Sexual life of Spanish women during the lockdown by COVID-19: Differences according to sexual orientation?

The COVID-19 pandemic may have exacerbated the sexual health differences that already existed among women based on their sexual orientation. Therefore, a total of 971 Spanish women aged 18-60 years (84 % heterosexual and 16 % with a minority sexual orientation) answered an ad hoc online questionnaire about sexual behavior during April 2020. Compared to heterosexual women, sexual minority women showed a greater increase in sexual frequency, masturbated more, had more sex with a housemate, and engaged in more online sexual activities during lockdown. The emotional impact of the pandemic, having privacy, and age showed a relationship with the quality of sexual life, but not sexual orientation. Based on these results, women's sexual lives are not as closely related to their sexual orientation as they are to other variables. Therefore, it seems more necessary to address issues affecting women in general during lockdown than to focus on their specific sexual orientation.

Problematic Internet Use Prior to and During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The health and socio-economic challenges arising from the COVID-19 pandemic have led to greater reliance on the internet to meet basic needs and responsibilities. Greater engagement in online activities may have negative mental and physical health consequences for some vulnerable individuals, particularly under mandatory selfisolation or 'lockdown' conditions. The present study investigated whether changes in levels of involvement in online activities during the COVID-19 pandemic (i.e., watching TV series, online sexual activities, video games, social networks, gambling, online shopping, and instant messaging) were associated with problematic internet use, as well as whether certain psychological risk factors (positive/negative affect and impulsivity) were significant predictors of these changes. A total of 1,275 participants (66.1% female, aged between 18-55 years) completed an online survey while in lockdown in Spain (April 15th-23rd, 2020). The survey assessed current engagement in seven different online activities and their engagement prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as psychological risk factors (affect and impulsivity). Most participants (between 60.8%-98.6% depending on the activity) reported no changes in participation in online activities, but there was a significant increase in weekly internet use (between 25 and 336 min). However, increased internet use was not accompanied by a corresponding increase in problematic use, except for problematic TV series watching and video gaming. Psychological risk factors considered in the study (affect, impulsivity traits) were largely minor or non-significant predictors. Thus, increased internet use during the lockdown in Spain was not related to a proportional growth in problematic usage, suggesting that these behavioral changes may constitute adaptive coping strategies in the context of the pandemic. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Cyberpsychology is the property of Masarykova Univerzita, Fakulta Socialnich Studii and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Sexual Health in Spanish People with Intellectual Disability: the Impact of the Lockdown due to COVID-19.

Introduction: The lockdown due to COVID-19 affected the sexual health of the people with intellectual disabilities by differentially modifying the frequency and characteristics of people's sexual activity depending on whether or not they lived with a partner during this period. The aim of this study was to analyze the extent to which the sexual behavior of people with intellectual disabilities (with and without a partner) was affected during the lockdown. Methods: The sample consisted of 73 people with intellectual disabilities between 21 and 63 years old (M = 39.63; SD = 10.11). The variables analyzed were the physical, social, and technological environment during the lockdown, sexual appetite, sexual behavior, online sexual activity, and sexual abuse. The data were collected between the months of May and June of 2020. Results: The lockdown increased the sexual appetite of a third of the sample (38%), especially the youngest participants. Sexual activity focused on autoeroticism and online behavior, particularly sending nude images of oneself (88%) and viewing pornography (83.6%). Rates of sexual abuse during this period were relatively high (6.8%). Conclusions: The sexual activity of people with ID was important during the lockdown, and they had to adapt to the circumstances of isolation in a similar way to the general population. Technological improvements in terms of devices and connection quality at home allowed their sexual behavior to be reoriented, opening the door to new risks for the sexual health of people with ID. Policy Implications: Cybersex and the increase in sexual abuse due to confinement are aspects that should be included in programs to improve the sexual health of this group.

Sexual frequency of Spanish adolescents during confinement by COVID-19

The confinement situation due to COVID-19 has brought a great change in the lifestyles of young people. However, little is known about the impact that isolation has had on adolescent sexuality. The objective of this work is to know the sexual frequency of adolescents during confinement and its possible consequences, including gender perspective. 134 Spanish adolescents, between 16-20 years old, responded to an ad hoc online survey on sexuality, being 59.7% girls. 67.2% of the participants considered themselves heterosexual, 91.2% were confined to their parents, 59.7% were single and 40.3% had a stable partner. During confinement, an increase in the frequency of masturbation and online sexual activities has been observed, but these changes have only been statistically significant in boys. Among the causes of this increase, we find reasons such as "due to boredom", "to relax", or "due to an increase in sexual appetite", with boys justifying it the most with emotional reasons. This higher sexual frequency generated a better mood and more relaxation, although many boys reported that sexual activities were less satisfactory. It would be necessary to continue studying the possible negative consequences that can arise from these changes in sexual frequency, and to analyze the role that emotions could be playing. All this to design campaigns to promote sexual health in times of confinement. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved) Abstract (Spanish) La situacion de confinamiento debido a la COVID-19 ha supuesto un gran cambio en los estilos de vida de los jovenes. Sin embargo, poco se conoce del impacto que el aislamiento ha tenido en la sexualidad de los adolescentes. Por ello, el objetivo de este trabajo es conocer la frecuencia sexual de los adolescentes durante el confinamiento y sus posibles consecuencias, todo ello con una perspectiva de genero. 134 adolescentes espanoles, entre 16-20 anos, respondieron a una encuesta on-line ad hoc sobre sexualidad, siendo el 59.7% chicas. Un 67.2% de los participantes se consideraba heterosexual, un 91.2% estaba confinado/a con sus padres, un 59.7% estaba soltero/a y un 40.3% tenia pareja estable. Durante el confinamiento, se ha observado un incremento de la frecuencia de masturbacion y de las actividades sexuales online, pero estos cambios solo han resultado estadisticamente significativos en los chicos. Entre las causas de este incremento, encontramos razones como "por aburrimiento", "para relajarme", o "debido a un aumento de apetito sexual", siendo los chicos los que mas lo justificaban con razones emocionales. Esta mayor frecuencia sexual les generaba mejor estado de animo y estar mas relajados, aunque gran parte de los chicos refirieron que las actividades sexuales les resultaban menos satisfactorias. Cabria seguir estudiando las posibles consecuencias negativas que pueden surgir de estos cambios en la frecuencia sexual, y analizar el papel que podrian estar jugando las emociones. Todo ello con la intencion de disenar campanas de promocion de la salud sexual en tiempos de confinamiento. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved)

"INSIDE" Project on Sexual Health in Spain: Sexual Life During the Lockdown Caused by COVID-19.

INTRODUCTION: The COVID-19 pandemic is becoming a major hazard to public health worldwide. This is causing a significant impact on life and physical health, as well as on the psychological well-being of the general population. Since the emotional distress and the social restrictions caused by this epidemic, it must be expected that its impact will also extend to sexual health. The purpose of this study, the first including a large sample of the Spanish general population, was to analyze sexual behavior during the 99 days of confinement in Spain (INSIDE Project). METHOD: One thousand four hundred forty-eight Spanish people, between 18 and 60 years old, were evaluated through an online survey during April 2020. The variables analyzed were the physical and social environment during confinement, sexual desire, type of sexual activity, masturbation, sexual intercourse, online sexual activity, general sexual frequency, sexual fantasies, degree of self-control over sexual drive, sexual abuse, general impact of confinement on sexuality, and emotional mood. RESULTS: Confinement has affected the sexual life of half of the Spanish population (47.7%), especially women. Those who reported a worsening of their sexual life are almost three times more (37.9%) than those who reported an improvement (14.4%). CONCLUSIONS: Different factors have been significant predictors of the positive or negative evaluation about the impact of this confinement on sexual life, such as gender, couple life, privacy, stress level, and the perception of confinement as unbearable. POLICY IMPLICATIONS: These results have important implications for the public health and more especially sexual health of the Spanish population.