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The British Journal of Sociology Jun 2022Masculinities scholarship tends toward describing autonomy as bound up with hegemonic masculine ideals such as independence, atomization, and self-sufficiency, without...
Masculinities scholarship tends toward describing autonomy as bound up with hegemonic masculine ideals such as independence, atomization, and self-sufficiency, without fully delving into the concept of autonomy. This article offers a more in-depth conceptual treatment of autonomy, compared to its more simplified rendering in the literature on the dominant relational conceptualizations of masculinities. In doing so, we follow recent calls to avoid categorizing men according to typologies of masculinity, drawing instead on feminist theorizations of masculine autonomy and relationality to explore how both manifest in men's lives. We draw on a study of men's drinking practices, with our data coming from focus groups with 101 men in metropolitan and regional/rural Victoria, Australia; but the issues we attend to have relevance, and can be an impetus, for further scholarly thinking about autonomy in men's lives well beyond drinking practices, and in other similar industrialized nations. We explore how masculine autonomy remains an influential and harmful discourse, often impeding possibilities for men's greater intimacy, connection and care and reproducing gendered hierarchies. However, we simultaneously highlight how men are inescapably relationally situated, exposing masculine autonomy as a discursive ideal of valorized forms of masculinity rather than an achievable state in practice. We argue that acknowledging how men are relationally embedded and interdependent in practice offers potential avenues for further fostering men's care, intimacy and relationality, and might work toward ameliorating gendered inequalities that see care work and the work of sustaining relational networks disproportionately falling to women and marginalized men.
Topics: Female; Focus Groups; Humans; Male; Masculinity; Men's Health; Sexual Behavior; Victoria
PubMed: 35690996
DOI: 10.1111/1468-4446.12947 -
Frontiers in Endocrinology 2020
Topics: Adolescent; Adrenal Hyperplasia, Congenital; Adult; Child; Female; Hirsutism; Humans; Male; Patient-Centered Care; Polycystic Ovary Syndrome; Prognosis; Treatment Outcome; Young Adult
PubMed: 32296393
DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2020.00170 -
American Journal of Men's Health 2023Men are less likely than women to access or engage with a range of generic health programs across a diversity of settings. Designing health programs that mitigate...
Men are less likely than women to access or engage with a range of generic health programs across a diversity of settings. Designing health programs that mitigate barriers associated with normative ideals of masculinity has been widely viewed as a key factor in how health systems should respond, but strategies to engage men have often narrowly conceptualized male health behavior and risk inadvertently reinforcing negative and outdated gender stereotypes. Currently absent from the men's health literature is practical guidance on gender-transformative approaches to men's health program design-those which seek to quell harmful gender norms and purposefully promote health equity across wide-ranging issues, intervention types, and service contexts. In this article, we propose a novel conceptual model underpinned by gender-transformative goals to help guide researchers and practitioners tailor men's health programs to improve accessibility and engagement. The "5C framework" offers key considerations and guiding principles on the application of masculinities in program design irrespective of intervention type or service context. By detailing five salient phases of program development, the framework is intended as a designate approach to the design of accessible and engaging men's health programs that will foster progressive changes in the ways in which masculinity can be interpreted and expressed as a means to achieve health for all.
Topics: Humans; Male; Female; Men's Health; Health Promotion; Masculinity; Health Behavior; Program Development
PubMed: 37496323
DOI: 10.1177/15579883231186463 -
American Journal of Men's Health 2020Physical and emotional pain from combat-related injuries and experiences are serious problems among Latino veterans. This study fleshes out existing cultural constructs...
Physical and emotional pain from combat-related injuries and experiences are serious problems among Latino veterans. This study fleshes out existing cultural constructs and concepts (e.g., machismo and familism) from the participants' point of view and may serve as an important step in unraveling the influence of Latino culture on pain, providing a deeper and more critical theorization between masculinity, race/ethnicity, and the military. Using 26 interviews from U.S.-born Latino veterans, this study analyzes the meanings and experiences of pain from combat, masculinity, and how culture affects expressions of pain. The following themes emerged: (a) Latino culture and ethnicity, (b) machismo and pain, (c) the transforming self, and (d) feeling disconnected and dealing with pain. Overall, respondents were governed by strict gender standards influenced by their ethnic identity and exacerbated by military masculinity. Findings suggest that the study of race/ethnicity acts as a fundamental framework from which to understand the experiences and behaviors of pain.
Topics: Ethnicity; Hispanic or Latino; Humans; Male; Masculinity; Pain; Veterans
PubMed: 33256534
DOI: 10.1177/1557988320976304 -
Journal of Cancer Survivorship :... Feb 2022Body image, self-esteem, and masculinity are three interconnected constructs in men with prostate cancer, with profound effects on quality of life. This meta-synthesis... (Review)
Review
PURPOSE
Body image, self-esteem, and masculinity are three interconnected constructs in men with prostate cancer, with profound effects on quality of life. This meta-synthesis aimed to evaluate all known qualitative studies published studying the effect of prostate cancer on these constructs.
METHODS
A systematic review utilising PubMed, Embase, MEDLINE, and PsycINFO databases up to May 2020 was conducted in line with PRISMA and ENTREQ guidelines. All qualitative studies of men's experiences with body image, self-esteem, and masculinity whilst living with prostate cancer were included. A thematic meta-synthesis was conducted to identify emergent descriptive and analytical themes under the main study constructs.
RESULTS
Of 2188 articles identified, 68 were included. Eight descriptive themes were identified under two analytical themes: 'Becoming a Prostate Cancer Patient' and 'Becoming a Prostate Cancer Survivor'. These described the distress caused by changes to body image, sexual functioning, sense of masculinity, and self-esteem, and the subsequent discourses men engaged with to cope with and manage their disease. A key element was increased flexibility in masculinity definitions, and finding other ways to re-affirm masculinity.
CONCLUSIONS
Prostate cancer has an important effect on men's health post-diagnosis, and we identified strong relationships between each construct evaluated. The role of hegemonic masculinity is important when considering men's coping mechanisms and is also a key factor when addressing these constructs in counselling post-treatment.
IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS
This meta-synthesis provides key topics that uniquely affect prostate cancer survivors, enabling these patients to be effectively counselled, and have their concerns recognised by clinicians.
Topics: Body Image; Humans; Male; Masculinity; Prostatic Neoplasms; Qualitative Research; Quality of Life; Self Concept
PubMed: 33963973
DOI: 10.1007/s11764-021-01007-9 -
Digestive Diseases and Sciences Feb 2022
Topics: Black or African American; Colorectal Neoplasms; Early Detection of Cancer; Humans; Male; Masculinity; Patient Acceptance of Health Care
PubMed: 33811564
DOI: 10.1007/s10620-021-06962-y -
Acta Bio-medica : Atenei Parmensis Sep 2020Polycystic ovarian syndrome is a common endocrinologic condition diagnosed in women of childbearing age. It is primarily associated with androgen excess and ovarian... (Review)
Review
Polycystic ovarian syndrome is a common endocrinologic condition diagnosed in women of childbearing age. It is primarily associated with androgen excess and ovarian dysfunction, which contribute to menstrual irregularity, oligo-anovulation, infertility, hirsutism and acne. It is associated with several systemic conditions, including type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, obesity and neuropsychological disorders. The exact pathophysiology and clinical features are highly variable and, thus, there is still controversy in defining the diagnostic criteria. In this review, we outline the main diagnostic criteria, discuss the mechanisms involved in the complex pathogenesis, and present the associated clinical manifestations and therapeutic management of the syndrome in adolescents.
Topics: Adolescent; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2; Female; Hirsutism; Humans; Infertility; Obesity; Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
PubMed: 32921781
DOI: 10.23750/abm.v91i3.10162 -
American Journal of Physiology.... Jun 2021Transgender men undergoing hormone therapy are at risk for insulin resistance. However, how virilizing testosterone therapy affects serum insulin and peripheral insulin...
Transgender men undergoing hormone therapy are at risk for insulin resistance. However, how virilizing testosterone therapy affects serum insulin and peripheral insulin sensitivity in transgender men is unknown. This study assessed the effect of acute, virilizing testosterone on serum insulin concentrations and insulin signaling in liver, skeletal muscle, and white adipose tissue (WAT) of female pigs as a translational model for transgender men. Females received three doses of intramuscular testosterone cypionate (TEST females; 50 mg/day/pig) or corn oil (control) spaced 6 days apart starting on the day of estrus (). Fasting blood was collected on , , , , and , and females were euthanized on . On , TEST females had virilizing concentrations of serum testosterone with normal concentrations of serum estradiol. Virilizing serum testosterone concentrations () were associated with decreased serum insulin and C-peptide concentrations. Blood glucose and serum glycerol concentrations were not altered by testosterone. Virilizing concentrations of testosterone downregulated and in subcutaneous (sc) WAT and upregulated transcript levels of insulin-signaling pathway components in WAT and liver. At the protein level, virilizing testosterone concentrations were associated with increased PI3K 110α in liver and increased insulin receptor (INSR) and phospho(Ser256)-FOXO1 in visceral (v) WAT but decreased phospho(Ser473)-AKT in vWAT and scWAT. These results suggest that acute exposure to virilizing concentrations of testosterone suppresses circulating insulin levels and results in increased abundance of proteins in the insulin-signaling pathway in liver and altered phosphorylation of key proteins in control of insulin sensitivity in WAT. Acute virilizing doses of testosterone administered to females suppress circulating insulin levels, upregulate components of the insulin-signaling pathway in liver, and suppress insulin signaling in white adipose tissue. These results suggest that insulin resistance in transgender men may be due to suppression of the insulin-signaling pathway and decreased insulin sensitivity in white adipose tissue.
Topics: Adipose Tissue; Animals; Female; Injections, Intramuscular; Insulin; Insulin Resistance; Liver; Signal Transduction; Swine; Testosterone; Virilism
PubMed: 33900852
DOI: 10.1152/ajpendo.00281.2020 -
International Journal of Environmental... Nov 2022It is hypothesized that levels of femininity and masculinity may be relevant to specific types of engagement in action. For this reason, the aim of this study was to...
It is hypothesized that levels of femininity and masculinity may be relevant to specific types of engagement in action. For this reason, the aim of this study was to search for relationships between psychological dimensions of femininity and masculinity and different forms of motivation, as well as their specific parts, among women and male athletes practicing team sports games. We researched 49 women aged 19 to 32 years representing sports such as football, handball, hockey, volleyball, and basketball and 56 men aged 18 to 31 years practicing football, hockey, volleyball, basketball, and handball. The respondents completed the Inventory to Assess Psychological Gender (IPP) and the Polish adaptation of the Sport Motivation Scale (SMS). It was determined that the psychological dimension of femininity was (in the male group) positively related to the dimension of amotivation, i.e., the lack of perception of a relationship between one's action and the outcome. In turn, the psychological dimension of masculinity was positively related to the motivation to know, motivation to accomplish, and motivation to experience stimulation, as well as the overall level of intrinsic motivation and the overall dimension of extrinsic motivation. Furthermore, the masculinity dimension is, in male athletes, related to the level of the introjection motive, i.e., the process of integrating accepted patterns.
Topics: Male; Humans; Female; Femininity; Masculinity; Motivation; Basketball; Soccer
PubMed: 36497841
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192315767 -
Journal of the Endocrine Society Jan 2021Postmenopausal hyperandrogenism can be due to excessive androgen secretion from adrenal or ovarian virilizing tumors or nonneoplastic conditions. The etiology of... (Review)
Review
Postmenopausal hyperandrogenism can be due to excessive androgen secretion from adrenal or ovarian virilizing tumors or nonneoplastic conditions. The etiology of postmenopausal hyperandrogenism can be difficult to discern because of limited accuracy of current diagnostic tests. This systematic review compares the diagnostic accuracy of the gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) analogue stimulation test against selective ovarian and adrenal vein sampling of androgens in distinguishing neoplastic from nonneoplastic causes of postmenopausal hyperandrogenism. Diagnostic test accuracy studies on these index tests in postmenopausal women were selected based on preestablished criteria. The true positive, false positive, false negative, and true negative values were extracted and meta-analysis was conducted using the hierarchical summary receiver operator characteristics curve method. The summary sensitivity of the GnRH analogue stimulation test is 10% (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.1%-46.7%) and that for selective venous sampling is 100% (95% CI, 0%-100%). Both tests have 100% specificity. There is limited evidence for the use of either test in identifying virilizing tumors in postmenopausal hyperandrogenism.
PubMed: 33324863
DOI: 10.1210/jendso/bvaa172