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The Journal of Nervous and Mental... Aug 2023According to recent studies, the growing consumption of Internet pornography mainly in male population becomes an increasing problem, which is closely linked to...
According to recent studies, the growing consumption of Internet pornography mainly in male population becomes an increasing problem, which is closely linked to compulsive sexual behavior. Some findings also suggest that Internet pornography consumption might represent a defense mechanism against excessive stress, which enables to cope with stressful events, helps in mood regulation, and decreases depression and anxiety. Users of online pornography involved in these activities also reported that their self-exposition to pornographic material may create guilty feelings and internal conflict in themselves with respect to their own "involuntary" sexual behavior, which suggest that psychosocial stress and possibly traumatic experiences may play a significant role in Internet pornography addiction. Taken together, these findings show that stressful experiences, anxiety, and depression are strongly related to pornography consumption. In addition, conflicting emotional experiences as well as identity problems significantly increase vulnerability to addictive sexual behavior and pornography consumption.
Topics: Humans; Male; Erotica; Sexual Behavior; Emotions; Anxiety; Behavior, Addictive; Cognition; Internet
PubMed: 37505898
DOI: 10.1097/NMD.0000000000001669 -
CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association... Dec 2023
Topics: Humans; Sexual Behavior
PubMed: 38049162
DOI: 10.1503/cmaj.231003 -
CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association... Mar 2024
Topics: Humans; Sexual Behavior
PubMed: 38527743
DOI: 10.1503/cmaj.231003-f -
Archives of Sexual Behavior Aug 2023Mate value is an important concept in mate choice research although its operationalization and understanding are limited. Here, we reviewed and evaluated previously... (Review)
Review
Mate value is an important concept in mate choice research although its operationalization and understanding are limited. Here, we reviewed and evaluated previously established conceptual and methodological approaches measuring mate value and presented original research using individual differences in how people view themselves as a face-valid proxy for mate value in long- and short-term contexts. In data from 41 nations (N = 3895, M = 24.71, 63% women, 47% single), we tested sex, age, and relationship status effects on self-perceived mate desirability, along with individual differences in the Dark Triad traits, life history strategies, peer-based comparison of desirability, and self-reported mating success. Both sexes indicated more short-term than long-term mate desirability; however, men reported more long-term mate desirability than women, whereas women reported more short-term mate desirability than men. Further, individuals who were in a committed relationship felt more desirable than those who were not. Concerning the cross-sectional stability of mate desirability across the lifespan, in men, short- and long-term desirability rose to the age of 40 and 50, respectively, and decreased afterward. In women, short-term desirability rose to the age of 38 and decreased afterward, whereas long-term desirability remained stable over time. Our results suggest that measuring long- and short-term self-perceived mate desirability reveals predictable correlates.
Topics: Male; Humans; Female; Young Adult; Adult; Individuality; Cross-Sectional Studies; Choice Behavior; Sexual Partners; Sexual Behavior
PubMed: 37154879
DOI: 10.1007/s10508-023-02601-x -
Integrative and Comparative Biology Oct 2023How did plant sexuality come to so hauntingly resemble human sexual formations? How did plant biology come to theorize plant sexuality with binary formulations of...
How did plant sexuality come to so hauntingly resemble human sexual formations? How did plant biology come to theorize plant sexuality with binary formulations of male/female, sex/gender, sperm/egg, active males and passive females-all of which resemble western categories of sex, gender, and sexuality? Tracing the extant language of sex and sexuality in plant reproductive biology, we examine the histories of science to explore how plant reproductive biology emerged historically from formations of colonial racial and sexual politics and how evolutionary biology was premised on the imaginations of racialized heterosexual romance. Drawing on key examples, the paper aims to (un)read plant sexuality and sexual anatomy and bodies to imagine new possibilities for plant sex, sexualities, and their relationalities. In short, plant sex and sexuality are not two different objects of inquiry but are intimately related-it is their inter-relation that is the focus of this essay. One of the key impulses from the humanities that we bring to this essay is a careful consideration of how terms and terminologies are related to each other historically and culturally. In anthropomorphizing plants, if plant sexuality were modeled on human sexual formations, might a re-imagination of plant sexuality open new vistas for the biological sciences? While our definitions of plant sexuality will always be informed by contemporary society and culture, interrogating the histories of our theories and terminologies can help us reimagine a biology that allows for new and more accurate understandings of plants, plant biology, and the evolution of reproduction.
Topics: Male; Female; Humans; Animals; Semen; Sexual Behavior; Sexuality; Reproduction; Sexual and Gender Minorities
PubMed: 37024265
DOI: 10.1093/icb/icad012 -
JAMA Pediatrics Nov 2023Sexuality- and gender-diverse youth experience disproportionate health and social adversity. Accurate early-life indicators are important for development of supportive...
IMPORTANCE
Sexuality- and gender-diverse youth experience disproportionate health and social adversity. Accurate early-life indicators are important for development of supportive approaches.
OBJECTIVE
To examine whether commonly used items measuring childhood conformity to gender roles are associated with sexual orientation in young adulthood.
DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS
This single-center, prospective cohort study (the Raine Study) assessed 2868 children of 2900 women who were recruited during pregnancy from August 1, 1989, to April 30, 1992, with follow-up ongoing. The Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment (ASEBA) Child Behavior Checklist, Teacher Report Form, and Youth Self-Report tools were used to survey parents, teachers, and youths to examine gender diversity among the participating youths. Parents were followed up at years 5, 8, 10, 14, and 17, adolescents at years 14, 17, and 27, and teachers at years 10 and 14. Data were analyzed from August 1, 2020, to July 31, 2023.
EXPOSURES
Parent and teacher report that a child "behaves like the opposite sex" (gender role behavior), and parent and self-report that a child "wishes to be the opposite sex" (gender role wish), in response to assessment items.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Year 27 self-reported sexual identity, attraction, and behavior.
RESULTS
Of the 2868 children in the original birth cohort, 1154 (40.2%) participated in the year 27 follow-up, of whom 608 (52.7%) were recorded female at birth and 546 (47.3%) were recorded male at birth. Of these, 582 who were recorded female at birth continued to identify as female (cisgender) (95.7%), and 515 recorded male at birth continued to identify as male (cisgender) (94.3%); 47 (4.1%) did not complete the questionnaire. Of cisgender participants, 76 of 605 women (12.6%) and 52 of 540 men (9.6%) had a diverse sexual identity, 204 of 605 women (33.8%) and 77 of 540 men (14.3%) were same-gender attracted, and 100 of 605 women (18.6%) and 39 of 540 men (7.2%) had ever engaged in same-gender sexual behavior. Across all follow-ups, after adjusting for gender, nonconforming gender role behavior was consistently associated with diverse sexual identity and behavior (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] for identity, 2.8; 95% CI, 1.9-4.2; behavior aOR, 2.4; 95% CI, 1.6-3.5). Self-reported gender role wish was consistently associated with diverse sexual orientation (identity aOR, 2.3; 95% CI, 1.4-3.8; attraction aOR, 1.7; 95% CI, 1.1-2.5; behavior aOR, 1.9; 95% CI, 1.2-2.9).
CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE
In this cohort study, ASEBA gender role nonconformity was associated with diverse sexual orientation, beginning in early childhood. Findings suggest that the ASEBA measures should not be used to infer sexual orientation or gender diversity in clinical or research settings; asking direct questions may provide more accurate data.
Topics: Child; Infant, Newborn; Adolescent; Female; Male; Humans; Child, Preschool; Young Adult; Adult; Gender Role; Cohort Studies; Prospective Studies; Sexual Behavior; Gender Identity; Sexuality
PubMed: 37747725
DOI: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2023.3873 -
Trauma, Violence & Abuse Jul 2023Upskirting' - the non-consensual taking and/or dissemination of intimate images taken surreptitiously up a skirt - is a relatively new addition to the repertoire of...
Upskirting' - the non-consensual taking and/or dissemination of intimate images taken surreptitiously up a skirt - is a relatively new addition to the repertoire of men's violence against women and girls. Recently, it has received considerable media and public attention in many countries and some academic scrutiny. This systematic review explicates how scholars construct upskirting as a matter for academic inquiry and a social problem that requires remedy. Four research sub-questions address how scholarship constructs: the problem of upskirting; perpetrators of upskirting; victims of upskirting, and remedies. Five bibliographical databases were searched, yielding 26 sources that met the inclusion criteria. Most of the studies (16) and most of the earlier work are from the discipline of Law. Other studies come from a combination of Criminology, Media Studies, Cultural Studies, Psychology, Social Work, Sociology, and Computing. The predominance of legal scholarship has created a framing of upskirting which constructs it as an individual sexual act, for purposes of sexual gratification, as gender-neutral, as the act of aberrant individuals, and scrutinises the act of taking the photograph. By contrast, scholarship from other disciplines is more likely to locate upskirting as highly gendered behaviour in the context of gendered relations of power, and of violence against women and girls, and to consider both the act of taking the photograph and its dissemination online. We argue that future research ought to: approach upskirting as a form of violence against women and girls; be empirical and intersectional, and engage with victims and perpetrators.
Topics: Male; Humans; Female; Sex Offenses; Sexual Behavior; Violence; Men; Sexual Partners; Intimate Partner Violence
PubMed: 35414319
DOI: 10.1177/15248380221082091 -
BMC Public Health Jun 2023When individuals in the SGM group are diagnosed with cancer and undergo treatment, they experience changes in physical, mental, sexual and spiritual dimensions, which... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
When individuals in the SGM group are diagnosed with cancer and undergo treatment, they experience changes in physical, mental, sexual and spiritual dimensions, which can negatively impact sexual desire, as well as satisfaction and sexual health as a whole. This study aims to examine the existing scientific literature on how healthcare professionals approach sexuality in cancer patients who belong to the SGM group. The SGM group is particularly vulnerable, and the challenges they face in terms of psychosocial and emotional health are further exacerbated by the oncological treatment they receive. Therefore, specialized attention and support are necessary to address their unique needs.
METHOD
To conduct this study, a scoping review was performed following the guidelines established by the Joanna Briggs Institute. By synthesizing the available evidence, this study aims to provide insights and recommendations for healthcare professionals to improve the care and support provided to SGM individuals with cancer. Guiding question: "how do health professionals approach sexuality in cancer patients in a minority group?". The search was carried out in PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, Web of Science, Virtual Health Library, Embase databases and Google Scholar in addition. Specific criteria were used for Evidence source selection, Data mapping, assurance, analysis, and presentation.
RESULTS
Fourteen publications were included in this review for the final synthesis, which indicated that the approach to the sexuality of sexual and gender minority groups is based on research whose character is limited in terms of producing care and health care that is congruent in gender and sexuality. The analysis of scientific articles showed that one of the biggest challenges and priorities of health services today is to reduce disparities and promote equity in health for SGM people.
CONCLUSIONS
This study reveals a significant gap in addressing the sexuality of SGM groups within cancer care. Inadequate research impedes the provision of consistent and inclusive care for SGM individuals, which has a negative impact on their overall wellbeing. Reducing disparities and promoting healthcare equity for SGM individuals must be a top priority for health services.
Topics: Humans; Sexual Behavior; Sexuality; Neoplasms; Medical Oncology; Academies and Institutes
PubMed: 37391788
DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-16170-0 -
NPJ Biofilms and Microbiomes Jul 2023Evidence indicates that the microbiome plays a significant role in HIV immunopathogenesis and associated complications. This study aimed to characterize the oral and...
Evidence indicates that the microbiome plays a significant role in HIV immunopathogenesis and associated complications. This study aimed to characterize the oral and anal microbiome of Men who have Sex with Men (MSM) and Transgender Women (TGW), with and without HIV. One hundred and thirty oral and anal DNA-derived samples were obtained from 78 participants and subjected to shotgun metagenomics sequencing for further microbiome analysis. Significant differences in the microbiome composition were found among subjects associated with HIV infection, gender, sex behavior, CD4+ T-cell counts, antiretroviral therapy (ART), and the presence of HPV-associated precancerous anal lesions. Results confirm the occurrence of oncogenic viromes in this high HIV-risk population. The oral microbiome in HIV-associated cases exhibited an enrichment of bacteria associated with periodontal disease pathogenesis. Conversely, anal bacteria showed a significant decrease in HIV-infected subjects (Coprococcus comes, Finegoldia magna, Blautia obeum, Catenibacterium mitsuokai). TGW showed enrichment in species related to sexual transmission, which concurs that most recruited TGW are or have been sex workers. Prevotella bivia and Fusobacterium gonidiaformans were positively associated with anal precancerous lesions among HIV-infected subjects. The enrichment of Holdemanella biformis and C. comes was associated with detectable viral load and ART-untreated patients. Metabolic pathways were distinctly affected by predominant factors linked to sexual behavior or HIV pathogenesis. Gene family analysis identified bacterial gene signatures as potential prognostic and predictive biomarkers for HIV/AIDS-associated malignancies. Conclusions: Identified microbial features at accessible sites are potential biomarkers for predicting precancerous anal lesions and therapeutic targets for HIV immunopathogenesis.
Topics: Male; Humans; Female; HIV Infections; Homosexuality, Male; Sexual and Gender Minorities; Microbiota; Metabolic Networks and Pathways
PubMed: 37438354
DOI: 10.1038/s41522-023-00413-4 -
Trauma, Violence & Abuse Oct 2023Research into harmful sexual behavior (HSB) by children and young people under the age of 18 has grown in recent years. A key concern emerging is the high prevalence of... (Review)
Review
Research into harmful sexual behavior (HSB) by children and young people under the age of 18 has grown in recent years. A key concern emerging is the high prevalence of HSB in school settings. Although teachers are increasingly aware of HSB, their provision of effective responses has remained a major challenge. While progress has been made by providing teachers with best practice models and tools, little is known about what facilitates and hinders their application of these in practice. This scoping review sought to address the question: "What are the barriers and enablers for teachers in responding effectively to HSB?" Eight international databases and one search engine were employed to identify relevant academic and gray literature. The inclusion criteria comprised all study types, published in the past two decades, and focused on teachers' knowledge, experiences, and responses to HSB. Twenty-five publications met the inclusion criteria. Thematic analysis identified that minimization of HSB, harmful social norms, and inadequate support from external agencies were major barriers. These barriers could be mitigated by adopting a whole-school approach and establishing proactive partnerships with parents and external agencise, along with offering alternative pathways to safety. The findings of this review highlighted the importance of addressing the full continuum of HSB through early, secondary, or tertiary interventions, and sharpening the focus of respectful relationships education to transform gender relations in classrooms and the workplace. Further research is needed to explore schools' responses to specific populations, including those with disabilities and females.
Topics: Child; Female; Humans; Adolescent; Sexual Behavior; Schools; Students; Interpersonal Relations
PubMed: 35770650
DOI: 10.1177/15248380221111483