Sexual Health Article Feed
February 9th, 2025
Choosing Castration: A Thematic Analysis of the Perceived Pros and Cons of Genital Injuries and Ablation by Men Who Voluntarily Sought Castration.
Wibowo E; Wong STS; Wassersug RJ; Johnson TW pubmed id: 36327012Some men choose to be castrated even when there's no medical need. This study looks at why they make this choice and finds that they have different reasons, like wanting to change their appearance or being non-sexual. People learn about castration from things like media or seeing animals being castrated, and their views on its good and bad sides vary a lot.
Feasibility of e-commerce pharmacy provision and acceptability of levonorgestrel 1.5 mg for pericoital use in urban and peri-urban settings in Kenya: a prospective cohort study.
Odwe G; McCann B; Liambila W; Vandermark J; Mwanga D; Anab E; Wanami M; Ramarao S pubmed id: 36323492Researchers studied if women in Kenya could use an 'on-demand' birth control pill easily through online pharmacies. They looked at the use of a medicine called levonorgestrel for women who don't have sex often.
Changes in Intimacy and Sexuality During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Analysis of Data from a Survey on Partnered Individuals in Eight European Countries.
Löfgren C; Elmerstig E; Schröder J; Chollier M; Mehulić J; de Graaf H; Klapilova K; Tavares I; Briken P; Köse Ö; Nobre P; Štulhofer A pubmed id: 36320864During the COVID-19 pandemic, people from different countries shared how their relationships and feelings about closeness and love changed. Some people's relationships stayed the same, while others got better or worse. The study helps experts understand how to help people with their relationships during tough times.
Sexual Minority Status and Psychotic Experiences Among Young Adult College Students in the United States.
Oh HY; Jacob L; Smith L; Leaune E; Zhou S; Shin JI; Koyanagi A pubmed id: 36318731This study found that people who identify as a sexual minority have a higher chance of experiencing things that are not real, like hearing voices. This is mostly because of feelings like loneliness, anxiety, and depression. These findings suggest that sexual minorities might need extra support for their mental health.
Making Sense of Jiese: An Interview Study of Members from a Porn-Free Self-Help Forum in China.
Zou W; Zhang X; He J pubmed id: 36318357In China, about 6 million men choose to stop watching porn and not masturbate, calling themselves jieyou. Researchers talked to 32 jieyou to learn why they do this and found four reasons: their personal experiences, seeing it as smart and good, changing their views of themselves, and feeling proud of their country. They use ideas from Chinese culture and health beliefs to support their choice.
Cluster Analysis Method Reveals Gender Attitudes in Sociosexual Orientation of a Southern Italy Population During the COVID-19 Lockdown.
Vaccaro MG; Izzo G; Sarica A; La Vignera S; Aversa A pubmed id: 36313416The COVID-19 lockdown changed how people felt and acted about relationships and their well-being. This study looked at how people in the southern part felt about their relationships during this time.
Norwegian Data on Prevalence, Sexual Risk Behaviors, Sexual Problems, and Sexual Satisfaction in Women Who Have Sex Exclusively with Women, Women Who Have Sex Exclusively with Men, and Women Who Have Sex with Men and Women.
Træen B; Fischer N; Grøndahl P pubmed id: 38596766The study looks at the differences between three groups of women: those who only have relationships with men, those who only have relationships with women, and those who have relationships with both men and women.
'Sometimes, we don't know if we're getting abused': discussions of intimate partner violence and HIV risk among transgender women.
Akande M; Del Farno A; Adrian H; Fogwell NT; Johnson DM; Zlotnick C; Operario D pubmed id: 36309824Transgender women are at high risk for both HIV and violence from partners. The study looked at their experiences to help create better prevention programs. Four important ideas found were understanding partner violence, recognizing regular violence, feeling safe in relationships, and having supportive services.
Attitudes to adolescent pregnancy among families in the Dominican Republic and El Salvador: insights from a longitudinal study.
Gideon J; Engle O pubmed id: 36309823The research looks at how families in the Dominican Republic and El Salvador feel about teenage pregnancy. It says many families think girls should just stay away from boys, but this is because there aren't enough health and rights programs for young women.
Involving young people in sexual health research and service improvement: conceptual analysis of patient and public involvement (PPI) in three projects.
Lewis R; Boydell N; Blake C; Clarke Z; Kernaghan K; McMellon C pubmed id: 36307186This article talks about why it's important to include young people in health studies about sexual and reproductive health. It also shares ideas on how to involve them better in these studies.
A systematic review of randomised controlled trials of the effects of digital health interventions on postpartum contraception use.
Sze YY; Berendes S; Russel S; Bellam L; Smith C; Cameron S; Free CJ pubmed id: 36307185Digital health tools help new mothers use birth control and avoid unplanned pregnancies. We reviewed studies to see how well these tools work for new moms.
In pursuit of the demographic dividend: the return of economic justifications for family planning in Africa.
Foley EE pubmed id: 36305801The article talks about how more people are now supporting family planning in Africa because they think it will help the economy. But, the article argues that focusing too much on lowering birth rates could ignore important human rights about choosing when to have kids.
Peer education interventions for HIV prevention and sexual health with young people in Mekong Region countries: a scoping review and conceptual framework.
Newman PA; Akkakanjanasupar P; Tepjan S; Boborakhimov S; van Wijngaarden JWL; Chonwanarat N pubmed id: 36305756The paper looks at how teaching programs help young people learn about HIV and sexual health in the Mekong Region. They found these programs have both good and bad parts and need to be improved by considering how the teachers and students work together. They think future programs should also focus on how the teaching affects the teachers and look at the different cultures and settings where they teach.
Evaluating the moderating role of accredited social health activists on adverse birth outcomes in rural India.
Kiplagat S; Khan A; Sheehan DM; Jaykrishna P; Ravi K; Jo Trepka M; Bursac Z; Stephens D; Krupp K; Madhivanan P pubmed id: 36302276The ASHA program in India helps improve healthcare in rural areas. This study looks at how ASHA visits can affect the health of pregnant women and their babies in rural Mysore, India.
How Cisgender People Define "Transgender" Is Associated with Attitudes Toward Transgender People.
Reiman AK; Ocasio TS; Mezzapelle JL pubmed id: 36287302Some people do not think about gender identity when considering what being transgender means. This study found that those who see gender identity as important have more positive attitudes towards transgender people.
Assessing Gender Dysphoria: Development and Validation of the Gender Preoccupation and Stability Questionnaire - 2 Edition (GPSQ-2).
Bowman SJ; Hakeem A; Demant D; McAloon J; Wootton BM pubmed id: 36286814The researchers made a new version of a questionnaire to help people who feel uncomfortable with their gender. This new version can now be used by kids 13 years and older. After testing, it was found to work well and was easy to understand for the people who used it.
Factors associated with sexually transmitted shigella in men who have sex with men: a systematic review.
Siddiq M; O'Flanagan H; Richardson D; Llewellyn CD pubmed id: 36283806Some men who have sex with men have been getting shigella, a sickness, since the 1970s. Learning more about how shigella spreads can help stop it in the future.
Moral Foundations Partially Explain the Associations of Machiavellianism, Grandiose Narcissism, and Psychopathy With Homonegativity and Transnegativity.
Kay CS; Dimakis S pubmed id: 36282082Some people with certain personality traits, like being very self-centered or manipulative, are more likely to have negative feelings about gay and transgender people. This is because of how they think about right and wrong. People who are manipulative might not care about fairness and kindness, and people who are self-centered might follow strict group rules.
Sexual Development in Perinatally HIV-Infected Young People: A Systematic Review and Explorative Study.
Ter Haar AM; Fieten A; Van den Hof M; Malekzadeh A; Laan ETM; Oostrom KJ; Pajkrt D pubmed id: 36274460Some kids who got HIV when they were babies might have challenges when growing up and learning about their bodies. This also happens to other young people who have long-term health issues.
Catalyst for change: Lessons learned from overcoming barriers to providing safe abortion care in Médecins Sans Frontières projects.
Kumar M; Schulte-Hillen C; De Plecker E; Van Haver A; Marques SG; Daly M; Vochten H; Merzaghi L; de le Vingne B; Saint-Sauveur JF pubmed id: 36273433In 2004, Médecins Sans Frontières tried to make sure safe abortions were available, but they had trouble doing it all the time. In 2016, they started a new plan to help more people get safe abortions and to learn more about abortions in places with big problems.
Substance Use Experiences Among Bisexual, Pansexual, and Queer (Bi+) Male Youth: A Qualitative Study of Motivations, Consequences, and Decision Making.
Mata D; Korpak AK; Macaulay T; Dodge B; Mustanski B; Feinstein BA pubmed id: 36271216The study looked at why some young people who are attracted to more than one gender use drugs or alcohol. They found that kids use these substances to deal with stress, have fun, or try new things, but they also think about the risks and choose safe places. Programs to help these youth should focus on general problems like stress, not just issues about being a minority.
Perceived Help and Support for Sex as Self-Injury: A Qualitative Study of a Swedish Sample.
Fredlund C; Jonsson LS pubmed id: 36261736Some people hurt themselves on purpose using sexual acts, and this study looked at how they get help and support. The research found that people need to understand this behavior, get respectful support, and deal with the reasons behind it. It's important to help them find their self-worth and set boundaries while also being careful about risks of harm.
The Stroop Task Sex Difference: Evolved Inhibition or Color Naming?
Sjoberg EA; Wilner RG; D'Souza A; Cole GG pubmed id: 36261735Researchers tried to figure out why women do better than men in the Stroop task. They found out that both men and women have the same level of the "inhibition" needed for the task. This means women might be better because they name colors faster, not because they are better at stopping distractions.
Men of refugee and migrant backgrounds in Australia: a scoping review of sexual and reproductive health research.
Mengesha Z; Hawkey AJ; Baroudi M; Ussher JM; Perz J pubmed id: 36261118This study looked at the sexual and reproductive health needs of refugee and migrant men in Australia. It found that most studies focused on diseases like HIV, but other areas aren't well understood. More research is needed on how these men get health care and the challenges they face.
Consistency of Eye Coloration Across Different Relationship Partners.
Newman AV; Pollet TV; McCarty K; Neave N; Saxton TK pubmed id: 36260201The study looked at whether people choose romantic partners with the same eye color as their past partners. They found a little proof that some people might do this, but not a lot, and it might be because of errors or other factors.
An investigation of the impact of the Global Gag Rule on women's sexual and reproductive health outcomes in Uganda: a difference-in-differences analysis.
Giorgio M; Makumbi F; Kibira SPS; Bell SO; Chiu DW; Firestein L; Sully E pubmed id: 36259938The study looked at how a rule from 2017 affected women in Uganda. It found that women in areas less affected by the rule used more long-term birth control. However, in more affected areas, the rule may have slowed down improvements in women's health.
Sexual Behaviors and Human Papillomavirus Vaccination in a Heterosexually Active Adult Population at Increased Risk for HIV Infection.
Amboree TL; Wermuth PP; Montealegre JR; Fujimoto K; Mgbere O; Darkoh C pubmed id: 36255610HPV is a common infection that can be prevented with a vaccine, but not enough people are getting vaccinated in the U.S. In a study of people at risk for HIV, only 11.5% got the HPV vaccine, and those who exchanged sex were less likely to be vaccinated. More research is needed to understand why some groups are not getting vaccinated.
Identifying accurate pro-choice and pro-life identity labels in Spanish: Social media insights and implications for comparative survey research.
Valdez D; Jozkowski KN; Montenegro MS; Crawford BL; Jackson F pubmed id: 36254620Some words used to talk about abortion are "pro-choice" and "pro-life", but other languages don't always have clear words for this. Scientists can use social media to study how people talk about these ideas online.
Sexualization of Children or Human Rights? Attitudes Toward Addressing Sexual-Orientation Diversity in School.
Klocke U pubmed id: 36250961The study found that most people in Germany support teaching acceptance of LGB kids in schools, and only a small group is against it. People who understand that the plans are not about sexualizing kids are more likely to support them.
The white-painters of Cabbagetown: Neighborhood policing and sex worker resistance in Toronto, 1986-1987.
McKenna E pubmed id: 36249415In the 1980s, Toronto had big arguments about laws targeting people who did sex work. Some homeowners worked with the police and City Council to try to stop sex work in their neighborhood, while sex workers fought back using different strategies to protect their rights.
Expectations of the upcoming birth - A survey of women's self-efficacy and birth positions.
Kjeldsen LL; Dahlen HG; Maimburg RD pubmed id: 36244077Choosing to give birth in an upright position can help make childbirth easier and more natural. Women who pick their own birthing position often have a better birthing experience.
Complementing or Congruent? Desired Characteristics in a Friend and Romantic Partner in Autistic versus Typically Developing Male Adolescents.
Dekker LP; van der Vegt EJM; Louwerse A; Visser K; van der Ende J; Maras A; Verhulst FC; Greaves-Lord K pubmed id: 36241943The study looked at what teenagers, both with and without autism, want in friends or romantic partners. The results showed that both groups value qualities like being trustworthy more than things like being popular. Teens with autism have similar wishes for friends and partners as other teens.
"It's a patient safety issue" A qualitative study with care professionals on their experiences of meeting trans people in obstetric and gynaecological care.
Kawsar M; Linander I pubmed id: 36228420This study looks at how doctors and nurses feel when they meet trans people at the hospital. It also talks about how to make these meetings better for everyone.
Police Harassment and Violence Against Transgender & Gender Diverse Sex Workers in the United States.
Stenersen MR; Thomas K; McKee S pubmed id: 36228168This study looked at how police treat transgender and gender diverse sex workers in the U.S. It found that these sex workers often face more harassment and violence from police than those who are not sex workers. The study highlights the need for urgent help to protect these individuals from harm.
Death and Sexuality: Mortality Salience Increases Heteronormative Preferences and Stereotyping Among Those with High Need for Closure.
Fairlamb S; Cheso D; Giddens EK; Akhter ZJ pubmed id: 36228166The study looked at how thinking about death can make people like those who are the same as them more and dislike those who are different. It found that people who like having clear answers thought more negatively about gay men and liked straight men more after thinking about death. This only happened if they looked at profiles before thinking about death thoughts.
What Does It Mean to Be Responsive to a Partner's Sexual Needs? Toward a Definition of Sexual Need Responsiveness.
Vowels LM; Roos CA; Mehulić J; O'Dean SM; Sánchez-Hernández MD pubmed id: 36224303The study looked at how people in relationships can help each other feel happy by paying attention to each other's sexual wants and needs. People said that talking and showing through actions what they want are important parts of being caring and respectful. This helps everyone feel satisfied and safe in the relationship.
Women's attitudes towards a human papillomavirus-based cervical cancer screening strategy: a systematic review.
Nothacker J; Nury E; Roebl Mathieu M; Raatz H; Meerpohl JJ; Schmucker C pubmed id: 36223918The research talks about how women feel about using a test for HPV to check for cervical cancer. The study tries to understand if women like this idea and what they think about it.
Sexual Dysfunction in Women after Traumatic Pelvic Fracture Negatively Affects Quality of Life and Mental Health.
Gambrah HA; Hagedorn JC; Dmochowski RR; Johnsen NV pubmed id: 36220747This study looks at how problems with sexual health, called female sexual dysfunction, affect women who have had serious pelvic injuries. It tries to understand how these problems can change their mental health and quality of life.
Implementation of a Treatment Program for Individuals Imprisoned for Sex Offenses in Uruguay: Achievements, Problems and Challenges.
Sánchez de Ribera O; Trajtenberg N; Martínez-Catena A; Redondo-Illescas S pubmed id: 36213940The study looks at how sex offense treatment programs are working in Uruguay. It finds that there are some good results, but also a lot of challenges, like not having enough resources or trained staff, and issues that are specific to Uruguay, like government policies and lack of facilities.
Multilevel Barriers to Sexual Health Behavior Among Vulnerable Adolescent Girls in the USA.
Kamke K; Stewart JL; Widman L pubmed id: 36212514Most programs about sexual health try to change what people do on their own. But there are many outside things that affect girls' sexual health, so these programs might not help enough. This study looked at what stops girls from practicing safer sex after doing an online course called HEART.
Gender Differences in Sending Nude Pictures and Videos Across Multiple Relationship Contexts in the Adult Norwegian Population.
Træen B; Kvalem IL pubmed id: 36211529In Norway, many people send nude pictures or videos, and men like doing it more than women. Younger people send them more than older people, and women often send them to partners, while men sometimes send them to strangers. Sending these pictures is usually done when people are in relationships.
Parent-Adolescent Sexuality Communication in the African Context: A Scoping Review of the Literature.
Agbeve AS; Fiaveh DY; Anto-Ocrah M pubmed id: 36210094Young people in Africa south of the Sahara are very important but do not have enough information about sexuality education, which is needed for their health and growth.
Towards the prevention of sexually transmitted infections (STIs): Healthcare-seeking behaviour of women with STIs or STI symptoms in sub-Saharan Africa.
Seidu AA; Aboagye RG; Okyere J; Adu C; Aboagye-Mensah R; Ahinkorah BO pubmed id: 36202610Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are a big health problem in many places because they can make people very sick. Going to the doctor for STIs is important to stop them from spreading. This study looked at how often women in sub-Saharan Africa get medical help for STIs.
A Thing like a Human? A Mixed-Methods Study on Sex Doll Usage.
Peschka L; Raab M pubmed id: 38596391Sex dolls have become more popular over the years. This study talked to people who use sex dolls and found that they are usually used by single men for different reasons, like as a substitute for a partner or as a friend. The study suggests learning more about how these dolls are used can help in research about robots and how we think about them.
The Role of HIV Partner Services in the Modern Biomedical HIV Prevention Era: A Network Modeling Study.
Jenness SM; Le Guillou A; Lyles C; Bernstein KT; Krupinsky K; Enns EA; Sullivan PS; Delaney KP pubmed id: 36194831HIV partner services help more people use medicines that prevent HIV, like ART and PrEP. It's hard to measure exactly how much this helps reduce HIV cases, but understanding it is important to meet HIV prevention goals.
Association Between Human Leukocyte Antigen Polymorphism and Human Papillomavirus Infection in Brazilian Women.
de Araujo-Souza PS; El-Zein M; Bolpetti ADN; Maciag PC; Rabachini T; Franco EL; Villa LL pubmed id: 36194829HPV can cause cervical cancer, but most HPV infections go away on their own. Scientists have studied how HLA, which affects the immune system, is linked to cervical cancer, but not as much with HPV infection itself.
Serum Neurofilament Light in Neurosyphilis: A Pilot Study.
Marra CM; Sahi SK; Tantalo LC; Zetterberg H pubmed id: 36194828Doctors use a lumbar puncture to check for brain problems in people with syphilis, but it doesn't always work well. A marker called NfL is higher when syphilis affects the brain compared to other types of syphilis.
Presumptive and Follow-Up Treatment Associated With Gonorrhea and Chlamydia Testing Episodes in Sexually Transmitted Disease Clinics: Impact of Changing Treatment Guidelines for Gonorrhea, Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance Network, 2015-2018.
Llata E; Braxton J; Asbel L; Huspeni D; Tourdot L; Kerani RP; Cohen S; Kohn R; Schumacher C; Toevs K; Torrone E; Kreisel K pubmed id: 36194764In December 2020, new rules said to use only ceftriaxone to treat a sickness called gonorrhea, if another sickness called chlamydia was not present. This study looked at how these new rules affected treatment before they were changed.
Predictors of Worsening Erectile Function in Men with Functional Erections Early After Radical Prostatectomy.
Salter CA; Tin AL; Bernie HL; Nascimento B; Katz DJ; Benfante NE; Carlsson SV; Mulhall JP pubmed id: 36192298Some studies show that men who have good erections right after prostate surgery can have more troubles with erections later on.
The invisibility of Black and Latina women in sexual health care: shifting from biological individualism to intersectionality.
Small L; Beltran RM; Cordero L; Lau C; Shanur S; Miyashita Ochoa A pubmed id: 36190726Black and Latinx women face unfair treatment in healthcare, which affects their sexual health. This research talks to healthcare workers to find out why these women feel unseen and how healthcare can improve. Recognizing their unique identities and fixing barriers can help improve their health.