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Evidence-based Complementary and... 2023Sexual disorders such as erectile dysfunction (ED), sterility, and sexual inappetence represent some of the complex reproductive challenges that require addressing the... (Review)
Review
Sexual disorders such as erectile dysfunction (ED), sterility, and sexual inappetence represent some of the complex reproductive challenges that require addressing the underlying causes. The aim of this paper was to systematically synthesize literature on the ethnobotany, phytochemistry, bioactivities, and safety of plants used as remedies for managing sexual dysfunction and infertility, and improving fertility and virility in the EAC. Through an extensive review conducted in multidisciplinary electronic databases, 171 plant species were identified to have been reported for the management of sexual inappetence (i.e., used as aphrodisiacs, 39.4%), ED (35.9%), infertility (18.7%), and increasing fertility (6.0%). The most used plants are , , , , , , and while roots (44.9%), leaves (21.8%), stem and root barks (16.7%) of shrubs (35%), trees (31%), herbs (26%), and climbers (8%) are the preferred organs for making decoctions (69%). The research strides to date indicate that , , , , , , and have been assessed for their bioactivity. The majority (71.4%) of the plants either increased testosterone levels and mounting frequency or elicited prosexual stimulatory effects in male rats. More studies investigating the relevant pharmacological activities (aphrodisiac, fertility, and phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitory activities), safety aspects, responsible compounds, and clinical studies are warranted to establish the pharmacological potential of the unstudied species and elucidate the mechanism of action of the bioactive compounds.
PubMed: 37600549
DOI: 10.1155/2023/6878852 -
Cancer Reports (Hoboken, N.J.) Oct 2022Prenatally identified suprarenal masses are most often found to be adrenal hemorrhage. The most common tumor in this situation is neuroblastoma.
BACKGROUND
Prenatally identified suprarenal masses are most often found to be adrenal hemorrhage. The most common tumor in this situation is neuroblastoma.
CASE PRESENTATION
We report the case of a rare adrenocortical tumor found prenatally on ultrasound. While most patients with adrenocortical tumors present with virilizing symptoms, our patient did not have evidence of virilization and was presumed to have neuroblastoma.
CONCLUSION
Following a period of observation, our patient underwent surgical resection due to tumor growth revealing the unexpected diagnosis.
Topics: Adrenal Cortex Neoplasms; Female; Hemorrhage; Humans; Neuroblastoma; Pregnancy
PubMed: 36052764
DOI: 10.1002/cnr2.1670 -
International Journal of Environmental... May 2022Romantic jealousy is a well-known relational driver of intimate partner violence (IPV), but is under-studied among displaced and polygynous populations. This study aimed...
Romantic jealousy is a well-known relational driver of intimate partner violence (IPV), but is under-studied among displaced and polygynous populations. This study aimed to explore factors that elicit jealousy among Somali refugees in the Bokolmayo Refugee camp in Ethiopia, and the pathways leading from jealousy to IPV against women and men, to inform interventions. We conducted an exploratory, thematic analysis of 30 in-depth interviews with both women and men who were Somali refugees, as well as elders and religious leaders, organizational and service providers, policy makers, and host community members. We found that jealousy experienced by women was elicited by an unequal distribution of money and affection between co-wives, which was exacerbated by displacement-related economic hardship, and women in monogamous partnerships suspecting their husband of having other relationships. The jealousy experienced by men was elicited by their wives' increased financial independence and interactions with other men when working outside of the home, which became more common because of displacement-related economic hardship and relaxed patriarchal gender norms. IPV interventions should address jealousy and controlling behaviors in all relationship types. Addressing conflict and relationship dynamics in polygynous households and in humanitarian settings may require specialized content, acknowledging the complex interactions and resource allocation between co-wives. Gender-transformative interventions that move away from masculinities that are built on the provider role and the introduction of alternative masculinities could also be effective in reducing IPV in this and other similar contexts.
Topics: Aged; Ethiopia; Female; Humans; Intimate Partner Violence; Jealousy; Male; Marriage; Masculinity; Refugees; Somalia
PubMed: 35565149
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19095757 -
Ethiopian Journal of Health Sciences Mar 2021Young is one of the most sensitive stages of human life. Social phobia and high-risk behaviors are factors that enhance young crises. This study aimed to determine the...
BACKGROUND
Young is one of the most sensitive stages of human life. Social phobia and high-risk behaviors are factors that enhance young crises. This study aimed to determine the relationship between gender role, social phobia and high-risk behaviors among young medical students.
METHODS
In this descriptive correlational study, 400 students were selected by quota sampling method from a medical university in Southeastern Iran. For data collection, the demographic information questionnaire, Gender Trait Index (GTI), Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN), and Iranian Adolescent and Young Risk-Taking Scale (IAYRS) were used. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics including mean and SD and analytic statistics such as Kolmogorov-Smirnov, Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests using SPSS 25 and p ≤ .05.
RESULTS
The mean scores of masculinity and femininity gender roles were 38.98 ± 7.92 and 44.12 ± 7.76, respectively. Also, 70.5% of the students had dominant feminine traits, and the gender identity was high in 58.8% of the students and moderate in 40.2% of them. Social phobia (37.12 ± 12.61) and high-risk behaviors (81.77 ± 26.08) were moderate. A significant inverse relationship was found between masculine traits and social phobia (p <0.001). Another significant inverse relationship was observed between feminine traits and high-risk behaviors (p <0.05).
CONCLUSION
Given the poor relationship between gender role, social phobia and high-risk behaviors, it is essential to conduct further studies to determine the predictors of social phobia and high-risk behaviors in medical students.
Topics: Adolescent; Female; Humans; Iran; Male; Masculinity; Phobia, Social; Risk-Taking; Students, Medical
PubMed: 34158788
DOI: 10.4314/ejhs.v31i2.19 -
American Journal of Men's Health 2019Men's disproportionate rate of suicide and substance use has been linked to problematic conformity to traditional masculine ideals. Mental health promotion interventions... (Review)
Review
Men's disproportionate rate of suicide and substance use has been linked to problematic conformity to traditional masculine ideals. Mental health promotion interventions directed toward men should address the gender-specific needs of men; yet, no tools exist to provide such guidance. To address this need, the Check-Mate tool was developed as part of a global evaluation of the Movember Foundation's Social Innovators Challenge (SIC). The tool provides an initial set of evidence-based guidelines for incorporating gender-related influences in men's mental health promotion programs. This article describes the development of Check-Mate and an evaluation of its usability and usefulness. Using a qualitative descriptive approach, semistructured interviews were conducted with the leads for eight of the SIC projects; they used the tool for these. Data were analyzed using conventional content analysis. Overall, project leads found the tool user-friendly. Identified strengths of Check-Mate included its practicality, adaptability, usefulness for priming thinking on gender sensitization, and value in guiding program planning and implementation. With respect to limitations, project leads explained that the complexity of men's mental health promotion programming may limit applicability of some or all approaches included in Check-Mate. They also expressed concern about how using Check-Mate might reinforce hegemonic masculine ideals. It was suggested that examples illustrating the use of Check-Mate would be a helpful accompaniment to the tool. Findings indicate that Check-Mate is a useful guide in men's mental health promotion programming. In addition to future testing of the tool in different settings, links between the tool's approaches and program outcomes should be explored.
Topics: Adult; Australia; Health Promotion; Humans; Interpersonal Relations; Male; Masculinity; Men's Health; Mental Health; Program Development; Program Evaluation; Young Adult
PubMed: 31766941
DOI: 10.1177/1557988319883775 -
Journal of Palliative Care Apr 2020This article examines the intersection between masculinity, military culture, and hospice and palliative care (HPC). The authors conducted a narrative literature review,... (Review)
Review
This article examines the intersection between masculinity, military culture, and hospice and palliative care (HPC). The authors conducted a narrative literature review, supplemented with clinical annotations, to identify the impact of masculinity and military culture on the following topics salient to end-of-life care with older male veterans: pain management, mental health, coping, communication, autonomy and respect, and family roles. Findings suggest that traits associated with masculinity and military culture have an influence on the end-of-life process and HPC for older male veterans. Specifically, results suggest that older male veterans may deny or minimize physical pain, decline mental health treatment, utilize maladaptive coping strategies, avoid emotional conversations, struggle to manage perceived shifts in autonomy, and experience challenges negotiating changing family roles. The authors provide clinical recommendations for providers across various disciplines to address the aforementioned concerns with older male veterans in HPC. Overall, information presented in this article may be an important contribution to the literature for building cultural competencies with older male veterans and has the potential to improve the delivery of HPC for veterans and their families.
Topics: Adaptation, Psychological; Communication; Family; Hospice Care; Humans; Male; Masculinity; Mental Health; Organizational Culture; Pain Management; Palliative Care; Personal Autonomy; United States; Veterans
PubMed: 31146630
DOI: 10.1177/0825859719851483 -
BMJ Case Reports Jan 2021We present an unusual case of mucinous cystadenoma presenting with severe virilisation in a postmenopausal woman. A 71-year-old woman was referred to our outpatient...
We present an unusual case of mucinous cystadenoma presenting with severe virilisation in a postmenopausal woman. A 71-year-old woman was referred to our outpatient endocrinology clinic because of rapidly progressive androgenic alopecia, clitoromegaly and male pattern pubic hair growth for 1 year. Her medical history was unremarkable. The serum testosterone level was 3.35 µg/L (normal range, <0.4 µg/L), and the dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate level was 267 µg/L (normal range, 100-800 µg/L). MRI of the abdomen revealed a 4×4 cm cystic ovarian mass. A bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy was performed, and histopathology showed a unilocular cystic structure with a yellowish content, compatible with mucinous cystadenoma. Postoperative testosterone levels quickly normalised (<0.4 µg/L).Rapidly developing postmenopausal hyperandrogenism easily turns into a diagnostic challenge for the clinician. Hormone-secreting neoplasms of the ovary are most commonly of sex cord stromal derivation, but atypical causes must be recognised as well. Cystadenomas are among the most common benign ovarian neoplasms and are classically considered 'non-functional' tumours. Most of these tumours are asymptomatic and found incidentally on pelvic examination or with ultrasound. To date and to the best of our knowledge, there are only five cases of mucinous adenoma causing virilisation in postmenopausal women identified in the literature. This sixth case adds strength to the link between ovarian mucinous cystadenoma and severe, rapidly progressive hyperandrogenism during menopause. In this case, surgical resection is the treatment of choice.
Topics: Aged; Cystadenoma, Mucinous; Female; Humans; Hyperandrogenism; Ovarian Neoplasms; Postmenopause; Salpingo-oophorectomy; Testosterone; Virilism
PubMed: 33414114
DOI: 10.1136/bcr-2020-237505 -
Social Science & Medicine (1982) Jul 2023Trans and nonbinary experiences of menstruation are subject to menstrual discourse that is deeply gendered. Terms such as "feminine hygiene" and "women's health" make...
Trans and nonbinary experiences of menstruation are subject to menstrual discourse that is deeply gendered. Terms such as "feminine hygiene" and "women's health" make trans and nonbinary people acutely aware that they fall outside of the ideal of the default menstruator. To better understand how such language affects menstruators who are not cis women and what alternative linguistic strategies they adopt, we conducted a cyberethnography of 24 YouTube videos created by trans and nonbinary menstruators, along with their 12,000-plus comments. We observed a range of menstrual experiences-dysphoria, tensions between femininity and masculinity, and transnormative pressures. Using grounded theory, we identified three distinct linguistic strategies vloggers adopted to navigate these experiences: (1) avoiding standard and feminizing language; (2) reframing language through masculinization; and (3) challenging transnormativity. The avoidance of standard and feminizing language, coupled with a reliance on vague and negative euphemisms, revealed feelings of dysphoria. Masculinizing strategies, on the other hand, navigated dysphoria through euphemisms-or even hyper-euphemisms-that showed an effort to reclaim menstruation to fit within the trans and nonbinary experience. Vloggers responded through tropes of hegemonic masculinity, using puns and wordplay, and sometimes relying on hypermasculinity and transnormativity. Transnormativity, however, can be polarizing, and vloggers and commenters who rejected stratification of trans and nonbinary menstruation challenged it. Taken together, these videos not only uncover an overlooked community of menstruators who demonstrate unique linguistic engagement with menstruation, but they also reveal destigmatization and inclusion strategies that can inform critical menstruation activism and research as a whole.
Topics: Male; Humans; Female; Masculinity; Women's Health; Language; Menstruation; Linguistics; Transgender Persons
PubMed: 37269746
DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2023.115974 -
European Journal of Endocrinology Jul 2021It has been suggested that adverse early life exposures increase the risk of developing polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in later life. We hypothesized that women born...
OBJECTIVE
It has been suggested that adverse early life exposures increase the risk of developing polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in later life. We hypothesized that women born preterm would have more biochemical and clinical signs of PCOS than women born at term.
DESIGN
The ESTER Preterm Birth Study participants were born in Northern Finland and identified from the Northern Finland Birth Cohort and the Finnish Medical Birth Register. Altogether, 74 women born very or moderately preterm (<34 gestational weeks, VMPT), 127 born late preterm (at 34-36 weeks, LPT), and 184 born full term (≥37 weeks, controls) were included in the analysis (mean age: 23.2 years).
METHODS
We measured serum total testosterone and sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) and calculated the free androgen index (FAI). PCOS according to the clinical and biochemical signs was defined either as hirsutism and oligoamenorrhea (via questionnaire) or as oligoamenorrhea and elevated testosterone levels (>2.4 nmol/L).
RESULTS
Women born VMPT/LPT exhibited 33.0% (8.7, 62.8)/16.4% (-2.0, 38.1) higher testosterone, 28.5% (5.3, 45.9)/24.1% (5.6, 38.9) lower SHBG levels, and 64.6% (19.4, 127.1)/42.5% (11.1, 82.9) higher FAI than controls after adjusting for age and recruitment cohort, maternal BMI, smoking, and pregnancy disorders, parental education, history of hypertension, diabetes, myocardial infarction or stroke, and subject's birth weight s.d. Odds ratios for having PCOS were 1.67 (0.44, 6.23)/3.11 (1.26, 7.70).
CONCLUSIONS
Women born preterm have a more hyperandrogenic hormonal profile, and those born LPT are approximately three times more likely at risk to have PCOS compared to women born at term.
Topics: Adult; Adult Children; Androgens; Biomarkers; Body Mass Index; Case-Control Studies; Female; Finland; Gestational Age; Hirsutism; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Polycystic Ovary Syndrome; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications; Premature Birth; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; Risk Factors; Testosterone; Young Adult
PubMed: 34081616
DOI: 10.1530/EJE-20-1462 -
PloS One 2020Masculinity-related morphological traits are supposed to be honest indicators of a man's biological quality. While some studies showed that sexually dimorphic traits are...
Masculinity-related morphological traits are supposed to be honest indicators of a man's biological quality. While some studies showed that sexually dimorphic traits are related to various aspects of biological condition such as general health, immunity or fertility, still little is known about the relationship between masculine traits and the effectiveness of innate and adaptive immunity in humans. The aim of this study was to see if masculine traits, which are dependent on androgen levels in foetal and pubertal stages of development, are related to the immune quality in healthy men. The immune quality was evaluated for 91 healthy men aged 19-36 years. Immunity measurements included innate and adaptive parameters. General health status, age, testosterone level, BMI, physical activity, and smoking were controlled. The shoulder-to-hip ratio (SHR), 2D:4D digit ratio and hand-grip strength (HGS) were used as markers of masculinization. The regressions showed that when controlling for confounds, masculinity-related traits were in general not related to innate and adaptive immunity. Only a weak association was observed for right 2D:4D ratio and T-lymphocyte counts (but it becomes non-significant after adjustment for multiple comparisons). Our results do not support the premise that masculinity is a cue for immunological quality in men. However, the positive association between right 2D:4D and T lymphocytes might suggest that further studies are needed to verify if androgen stimulation in prenatal development might be related to immunity in adulthood.
Topics: Adaptive Immunity; Adult; Body Mass Index; CD4 Lymphocyte Count; Hand Strength; Health Status; Hip; Humans; Immune System; Immunity, Innate; Male; Masculinity; Reactive Oxygen Species; Shoulder; Testosterone; Young Adult
PubMed: 33315964
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0243777