the so-called "anti-gender campaigns" in Bulgaria have revitalized the polemics surrounding the development of non-heterosexual identities claiming that these identities are "imported" by "Western" politics and discourses in order to "weaken" and transform national cultural and political models. Analyzing 63 semi-structured in-depth interviews with non-heterosexual males from different generations, this study aims to contribute to the theories of non-heterosexual identity development by providing data from Bulgarian context. The data from this study suggests that: (1) non-heterosexual male identities in Bulgaria have existed before the "global gay culture"; (2) the younger the participants the earlier they realize their non-heterosexual desires often within the "pre-sexuality stage" defined by the stage models and the youngest cohort self-label their same-sex attraction mainly through an "identity-centred" sequence, before engaging in sexual activities; (3) the greater awareness of role models, the wider access to information, and the involvement in the LGBTQI + communities have contributed to a more positive and self-respectful identity development; (4) physical contacts and observations as significant sources for the questioning of a non-heterosexual identity have been replaced by virtual observations and communication; (5) the Internet and social media have made non-heterosexual identity development more accessible regardless of social and economic background, and that (6) non-heterosexual identity development does not lead automatically to a culturally defined gay identity.

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Article Details

Title:
"Coming Out To Yourself": Reflections On Early-Years Sexual Identity Formation Among Different Generations of Bulgarian Non-Heterosexual Males.

Author(s):
Darakchi S

Summary:
In Bulgaria, the study found that non-heterosexual identities existed before Western influences, and young people realize their identity earlier now. The internet and social media help them learn about their identity, leading to a more positive and respectful understanding of themselves.

Meta:
pubmed id: 36536617 Indexed on February 9th, 2025

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Abstract

This study aims to estimate six different sexual debut ages in heterosexual Norwegians in six birth cohorts of the general population in Norway. The results are based on a 2020 national web panel survey of 18-89-year-olds in Norway (n = 4160). There was a general decline in the median debut age from those aged 70+ to those 18-29 (born 1991-2002). Oral sex with a female partner has become increasingly common among men at an earlier age across generations. The same pattern was found in women as well with regard to oral sex with a male partner and receptive anal sex. There was a slight increase in median debut age in 18-29-year-olds for receptive vaginal sex (born 1991-2002). The median debut age for vaginal sex was fairly stable for generations of men and women born after 1950.

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Article Details

Title:
Sexual Debut Ages in Heterosexual Norwegians Across Six Birth Cohorts.

Author(s):
Fischer N; Træen B; Samuelsen SO

Summary:
The study looked at the ages when people in Norway started having different types of sexual experiences. It found that people today often start having oral sex earlier than older generations did, but the age for starting vaginal sex has mostly stayed the same for those born after 1950.

Meta:
pubmed id: 36531156 Indexed on February 9th, 2025

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Abstract

Sexual minority individuals experience more intimate partner violence (IPV) than those in heterosexual relationships. Issues of mistrust, stigma, and anticipation of abuse contribute to these rates. Lesbian and gay IPV victims have distinct experiences from their abuses with exposure to homophobia, heterosexism, discrimination, and threats of sexual disclosure, among others. These unique and additive minority stressors can lead to adverse health concerns, increase vulnerability to victimization, and elevate abuse perpetration. This study aimed to investigate whether experiences of minority stressors are associated with attitudes toward intimate partner violence among a sample of 240 lesbian and gay Filipinos (155 lesbian and 85 gay participants) aged 20 to 40. Through convenience sampling, lesbian and gay Filipinos completed the Sexual Minority Stress Scale (SMSS) and Intimate Partner Violence Attitude Scale-Revised (IPVAS-Revised). Comparing the minority stressors levels among the participants, lesbians expressed higher expectations of rejection, while gay men experienced more sexual minority adverse events. Lesbians also reported higher satisfaction with outness. Regarding IPV, gay men expressed slightly more favorable attitudes toward abuse, which could make them at risk of becoming victims or perpetrators. Internalized homophobia was associated with more favorable attitudes toward abuse and control, indicating its contribution to more favorable IPV attitudes, although the explanatory power was modest.

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Article Details

Title:
Minority Stressors and Attitudes Toward Intimate Partner Violence Among Lesbian and Gay Individuals.

Author(s):
Eric S Reyes M; Camille M Alday A; Jay J Aurellano A; Raven R Escala S; Ermelo V Hernandez P; Esrom P Matienzo J; Marian R Panaguiton K; Charmaine C Tan A; Zsila Á

Summary:
This study looked at why lesbian and gay people might have different feelings about partner violence compared to others. Many of them face extra stress because of issues like unfair treatment and fear of being hurt. This study found that these stresses can affect how they feel about partner violence.

Meta:
pubmed id: 36531155 Indexed on February 9th, 2025

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Abstract

The purpose of this review is to summarize the current knowledge on out-of-hospital births (at home or in an independent birth center) in high-income countries in the time of coronavirus. Qualitative studies published between 2020 and 2022 providing findings on women's and health providers' perspectives and experiences, as well as policies and practices implemented, are synthetized.

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Article Details

Title:
Policies and Practices on Out-of-Hospital Birth: a Review of Qualitative Studies in the Time of Coronavirus.

Author(s):
Quattrocchi P

Summary:
This paper talks about what we know about having babies outside of hospitals, like at home or special centers, during COVID-19 in rich countries. It looks at studies from 2020 to 2022 about how women and health workers feel and what rules they followed.

Meta:
pubmed id: 36530373 Indexed on February 9th, 2025

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Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine women's experience of menopausal transition and their expectations and wishes for support from healthcare. Further, to examine their knowledge about menopause and thoughts about current attitudes in healthcare and in society generally.

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Article Details

Title:
Swedish women's experiences of menopausal transition: A focus group study.

Author(s):
Lycke A; Brorsson A

Summary:
This study looked at how women feel during menopause and what help they want from doctors. It also explored what they know about menopause and how they think society and healthcare view it.

Meta:
pubmed id: 36528995 Indexed on February 9th, 2025

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Abstract

Intimacy has been identified as an important component of satisfying sexual activity in later life. While the existing literature reports that the importance of intimacy increases with age, the mechanisms behind this process have not been extensively researched. Even less is known about later-life sexual intimacy among women and men from former communist countries. This study explored the nuances of sex and intimacy by interviewing 50 Polish and Czech women and men aged 60 to 82. Data were analysed thematically using an inductive approach. Three main themes were developed to represent the extent to which intimacy was part of participants' lives: 1) lifelong representation of sex as an intimate connection between individuals; 2) later-life shift towards intimacy-oriented sex for two main reasons: health-related necessities and a new relationship context; and 3) no intimacy whatsoever. The study findings indicate that a later-life refocus from an instrumental, penetrative-oriented view of sex towards a wider variety of intimate behaviours may be beneficial, not only for improving quality of sexual life, but also to gain new ways to express emotional connections between the partners.

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Article Details

Title:
Trajectories of intimacy in later-life: a qualitative study of Czech and Polish narratives.

Author(s):
Gore-Gorszewska G; Ševčíková A

Summary:
Researchers talked to older people from Poland and the Czech Republic to understand how intimacy affects their relationships as they age. They found that intimacy becomes more important over time, with some focusing on it for health reasons or because of new relationships. The study suggests that having a variety of intimate behaviors can improve relationships and help partners show their feelings better.

Meta:
pubmed id: 36527453 Indexed on February 9th, 2025

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Abstract

There are clinical practice and operational reasons why it may be appropriate to primarily focus on general risk factors when supervising people convicted of sexual crime in the community. General risk domains may be particularly relevant when supervision officers engage in frequent reassessment of acute dynamic risk factors. We tested the ability of a case management tool, the Dynamic Risk Assessment for Offender Re-entry, to discriminate community based, short-term general (all outcome) recidivism versus nonrecidivism among people convicted of sexual crime ( = 562). We tested the predictive discrimination validity of each DRAOR item and then subscale scores in univariate and multivariate models (also controlling for general static risk). DRAOR scores were associated with general recidivism outcomes and effect sizes were generally similar or stronger compared to models with people convicted of nonsexual crime ( = 2854). DRAOR Acute scores were consistently and incrementally related to general recidivism outcomes beyond other scores. In practice, case managers should remain aware that people convicted of sexual crime are at risk for nonsexual recidivism outcomes and assess problematic functioning broadly alongside problems in sexual domains. Clinically, interconnection among domains potentially provides multiple avenues for effective intervention.

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Article Details

Title:
General Criminal Dynamic Risk and Strength Factors Predict Short-Term General Recidivism Outcomes Among People Convicted of Sexual Crime During Community Supervision.

Author(s):
de Roos MS; Lloyd CD; Serin RC

Summary:
The study looked at how well a tool called DRAOR helps predict if someone who committed a sexual crime will break the law again. The tool checks different risk factors, and the test found it works well at predicting future crimes, not just sexual ones. This can help people who supervise offenders make better plans to keep everyone safe.

Meta:
pubmed id: 36527310 Indexed on February 9th, 2025

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Abstract

Recent research indicates that some young people initially learn about sexual choking through Internet memes. Thus, a qualitative content analysis was performed on 316 visual and textual memes collected from various social media websites and online searches to assess salient categories related to choking during sex. We identified nine main categories: communication, gendered dynamics, choking as dangerous, choking as sexy, sexualization of the nonsexual, shame and worry, romance/rough sex juxtaposition, choking and religious references, instructional/informational. Given that memes, through their humor, can make difficult topics more palatable and minimize potential harm in the phenomenon they depict, more concerted, synergistic effort that integrates media literacy into sexuality education programming on the potential risks that may ensue for those engaging in sexual choking is warranted.

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Article Details

Title:
#ChokeMeDaddy: A Content Analysis of Memes Related to Choking/Strangulation During Sex.

Author(s):
Herbenick D; Guerra-Reyes L; Patterson C; Wilson J; Rosenstock Gonzalez YR; Voorheis E; Whitcomb M; Kump R; Theis E; Rothman EF; Nelson KM; Maas MK

Summary:
Some young people learn about sexual choking from funny pictures online, called memes. Researchers looked at 316 memes and found nine main ideas they talked about, like how choking can be dangerous or sexy, and mixing romance with roughness. They suggest adding lessons on understanding media into sex education to help young people learn about these risks safely.

Meta:
pubmed id: 36526942 Indexed on February 9th, 2025

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Abstract

Existing composite measures assess the extent to which women and men support masculinity ideals concerning the expectation that men should provide for their partners and families. In many contexts across sub-Saharan Africa, the male provider role is taken as given. This core masculinity tenet may be associated with related gender role expectations that result in increasing young women's risk of HIV, especially within the context of transactional sex relationships. Extant literature points to five domains potentially associated with male provider role expectations: male authority, men's sexual decision-making control, women's sexual agency, women's economic dependence, and love. The goal of this study was to develop the Gender Roles and Male Provision Expectations (GRMPE) scale toward understanding whether beliefs attached to male provider role expectations increase HIV risk. We developed the GRMPE across three research phases with young women (ages 15-24) in Central Uganda that (1) used qualitative data to refine domains and develop scale items; (2) cognitively tested the refined items; and (3) pilot tested a 26-item scale across five domains with 108 young women. Using confirmatory factor analyses, we retained 15 items across four factors, corresponding to the domains of male authority, sexual decision-making, women's sexual agency, and love; which we then modeled as indicators in a single second-order factor model. The GRMPE demonstrated initial reliability and validity, and tests of criterion validity found significant associations with known HIV risk behaviors. The GRMPE scale shows promise for better examining the determinants of HIV risk and assessing gender norm change interventions.

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Article Details

Title:
Development of the Gender Roles and Male Provision Expectations Scale.

Author(s):
Stoebenau K; Bingenheimer JB; Kyegombe N; Datar R; Ddumba-Nyanzi I

Summary:
The study created a new scale to understand how beliefs about men being providers might increase young women's risk of getting HIV in Central Uganda. Researchers worked with young women to test a 26-question survey and found 15 important ones related to male authority, decision-making, women's choices, and love. The new scale could help learn more about what causes HIV risks and see if changes in gender norms work.

Meta:
pubmed id: 36525226 Indexed on February 9th, 2025

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Abstract

Breastfeeding practices remain globally suboptimal despite many known maternal and neonatal health benefits and the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative as a global effort to support breastfeeding.

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Article Details

Title:
Exclusive breastfeeding, breastfeeding problems, and maternal breastfeeding attitudes before and after the baby-friendly hospital initiative: A quasi-experimental study.

Author(s):
Mäkelä H; Axelin A; Kolari T; Niela-Vilén H

Summary:
Many moms and babies do not follow breastfeeding practices as they should, even though breastfeeding has many health benefits. Efforts like the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative try to help support breastfeeding around the world.

Meta:
pubmed id: 36521260 Indexed on February 9th, 2025

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Abstract

Women selling sex often face challenges in raising their children in the context of significant socio-economic difficulties and the social stigma inherent in sex work. This paper is based on a cross-sectional qualitative study that explored the dual roles of motherhood and sex work among female sex workers enrolled for ongoing HIV prevention and treatment services in the Sex Workers Outreach Programme (SWOP) clinics in Nairobi, Kenya. We examined women's experiences and coping in negotiating and managing the dual roles of motherhood and sex work. In-depth interviews were conducted with 39 women randomly selected from 1,000 women included in a baseline behavioural-biological survey conducted in October-November 2020 as part of the study. The analysis focused on themes related to motherhood and making a living: (i) entry into sex work; (ii) childcare arrangements; (iii) ensuring respectability for their children; and (iv) pursuit of safety and security. Findings from the study show women's entry into sex work was necessitated by poverty and a lack of reliable sources of livelihood to support their children. While performing their motherhood roles, the women demonstrate agency in navigating through their stigmatised conflicted sex work role to be able to provide for their children.

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Article Details

Title:
Managing motherhood - the experiences of female sex workers in Nairobi, Kenya.

Author(s):
Nyariki E; Wanjiru R; Shah P; Kungu M; Babu H; Weiss HA; Seeley J; Kimani J; Beattie TS

Summary:
This study looks at how women who sell sex balance being moms and working. These moms do these jobs because they need to make money to take care of their kids, and they show they can handle both roles even when it's tough.

Meta:
pubmed id: 36519798 Indexed on February 9th, 2025

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Abstract

Abortions are substantially underreported in surveys due to social stigma, compromising the study of abortion, pregnancy, fertility, and related demographic and health outcomes.

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Article Details

Title:
Randomized experimental testing of new survey approaches to improve abortion reporting in the United States.

Author(s):
Lindberg LD; Maddow-Zimet I; Mueller J; VandeVusse A

Summary:
Many people don't tell the truth about having an abortion because they feel embarrassed or judged. This makes it hard for researchers to study important topics like health and the number of babies being born.

Meta:
pubmed id: 36511507 Indexed on February 9th, 2025

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Abstract

Sextortion (a portmanteau of "sexual" and "extortion") is a relatively new phenomenon of sexual exploitation, which occurs when a person threatens another with the distribution of sexual content on the Internet, to obtain more pictures or videos, money, or have some other demand met. The current study examined how school counselors in Israel perceive the phenomenon of online sextortion. To this end, we conducted a qualitative study based on 20 semi-structured in-depth interviews with school counselors working in middle schools and high schools in Israel, who treated adolescent girls blackmailed over the Internet on sexual grounds. Findings indicate that the school counselors had difficulty in identifying and defining the cases they treated as instances of sextortion, and that in their view the harm was slight. Findings also indicate that school counselors associated the causes of sextortion with the victims and their backgrounds. We found differences between the Arab and secular and national-religious state education in the way Jewish counselors treated the victims and involved additional actors such as the victim's parents and the police. This underscores the importance of providing educational staff with adequate knowledge and tools that are culturally suited to the victims.

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Article Details

Title:
A Qualitative Examination of School Counselors' Experiences of Sextortion Cases of Female Students in Israel.

Author(s):
Dolev-Cohen M; Nezer I; Zumt AA

Summary:
Sextortion is when someone threatens to share private pictures to get more pictures, money, or something else. School counselors in Israel had trouble recognizing sextortion cases and often thought the harm was minor. The study showed that counselors' responses varied based on their cultural backgrounds, highlighting the need for better training.

Meta:
pubmed id: 36510813 Indexed on February 9th, 2025

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Abstract

Malignant syphilis is a rare manifestation of secondary syphilis and is commonly associated with human immunodeficiency virus coinfection. It can present with multiorgan involvement, which poses a diagnostic dilemma to clinicians.

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Article Details

Title:
Case report of a man with HIV presenting with malignant syphilis.

Author(s):
Kim MG; Kamath V; Martinello M; Overton K

Summary:
Malignant syphilis is a rare and serious form of syphilis that often happens when someone also has HIV. It can affect many parts of the body, making it hard for doctors to figure out.

Meta:
pubmed id: 36508716 Indexed on February 9th, 2025

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Abstract

The disclosure of HIV status and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) use can be important in the negotiation of safe sex. With the rapid uptake of PrEP in Australia, norms and expectations about discussion and disclosure may have changed.

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Article Details

Title:
The effect of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) on negotiating casual sex between gay men: disclosure, assumptions, and communication.

Author(s):
Kolstee J; Prestage G; Philpot S; Bavinton B; Hammoud M; Keen P; Holt M

Summary:
This study talks about how sharing if someone is using a medicine called PrEP and if they have HIV can help people talk about safe sex. In Australia, more people are using PrEP, so the way people talk about this might be different now.

Meta:
pubmed id: 36508715 Indexed on February 9th, 2025

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Abstract

The subjective orgasm experience (SOE) is the psychological perception of orgasm sensations and closely related to sexual health. Here, SOE was studied through the context in which it is experienced (sexual relationships and solitary masturbation), gender, and sexual orientation. For this purpose, data were collected from 4255 people (1927 men and 2328 women) of different sexual orientations (heterosexual = 1545; bisexual = 1202; and gay = 1508) who completed two versions of the Orgasm Rating Scale (ORS) for both contexts (i.e., sexual relationships and solitary masturbation) along with a socio-demographic questionnaire. Results showed that the ORS in the context of solitary masturbation is an instrument invariant by gender and sexual orientation. Significant differences in SOE were found by context: it was more intense in the context of sexual relationships (vs. solitary masturbation); by gender: women (vs. men) reported greater intensity; and by sexual orientation, with heterosexual people (vs. gay and bisexual people) having a more intense experience.

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Article Details

Title:
Evaluating the Subjective Orgasm Experience Through Sexual Context, Gender, and Sexual Orientation.

Author(s):
Muñoz-García LE; Gómez-Berrocal C; Sierra JC

Summary:
Researchers studied how people feel about orgasms in different situations, like being with a partner or alone, and how it relates to gender and who they are attracted to. They found that orgasms felt stronger with a partner, women felt stronger orgasms than men, and straight people felt more intense orgasms than gay and bisexual people.

Meta:
pubmed id: 36508069 Indexed on February 9th, 2025

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Abstract

While many studies have investigated the clinical impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on pregnant women's mental health, little attention has been paid to the exploration of women's experiences during the perinatal period from a psychosocial perspective in the Italian context. Thus, the present study aimed to explore the psychosocial changes associated with the pandemic in the perinatal context.

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Article Details

Title:
Exploring the psychosocial impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on women's perinatal experiences and wellbeing: A qualitative study.

Author(s):
Mari F; Capasso M; Caso D

Summary:
This study looked at how the Covid-19 pandemic affected pregnant women in Italy, but not just their health. It explored how their feelings and social lives changed during and after pregnancy.

Meta:
pubmed id: 36502624 Indexed on February 9th, 2025

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Abstract

Women who have sex with women (WSW) have lower rates of engagement in health care and preventive screenings than women who have sex exclusively with men. Existing literature provides limited insight into how intersecting and overlapping identities, such as race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, and identities related to gender expression, may shape individuals' experiences within health care. We conducted qualitative interviews in New York City with 30 people who identified as women, reported sex with people who identify as women, were age 18-65, and were diverse in race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation and gender identity. The semi-structured questionnaire asked participants about positive and negative healthcare experiences to elicit what could encourage or prevent seeking care, with a focus on provider-related factors. Factors that led to positive healthcare experiences included having a provider who was knowledgeable about LGBTQ experience and health and who affirmed their sexuality, gender identity, and other intersecting identities. Factors that contributed to negative healthcare experiences included poor interactions with providers, and providers' perceived heteronormativity and lack of awareness of WSW healthcare needs. WSW of different races, ethnicities, sexual orientations, and gender identities seek validating healthcare experiences that acknowledge and affirm their identities. We present a visual summary of the main thematic factors that contributed to positive and negative WSW healthcare experiences. Increasing access to care requires training providers on how to engage WSW patients, including WSW of diverse race/ethnicity and gender identity and expression.

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Article Details

Title:
Exploring Factors Affecting Patient-Provider Interactions and Healthcare Engagement Among a Diverse Sample of Women Who Have Sex with Women in New York City.

Author(s):
Rahman M; Fikslin RA; Matthews E; Vazquez Sanchez MA; Ahn GO; Kobrak PH; Lovinger ES; Golub SA

Summary:
This study talks about women who have sex with other women and how they sometimes don’t go to the doctor as much as other women. Interviews showed that having doctors who understand and support their identities makes their experience better, while bad experiences happen when doctors don't know much about their needs. The study suggests doctors need training to help all kinds of people.

Meta:
pubmed id: 36478134 Indexed on February 9th, 2025

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Abstract

The ability to systematically reflect on care during labour and birth needs to be developed among health care providers. This study investigates the experiences of health care providers who have participated in process-oriented group reflections. The activity of group reflections was one of the three pillars of a training intervention seeking to implement evidence-based care routines during labour and birth that could contribute to reduced mortality and improved maternal and newborn health in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

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Article Details

Title:
Using process-oriented groups reflections with health care providers to improve childbirth care in the Democratic Republic of Congo - An implementation study.

Author(s):
Berg M; Hogenäs M; Bogren M

Summary:
Health care workers in the Democratic Republic of Congo participated in special group talks to improve how they take care of mothers and babies during birth. The study looked at their experiences during these talks, which are part of training to help make birth safer and healthier.

Meta:
pubmed id: 36476783 Indexed on February 9th, 2025

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Abstract

Scant empirical research from Asia has addressed the impact of COVID-19 on sexual minority health. We aimed to explore and understand the impact of COVID-19 on income security, mental health, HIV risk and access to health services among men who have sex with men (MSM) in India. We conducted a concurrent mixed methods study from April to June 2020, including a cross-sectional survey and in-depth semi-structured interviews with MSM recruited from three non-governmental organisations providing HIV prevention services in Chandigarh, India. We examined the associations of sexual minority stressors (sexual stigma, internalised homonegativity), economic stressors, and stress due to social distancing, with depression and anxiety, HIV risk, and access to health services. Survey findings ( = 132) indicated that internalised homonegativity and stress related to social distancing were significantly associated with depressive and anxiety symptoms. Results also showed reduced access to condoms, HIV testing and counselling services. Qualitative findings ( = 10) highlighted adverse economic impacts of COVID-19, including loss of employment/wages and engaging in survival sex work, which contributed to psychological distress and HIV risk. The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in considerable psychological and financial distress among low socioeconomic status MSM in India, including those involved in sex work - communities already marginalised in economic, family and healthcare sectors. Structural interventions to improve access to mental health and HIV services and decrease financial burden are critical to mitigate the impact of COVID-19.

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Article Details

Title:
Mental health, economic well-being and health care access amid the COVID-19 pandemic: a mixed methods study among urban men who have sex with men in India.

Author(s):
Chakrapani V; Newman PA; Sebastian A; Rawat S; Mittal S; Gupta V; Kaur M

Summary:
The study looked at how COVID-19 affected men who have sex with men in India. It found that many faced stress and anxiety, had trouble getting health services like HIV testing, and suffered from money problems. The researchers say there should be more help with mental health and access to healthcare.

Meta:
pubmed id: 36476183 Indexed on February 9th, 2025

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Abstract

Sexual ill health among young people, in terms of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), unintended pregnancy, transactional sex and sexual violence, is a global public health concern. To that end, the SEXual health Identification Tool (SEXIT) was developed. The purpose of this study was to explore the visitors' experiences of a youth clinic visit when SEXIT was used. A purposively selected sample of 20 participants (16-24 years of age) was recruited from three Swedish youth clinics using SEXIT. Participants were interviewed individually in March and April 2016, and data were analysed using inductive qualitative content analysis. The analysis resulted in four main categories describing the participants' experiences of using SEXIT: "Issues of concern" includes descriptions of the items in SEXIT as important; "Enabling disclosure" describes how SEXIT serves as an invitation to talk and facilitates disclosure of negative experiences; "Road to change" captures experiences of the conversation with the healthcare professional; and "Managing power imbalance" describes experiences regarding the response and attitudes of the healthcare professional as well as the participants' fears of being judged. The categories are connected by the overarching theme "Ask me, listen to me, treat me well and I shall tell". This study contributes knowledge on young people's experiences of a tool-supported dialogue on sexual health and risk-taking initiated by the healthcare professional. Structured questions in a written format, as a basis for dialogue, are appreciated and experienced as a functioning way of addressing sexual ill health and risk-taking at Swedish youth clinics.

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Article Details

Title:
Ask me, listen to me, treat me well and I shall tell: a qualitative study of Swedish youths' experiences of systematic assessment of sexual health and risk-taking (SEXIT).

Author(s):
Hammarström S; Bernhardsson S; Nilsen P; Elisson J; Frostholm E; Lindroth M

Summary:
The study was about a new tool called SEXIT that helps young people talk about sexual health at clinics. Researchers found that SEXIT made it easier for young people to share their experiences and concerns with healthcare workers. Young people liked using the tool and felt it helped them discuss important issues about sexual health and safety.

Meta:
pubmed id: 36476113 Indexed on February 9th, 2025

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Abstract

Sexual health service disruptions due to COVID-19 mitigation measures may have decreased gonorrhea screening and biased case-ascertainment toward symptomatic individuals. We assessed changes in reported symptoms and other characteristics among reported gonorrhea cases during pandemic versus prepandemic periods in 1 city with persistent gonorrhea transmission.

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Article Details

Title:
Characteristics of Reported Gonorrhea Diagnoses During The COVID-19 Pandemic Compared With Pre-COVID-19 Pandemic, Baltimore City, Maryland.

Author(s):
Coen ME; Williford SL; Muvva R; Genberg B; Greenbaum A; Schumacher CM

Summary:
The study looked at how COVID-19 affected gonorrhea testing in one city. They found fewer people got tested for gonorrhea because of COVID-19, and mostly those with symptoms got checked.

Meta:
pubmed id: 36473236 Indexed on February 9th, 2025

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Abstract

Rates of reported gonorrhea and chlamydial infections have increased substantially over the past decade in the USA and disparities persist across age and race/ethnicity. We aimed to understand potential changes in sexual behaviors, sexual network attributes, and sexually transmitted infection (STI) screening that may be contributing to these trends. We analyzed data from 29,423 female and 24,605 male respondents ages 15-44 years from the National Survey of Family Growth, 2008-2019. We used survey-weighted linear or logistic regression to evaluate linear temporal trends in sexual behaviors with opposite-sex partners, network attributes, and STI testing, treatment, and diagnosis. Significant declines were observed in condom use at last vaginal sex, mean number of vaginal sex acts, proportion of condom-protected sex acts in the past 4 weeks, and racial/ethnic homophily with current partners among males and females from 2008-2010 through 2017-2019. Among males, mean number of female partners in the past 12 months and concurrency also declined, while the percent reporting ever having sex with another male increased. Past-year testing for chlamydia and any STI increased among females. Research is needed to understand how these changes interact and potentially contribute to increasing reported gonorrhea and chlamydia diagnoses and identify avenues for future intervention.

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Article Details

Title:
Changes in Sexual Behaviors with Opposite-Sex Partners and Sexually Transmitted Infection Outcomes Among Females and Males Ages 15-44 Years in the USA: National Survey of Family Growth, 2008-2019.

Author(s):
Katz DA; Copen CE; Haderxhanaj LT; Hogben M; Goodreau SM; Spicknall IH; Hamilton DT

Summary:
More people are reported to have gonorrhea and chlamydia in the USA, especially among young people and different races. The study looked at changes in people's sexual behavior and testing for these infections, noticing fewer people using condoms and some getting tested more often. Researchers want to find out how these changes might be linked to more infections.

Meta:
pubmed id: 36472765 Indexed on February 9th, 2025

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Abstract

Partner-perpetrated pregnancy coercion inhibits women's reproductive autonomy. However, few studies have quantified pregnancy coercion and its effects on women's health within low- and middle-income countries. Among a national sample of Ethiopian women, this study aimed to: (1) assess the prevalence of past-year pregnancy coercion and explore regional differences; (2) identify correlates; (3) examine the relationship between pregnancy coercion and modern contraceptive use. Analyses utilise cross-sectional data from Performance Monitoring for Action (PMA)-Ethiopia, a nationally representative sample of females aged 15-49 conducted from October to November 2019. Past-year pregnancy coercion was assessed via five items and analysed dichotomously and categorically for severity. Among women in need of contraception, bivariate and multivariable logistic regression examined associations between variables of interest, per aim, accounting for sampling weights and clustering by enumeration area. Approximately 20% of Ethiopian women reported past-year pregnancy coercion (11.4% less severe; 8.6% more severe), ranging from 16% in Benishangul-Gumuz to 35% in Dire Dawa. Increasing parity was associated with decreased odds of pregnancy coercion. Among women in need of contraception, experience of pregnancy coercion was associated with a 32% decrease in odds of modern contraceptive use (aOR = 0.68; 95% CI: 0.53-0.89); when disaggregated by severity, odds decreased for most severe pregnancy coercion (aOR = 0.59; 95% CI = 0.41-0.83). Results indicate that partner-perpetrated pregnancy coercion is prevalent across diverse regions of Ethiopia, and most severe forms could interrupt recent gains in contraceptive coverage and progress to sexual and reproductive health and rights. Providers must be aware of potential contraceptive interference and address coercive influences during contraceptive counselling.

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Article Details

Title:
Pregnancy coercion, correlates, and associated modern contraceptive use within a nationally representative sample of Ethiopian women.

Author(s):
Wood SN; Dozier JL; Karp C; Desta S; Decker MR; Shiferaw S; Seme A; Yirgu R; Zimmerman LA

Summary:
Some women in Ethiopia are being pressured by their partners to become pregnant, which is called pregnancy coercion. The study found that about 20% of women experienced this, and it makes them less likely to use modern birth control. This problem is found in many different parts of Ethiopia and can affect women's health and rights.

Meta:
pubmed id: 36469634 Indexed on February 9th, 2025

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Abstract

Prior research acknowledges that families and peers influence adolescents' sexual behaviors. Far fewer studies have explored whether and how families and peers influence sexual behaviors among emerging adults, especially among those in committed intimate partnerships, while also accounting for dynamics specific to the intimate relationship and respondents' sociodemographic characteristics. Even less is known about whether and how previous romantic relationship experiences might influence emerging adults' future sexual behavior both within and outside the confines of committed intimate partnerships. Drawing on longitudinal data from the Toledo Adolescent Relationships Study, we examined how emerging adults' family backgrounds, peers' sexual attitudes and behaviors, and past and current relationship experiences influenced their engagement in casual sex and sexual non-exclusivity. We found that each of these contexts was significant predictors of emerging adults' casual sex, and that both peers and romantic relationship experiences significantly influenced the likelihood of engaging in sexually non-exclusive behaviors among those in committed dating, cohabiting, and marital partnerships. We discuss potential theoretical mechanisms linking these relationships and provide suggestions for future research.

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Article Details

Title:
The Influence of Peers, Romantic Partners, and Families on Emerging Adults' Sexual Behavior.

Author(s):
Kaufman-Parks AM; Longmore MA; Manning WD; Giordano PC

Summary:
This study looks at how young adults' families and friends affect their sexual behaviors, especially when they're in serious relationships. It found that what family and friends think and do, as well as past romantic experiences, can influence young adults to have casual or non-exclusive sex.

Meta:
pubmed id: 36469145 Indexed on February 9th, 2025

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Abstract

Virtual reality (VR) pornography is a relatively new medium for the experience of pornography. In juxtaposition with traditional modes of experiencing pornography, such as two-dimensional (2D) displays, VR promises a new experience of pornography for the user. VR can offer the feeling of 'being there': an increased sense of immersion and presence in a mediated experience thanks to the sensory affordances of the medium. In an effective VR environment, the user is immersed in the experience itself, feeling an embodied presence in the world presented to them and able to interact with the environment and others in the environment in ways that cannot be achieved in other media. In terms of pornography, this is potentially revolutionary. The user can be embodied in one of the performers and experience a unique perspective. Alternatively, there are interfaces that will allow for the performer and viewer to physically interact with one another and experience physical arousal from the actions of the other at a distance. The possibilities of VR pornography are therefore related to the intensity of experience, the changing relationship with the performers and others in pornographic media, and the possibility of new, embodied experiences of arousal utilising networked, embodied technologies. This research review assesses to what extent research on VR pornography has supported these possibilities, affordances, and developments.

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Article Details

Title:
Virtual Reality Pornography: a Review of Health-Related Opportunities and Challenges.

Author(s):
Evans L

Summary:
Virtual reality (VR) pornography is a new way to watch and experience adult content that feels more real. It makes people feel like they are actually in the scene and can interact in ways that aren't possible with regular videos. This study looks at how VR changes the experience compared to older methods.

Meta:
pubmed id: 36467871 Indexed on February 9th, 2025

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Abstract

Practicing sex work can present considerable risks to an individual's sexual health and overall well-being. Though resources tailored for sex workers can help mitigate such risks, little is known about male sex workers' interest in them.

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Article Details

Title:
Interest in Sex Work-Related Resources Among Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men Who Have Sex with Men Engaged in Sex Work.

Author(s):
Meunier É; Siegel K; Sundelson AE; Hirshfield S; Schrimshaw EW

Summary:
Some people who do sex work might face risks to their health and happiness. There are resources that can help, but not much is known about whether male sex workers want to use these resources.

Meta:
pubmed id: 36466040 Indexed on February 9th, 2025

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Abstract

Intravaginal practices (IVPs) refer to placing items (e.g., water, soap, commercial douches, fingers, rags) inside the vagina. IVPs have been shown to contribute to the development of bacterial vaginosis (BV) and may increase sexually transmitted infections and HIV risk. We developed the Intravaginal Practices Questionnaire (IVQ). The purpose of this study was to validate the IVQ, with the goal of establishing a consistent method of assessing IVP across studies. Women enrolled in this study (n = 180) were on average 30 years of age (SD = 8.32). Half (54%) identified as non-Hispanic, and 45% identified as Black; 41% reported lifetime IVP. Past month IVP use included commercial douches (9%), water (35%), fingers (41%), soap (21%), cloths/rags/wipes (10%), and vinegar (3%), which were placed in the vagina. No women used yogurt or herbs. An exploratory factor analysis indicated that a single-factor structure best explained the underlying constructs in participant responses in six endorsed items assessing commercial douches, water, fingers, soap, clothes/rags/ wipes, and vinegar use, suggesting that a common factor underlies these behaviors. All factor loadings were > 0.496. Cronbach's α was 0.99, suggesting that the reliability of the scale was excellent. Lastly, a total IVQ score was related to BV diagnosis (p = .007) as well as self-reported symptoms of BV (p = .034). Results illustrate that the IVQ has adequate psychometric properties. This tool may be used by public health experts and clinicians to identify IVPs that may potentially increase HIV risk.

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Article Details

Title:
Assessing Intravaginal Practices in HIV Prevention Research: Development and Validation of an Intravaginal Practices Questionnaire.

Author(s):
Rodriguez VJ; Salazar AS; Cherenack EM; Klatt NR; Jones DL; Alcaide ML

Summary:
The study looked at how different things people might put in their vaginas, like soap or water, can affect health. They made a special questionnaire to help understand these practices better, and found it worked really well to study these habits. By using this tool, doctors can learn more about things that might make some health problems more likely.

Meta:
pubmed id: 36459351 Indexed on February 9th, 2025

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Abstract

The prevailing narrative about sexual declines during the transition to parenthood is largely based on studies assessing the average couple, but there is increasing evidence of variability in the sexual well-being of new parents. We sought to establish distinct subgroups of couples based on sexual function and sexual distress trajectories and examine biopsychosocial risk and protective factors of these trajectories. A prospective cohort of 257 first-time parent couples reported on sexual function and sexual distress from 20-week pregnancy (baseline) to 6 months postpartum across four time-points. Biopsychosocial factors were assessed at baseline and 3 months postpartum. Dyadic latent class growth analysis identified two distinct sexual function classes (high, 85%; discrepant, 15%) and three sexual distress classes (low, 77%; moderate, 12%; discrepant, 11%). We identified biomedical (vaginal delivery, perineal tear, breastfeeding) and psychosocial (fatigue, stress, anxiety, depression, attitudes toward sex during pregnancy, relationship quality, perceived partner support) factors that can be assessed at critical time-points (i.e., 20-week pregnancy and 3 months postpartum) to identify high-risk couples. Current results indicate that the course of change in sexual well-being for new parents is heterogeneous, with most new parents retaining high function and low distress and only a minority showing trajectories in which mothers, but not fathers, experience clinically significant and persistent levels of low sexual function and high sexual distress. These results may facilitate more nuanced approaches to the assessment and intervention of new parents' sexual well-being.

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Article Details

Title:
Biopsychosocial Predictors of Couples' Trajectories of Sexual Function and Sexual Distress Across the Transition to Parenthood.

Author(s):
Tavares IM; Rosen NO; Heiman JR; Nobre PJ

Summary:
The study looked at new parents and how becoming a parent affects their sexual health, finding that most new parents have good sexual well-being but some mothers have more difficulties. They found different factors, like stress or types of childbirth, that could predict which parents might have more trouble. Understanding these differences can help in giving better advice to new parents about their sexual health.

Meta:
pubmed id: 36459350 Indexed on February 9th, 2025

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Abstract

Modeling studies suggest that transmission of gonorrhea and chlamydia to multiple anatomic sites within the same person is necessary to reproduce observed high rates of extragenital gonorrhea/chlamydia. Limited empiric behavioral data support this idea. In this cross-sectional study, we enrolled individuals assigned male at birth who reported sex with men (MSM) and denied receptive anal sex (RAS) in the past 2 years. Participants enrolled in-person at the Sexual Health Clinic in Seattle, Washington (December 2019-September 2021) or online (July 2021-September 2021), and completed a sexual history questionnaire that asked about specific sexual acts and sequence of those acts during their last sexual encounter. We enrolled 210 MSM during the 16-month recruiting period. The median number of sex acts reported at last sexual encounter was 4 (interquartile range 3-5). The most commonly reported acts at last sex were: kissing (83%), receiving oral sex (82%), and insertive anal sex (65%). There was substantial variability in the sequence of acts reported; no unique sequence of sex acts was reported by more than 12% of the population. Ninety percent of participants reported sequences of behaviors that could lead to gonorrhea or chlamydia transmission within the same person (respondent or partner); the most common of these combinations was kissing followed by receiving oral sex (64% reporting). Engaging in multiple sex acts within a single sexual encounter is common and may lead to gonorrhea/chlamydia transmission within the same person. This complicates empiric measurements of transmission probabilities needed to estimate population-level transmission.

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Article Details

Title:
Frequency and Combination of Sequential Sexual Acts That May Lead to Sexually Transmitted Infections at Different Anatomic Sites Within the Same Person.

Author(s):
Khosropour CM; Coomes DM; Barbee LA

Summary:
Researchers studied how men who have sex with men might spread gonorrhea and chlamydia in different body parts. They found that many people do different sexual activities in one encounter, and most of these actions could spread the infections. This makes it hard to figure out how often these infections spread to others.

Meta:
pubmed id: 36459349 Indexed on February 9th, 2025

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Abstract

This study examined whether past experiences of mistreatment in healthcare were associated with greater healthcare avoidance due to anticipated mistreatment among gender minority (GM) people. We evaluated whether state-level healthcare policy protections moderated this relationship.

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Article Details

Title:
Healthcare Mistreatment, State-Level Policy Protections, and Healthcare Avoidance Among Gender Minority People.

Author(s):
Clark KD; Luong S; Lunn MR; Flowers E; Bahalkeh E; Lubensky ME; Capriotti MR; Obedin-Maliver J; Flentje A

Summary:
The study looked at whether people who have been treated unfairly in healthcare try to avoid it because they expect more unfair treatment. It also checked if state healthcare rules can change this.

Meta:
pubmed id: 36458212 Indexed on February 9th, 2025

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Abstract

Migrant and refugee youth (MRY) in Australia face specific experiences that inform their sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). Migrant and refugee communities experience poor health outcomes and low service uptake. Additionally, youth are vulnerable to poor sexual health. This review examines the understandings and perspectives of MRY. A systematic review was conducted as per Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The protocol is registered with PROSPERO: CRD42021241213. Nine databases were systematically searched. Inclusion criteria specified literature reporting on migrant and/or refugee youth perspectives and attitudes towards sexual and reproductive health; peer-reviewed qualitative, mixed-methods and/or quantitative studies or grey literature reports; records using Australian research; literature published in English between January 2000 and March 2021. Records that did not report on MRY and did not examine participant views or perspectives; were abstract-only, reviews, pamphlets, protocols, opinion pieces or letters; did not include Australian research; were published before 2000 and/or in a language other than English were excluded. Two reviewers screened titles, abstracts and full-text articles. The Mixed Method Appraisal Tool was used to assess studies' methodological quality. Thematic synthesis methods guided data extraction and analysis. Twenty-eight papers were included in the final review. Three themes were identified in MRY constructions of SRHR: (1) experiences of silence and shame; (2) understandings of and responses to SRHR risks; (3) navigation of relationships and sexual activity. Socioecological factors shaped MRY perspectives at individual, interpersonal, institutional and societal levels. Societal factors and interpersonal relationships significantly influenced decision making.

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Article Details

Title:
Migrant and refugee youth perspectives on sexual and reproductive health and rights in Australia: a systematic review.

Author(s):
Napier-Raman S; Hossain SZ; Lee MJ; Mpofu E; Liamputtong P; Dune T

Summary:
Migrant and refugee kids in Australia have a tough time with health and using health services. Researchers looked at many studies to see what these young people think about staying healthy and their rights. They found that silence, shame, and friendships really affect the decisions these kids make about their health.

Meta:
pubmed id: 36455882 Indexed on February 9th, 2025

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Abstract

Syphilitic vasculitis (SV) is rare and difficult to be diagnosed. High-resolution vessel wall magnetic resonance imaging (HR-VWI) might be valuable in the diagnosis by differentiating SV from other vessel wall pathologies.

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Article Details

Title:
Isolated middle cerebral artery stenosis caused by syphilitic vasculitis.

Author(s):
Zhang P; Chen L; Chen S; Wu T; Zhang Y

Summary:
Syphilitic vasculitis is a rare disease that's hard to diagnose. Using a special type of imaging called high-resolution vessel wall MRI might help doctors tell it apart from other similar diseases.

Meta:
pubmed id: 36455597 Indexed on February 9th, 2025

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Abstract

Over the past decade, the incidence of primary and secondary syphilis has increased dramatically in the United States and Western Europe. Men living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and those at risk of HIV infection experience disproportionately high rates of early syphilis (ES). We compared the odds of ES among HIV-positive and HIV-negative men participating in a status-neutral comprehensive HIV prevention and treatment program (CHP).

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Article Details

Title:
Persistently Elevated Risk of Syphilis Among Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Positive Men Receiving Care in a Status-Neutral Setting: A Retrospective Analysis.

Author(s):
Shalev N; Castor D; Morrison E; Quigee D; Huang S; Zucker J

Summary:
The number of people getting syphilis has gone up a lot in the U.S. and Western Europe. Men with HIV or who might get HIV have a higher chance of having syphilis. This study looked at how often syphilis happened in men with and without HIV in a health program for HIV.

Meta:
pubmed id: 36454554 Indexed on February 9th, 2025

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Abstract

Public sexually transmitted infection (STI) clinics are safety net providers for uninsured and underinsured individuals but are at risk for closure due to declining budgets and shifting priorities. This study sought to assess changes in insurance status and access to preventive care among public STI clinic patients after immediate and long-term implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

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Article Details

Title:
Assessing Changes in Insurance Status and Access to Care Among Patients Attending Chicago Sexually Transmitted Infection Specialty Clinics From 2013 to 2019.

Author(s):
Korban C; Tabidze I; Broussard D; Cruz Y; Kern D; Mehta SD

Summary:
Public STI clinics help people with little or no insurance. This study looked at how things changed for these patients after the Affordable Care Act started.

Meta:
pubmed id: 36454547 Indexed on February 9th, 2025

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Abstract

Because no measure for sexual orientation-related rejection sensitivity (RS) for adolescents exists, we aimed to develop and validate the Sexual Minority Adolescent Rejection Sensitivity Scale (SMA-RSS). In Study 1, interviews with 22 sexual minority youth were conducted (M age = 18.86, SD = 3.03). Based on these interviews, 29 scenarios were developed as potential items for the SMA-RSS. In Study 2, exploratory factor analyses were conducted on these 29 scenarios in a sample of 397 sexual minority adolescents (M age = 16.63, SD = 1.07). The 14 best performing items were selected and a two-factor structure best fit the data. In Study 3, a confirmatory factor analysis was conducted and the test-retest reliability, criterion validity, convergent validity, and incremental validity of the SMA-RSS were assessed in a sample of 499 sexual minority adolescents (M age = 16.61, SD = 1.34). A bifactor model best fit the data and evidence was provided for a strong enough general factor to justify unidimensionality. For criterion validity, the SMA-RSS evidenced small to moderate correlations with minority stressors and mental health indicators. For convergent validity, we found a moderate correlation with general RS. For incremental validity, the SMA-RSS was associated with mental health indicators over and above minority stressors and general RS. Participants were moderately stable in their scores on the SMA-RSS over a one-month period. Taken together, the SMA-RSS captured unique situations in which sexual minority adolescents anxiously expect rejection and can aid in better understanding health disparities among sexual minority adolescents.

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Article Details

Title:
Development and Validation of the Sexual Minority Adolescent Rejection Sensitivity Scale.

Author(s):
Kiekens WJ; Baams L; Feinstein BA; Veenstra R

Summary:
Researchers created a new tool called the SMA-RSS to help understand how worried LGBTQ+ teens are about being rejected. They tested this tool with lots of kids and found it worked well to measure their feelings. This tool can help learn more about the mental health of these kids.

Meta:
pubmed id: 36454435 Indexed on February 9th, 2025

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Abstract

Masters athletes are endowed with high functional capacity, long-term health, and psychological outlook. However, their sexual activity and function are largely unknown. We investigated the influence of sustained moderate to vigorous exercise on sexual life using a model of masters athletes.

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Article Details

Title:
Sexual Function, Behavior, and Satisfaction in Masters Athletes.

Author(s):
Wang T; Heath MA; Tanaka SK; Tanaka H

Summary:
Researchers studied older athletes to see if regular exercise affects their sexual health. They wanted to know how exercise might change their sexual habits and abilities.

Meta:
pubmed id: 38596768 Indexed on February 9th, 2025

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Abstract

Previous studies have tried to determine the relationship between sexting and risky behaviour to discover whether sexting fits into a deviance or normalcy discourse. This study investigated the relationship between sexting and sexual risk behaviours, contraception use and gender.

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Article Details

Title:
Sexting and sexual behaviour in Australian adolescents.

Author(s):
Falconer TA; Kauer S; Fisher CM

Summary:
The study looked at how sexting is related to risky behaviors and if it's seen as normal or not. It checked if people who sext also take sexual risks or use protection and if there's a difference between boys and girls.

Meta:
pubmed id: 36450300 Indexed on February 9th, 2025

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Abstract

Doula support improves maternal-child health outcomes. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals restricted the number of support people allowed during childbirth. An academic-community research team conducted 17 in-depth interviews and structured surveys with doulas in metro-Atlanta, Georgia, USA from November 2020 to January 2021. Surveys were analysed for descriptive statistics in Stata v. 14, and interviews were analysed in Dedoose using a codebook and memo-ing for thematic analysis. All 17 doulas reported COVID-19 changed their practices: most were unable to accompany clients to delivery (14), started using personal protective equipment (13), used virtual services (12), and had to limit the number of in-person prenatal/postpartum visits (11). Several attended more home births (6) because birthing people were afraid to have their babies in the hospital. Some stopped seeing clients altogether due to safety concerns (2). Many lost clientele who could no longer afford doula services, and some offered services. Most doulas pointed to restrictive hospital policies that excluded doulas and disallowed virtual support as they felt doulas should be considered a part of the team and clients should not be forced to decide between having their doula or their partner in the room. COVID-19 has severely impacted access to and provision of doula care, mostly due to economic hardship for clients and restrictive hospital policies. At the same time, doulas and their clients have been resourceful - using virtual technology, innovative payment models, and home births.

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Article Details

Title:
"Doulas shouldn't be considered visitors, we should be considered a part of [the] team": doula care in Georgia, USA during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Author(s):
Turner D; Lindsey A; Shah P; Sayyad A; Mack A; Rice WS; Mosley EA

Summary:
The COVID-19 pandemic made it hard for doulas to help moms during childbirth because hospitals didn't allow many people inside. Doulas had to change how they worked, like by using video calls and protective gear. Some doulas helped with more home births, while others lost work because people couldn't afford them.

Meta:
pubmed id: 36448944 Indexed on February 9th, 2025

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Abstract

Access to affordable STI testing for asymptomatic persons is important to reduce STI transmission. Our testing site offers easily accessible and affordable STI testing for the general population irrespective of symptoms. Here we report STI prevalence and motivational factors of attendance.

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Article Details

Title:
Prevalence of STIs and people's satisfaction in a general population STI testing site in Bern, Switzerland.

Author(s):
Bigler D; Surial B; Hauser CV; Konrad T; Furrer H; Rauch A; Aebi-Popp K

Summary:
This study talks about how important it is for people to get cheap and easy tests for STIs, even if they don't show any symptoms. The testing site offers these tests to everyone. The study also looks at how many people have STIs and why they come to get tested.

Meta:
pubmed id: 36446580 Indexed on February 9th, 2025

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Abstract

Alcohol and sexual arousal are contextual determinants of condomless sex. Dual-process theory postulates that two types of cognitive processing contribute to the regulation of behavior: one that is fast, intuitive and automatic, and another that is slower and deliberative. This study applied a dual-process model to investigate condomless sexual behavior, highlighting the potential importance of implicit attitudes in condomless sex. We investigated whether the impact of alcohol and sexual arousal on condom use-related attitudes and intentions was explained by diminished working memory capacity, as dual-process models suggest. We also investigated whether this effect could be explained by implicit and explicit attitudes toward condom use. Male participants (N = 30) were randomized using a 2 × 2 within-subjects design that manipulated alcohol intoxication (placebo vs. alcohol beverages) and sexual arousal (neutral vs. erotic movie clips). We measured participants' working memory capacity, intentions to use a condom, and explicit and implicit attitudes toward condom use. Significant main effects of alcohol intoxication and sexual arousal on working memory capacity were found. No significant interaction was found for the combined effect of alcohol intoxication and sexual arousal on intentions to use a condom. There was no significant effect of implicit attitudes on intentions to use a condom, although a trend toward significance (p = 0.06) was found for the effect of implicit attitudes on intentions to use a condom when participants were in a state of alcohol intoxication. Theoretical and practical implications of this study are discussed.

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Article Details

Title:
The Effect of Alcohol and Sexual Arousal on Explicit and Implicit Condom Attitudes and Intentions to Use a Condom.

Author(s):
Wolfs K; Bos AER; Mevissen FEF; van Lankveld JJDM

Summary:
This study looked at how drinking alcohol and feeling sexually excited can affect decisions about using condoms. It found that alcohol and sexual excitement can change how people's brains work, making it harder to think about using condoms. The research also looked at people's automatic feelings about condom use and found some interesting patterns, but more research is needed.

Meta:
pubmed id: 36441371 Indexed on February 9th, 2025

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Abstract

The aim of this paper is to present the results of research on attitudes towards rape conducted in a group of 850 adult Poles, including 505 women, 310 men and 35 non-binary people, and to analyze their selected correlates: rape myth acceptance, right-wing authoritarianism and rape empathy. Non-binary people have only recently been included in research as a distinct group and little information can be found in the literature on the characteristics of their attitudes towards social problems. Therefore particular attention was paid to comparing the attitudes towards rape of non-binary people with those of women and men. In analyzing the results, the authors took into account the current socio-political situation in Poland. The results indicate that attitudes toward sexual aggression are related to the type of gender identification. The most positive attitudes towards rape victims among the groups participating in the research are held by non-binary people. Furthermore, attitudes towards rape are determined by rape myths, right-wing authoritarianism and empathy for victims of rape.

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Article Details

Title:
Attitudes Towards Rape and Their Determinants Among Men, Women and Non-Binary People in Poland.

Author(s):
Olszewska K; Piotrowski P; Wojciechowski BW

Summary:
The paper talks about a study in Poland about how people think about rape. They looked at different people, like men, women, and non-binary people, and found that non-binary people had the most caring attitudes towards victims. They also found that beliefs about rape, political views, and empathy affect how people think about rape.

Meta:
pubmed id: 36440434 Indexed on February 9th, 2025

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Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has intensified the use of online recruitment and data collection for reaching historically underrepresented minorities (URMs) and other diverse groups. Preventing and detecting responses from automated accounts "bots" and those who misrepresent themselves is one challenge in utilizing online approaches. Through internet-mediated methods, interested LGBTQ+ and non-LGBTQ+ couples facing advanced cancer completed an interest form via REDCap®. Eligible participants received a direct link to electronic consent and surveys in REDCap®. Once responses to the interest form (N = 619) were received, the study PI: 1) assessed participants' entries and non-response survey data (time of completion, rate of recruitment, etc.), 2) temporarily postponed recruitment, 3) sent eligibility questionnaires, consent documents, and validated surveys to N= 10 couples and scrutinized these data for suspicious patterns or indications of untrustworthy data, 4) responded to potential participants via email, and 5) implemented additional strategies for detecting and preventing untrustworthy survey responses. Investigators must consider multi-step eligibility screening processes to detect and prevent the collection of untrustworthy data. Investigators' reliance on internet-mediated approaches for conducting research with diverse, hard-to-reach populations increases the importance of addressing threats to data validity. Ultimately, safeguarding internet-mediated research supports research accessibility and inclusion for URMs while also protecting participant data integrity.

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Article Details

Title:
Bots and nots: Safeguarding online survey research with underrepresented and diverse populations.

Author(s):
Bybee S; Cloyes K; Ellington L; Baucom B; Supiano K; Mooney K

Summary:
Researchers used online surveys to include diverse groups in a study, but they had to watch out for fake responses from bots. They checked the answers carefully, stopped new entries a bit, and made new plans to find and stop the fake ones, to make sure the study was fair and safe.

Meta:
pubmed id: 36439051 Indexed on February 9th, 2025