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Background: COVID-19's restrictive measures have significantly affected our health, work and social relationships. As yet, less attention has been given to the changes in sex life. Aim: This study investigates people's satisfaction with sex life in Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Methods: A cross-sectional survey of the general population (18 years and over) was conducted, from 1st to 18th July 2020, in 17 municipalities in Kinshasa and several measures were used: Quality of life MANSA, EQ-5D-3L, UCLA Loneliness;PHQ-9;GAD-7. Prior to conducting data analysis, diagnostic tests for our data were performed to assess distribution, variance and multicollinearity. Descriptive statistics, bivariate correlation and multiple regression analysis were used. Results: Sex life satisfaction increases from young adults aged 18- 35 to those aged 36-55 and then there is a decrease from ages 56-69. After controlling for socio-demographic factors, sex life satisfaction was positively associated with the number and quality of people's friendships (B=0.30, p=0.01) and people's relationships with their families (B=0.32, p=0.03). People who feel lonely have lower sex life satisfaction (B=-0.15, p=0.01). Conclusion: People's quality of their friendships and family relationships are important for their sexual well-being. Healthcare providers and policymakers should consider people's quality of friendships and family relationships when planning to improve the sexual well-being of people in DRC.
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In 2021, 6.5 million cases of tuberculosis (TB) were reported globally;however, the WHO estimates that 10.6 million people (134/ 100,000) developed the condition. As many as 1.6 million people (20/100,000) died of TB. The increase in TB mortality to the 2017 level may be explained by worse access to the diagnosis and treatment of TB due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In Europe, TB primarily affects vulnerable populations such as migrants, homeless people, prisoners or HIV-positive persons. The WHO estimates the incidence of TB in Ukraine to be 71/ 100,000. Approximately a third of cases are multidrug-resistant and one in five patients is HIV-positive. The Czech Republic is among countries With the lowest TB rates globally. In 2021, 357 cases (34/100,000) were reported to the national TB registry. Data for 2022 are not available as yet but the total number of TB cases is expected to rise in the Czech Republic, resulting from more reported cases of TB in Ukrainians due to the war in Ukraine. Fortunately, TB rates in Ukrainian refugees are considerably lower than those estimated When the war started.
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Kajian ini bertujuan meneroka pengetahuan mahasiswa tentang risiko jangkitan HIV/AIDS, faktor keterlibatan dalam hubungan romantik dan ketertarikan seks sesama jantina. Masih kurang kajian yang memberi tumpuan kepada amalan hubungan romantik dan ketertarikan seks sesama jantina serta kesedaran mahasiswa tentang HIV/AIDS impak daripada tingkah laku seks berisiko ini. Banyak kajian terdahulu lebih menumpu kepada faktor keterlibatan dalam hubungan romantik dan ketertarikan seks sesama jantina tanpa mengaitkannya dengan kesedaran mahasiswa gay terhadap jangkitan HIV. Kajian ini menggunakan pendekatan kajian kes dan direkabentuk bersesuaian kaedah kajian kualitatif. Seramai empat informan dalam kalangan mahasiswa Institusi Pengajian Tinggi di Malaysia yang membuat pengakuan identiti gay telah terlibat dalam kajian ini. Pemilihan informan adalah menggunakan teknik Persampelan Snow Ball. Pengumpulan data telah dijalankan secara atas talian dengan menggunakan medium Google Meet. Semua informan ditemubual dalam talian secara konferen video. Data temu bual dianalisis menggunakan analisis tematik. Hasil analisis menunjukkan terdapat empat faktor risiko keterlibatan mahasiswa dalam hubungan romantik dan tingkah laku seksual sesama jantina iaitu (i) pengalaman menjadi mangsa gangguan seksual semasa kecil, (ii) faktor naluri semulajadi, (iii) pengaruh rakan/komuniti berisiko gay dan (iv) pengaruh negatif daripada media sosial dan internet. Informan juga mempunyai pengetahuan asas tentang risiko jangkitan HIV. Walau bagaimanapun, kesemua informan percaya tingkah laku mereka mempunyai risiko rendah dan tidak mudah untuk dijangkiti HIV. Salah faham tentang risiko jangkitan HIV bagi seks tidak selamat dan seks luar tabi' dipercayai mendorong amalan hubungan seks sesama jantina dilakukan tanpa rasa takut dan menurunnya keprihatinan kepada seks selamat dalam kalangan mahasiswa gay. Kajian mencadangkan salah faham tentang risiko jangkitan HIV sebagai faktor baharu penyebab amalan seks sesama jantina yang berterusan dalam kalangan informan yang dikaji. Intervensi perlu dibentuk bersesuaian faktor risiko hubungan romantik dan tingkah laku seksual sesama jantina agar ia dapat dibendung daripada menular dalam kalangan mahasiswa gay.Alternate :This study aims to explore the knowledge of HIV/AIDS infection risk and the factors that contribute to same-sex romantic relationship involvement and same-sex sexual attractions among university students. Less studies have been done focusing on same-sex romantic relationships and same-sex sexual attraction among self-identified gay university students and their awareness of the HIV/AIDS impact due to risky sexual behaviour. Many previous studies were found to focus only on gay students' romantic relationships and samesex sexual attraction involvement factors without relating these factors with their awareness of HIV infection. This study uses a case study approach and is designed following qualitative research methods. Four students who self-identified as gay were selected as informants. Snow Ball Sampling is used as the informants' selection technique. Data collection was conducted online using the Google Meet platform. All informants were interviewed online via video conference. The thematic analysis has been used to analyse the interview data. The study analysis demonstrated four risk factors conduce to a same-sex romantic relationship and samesex sexual behaviours among gay students: (i) sexual abuse experienced during childhood;(ii) same-sex sexual attraction as an instinct factor;(iii) gay friends/community influenced and (iv) internet and social media negative influence. All informants are identified to have basic HIV risk infection knowledge. However, those in a same-sex relationship believe same-sex romantic relationships and same-sex sexual practices have a low risk of HIV infection. The misunderstanding of HIV infection in same-sex sexual practices and unsafe sex is believed to contribute to a consistent no fear of same-sex sexual practices and less concern towards safe sex among ay students. This study suggests a misunderstanding of HIV infection as the new factor contributing to continuous same-sex sexual practices among studied informants. Intervention needs to be developed tailored to the same-sex romantic relationship and same-sex sexual attraction risk factors to curb the spread among gay students.
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Objectives: The study investigated the relationship between fear of COVID-19, quality of sexual life, and sexual satisfaction of women in Turkey. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted between November 26, 2020, and January 26, 2021. The sample consisted of 811 women. Data were collected using the Fear of COVID-19 Scale, the Sexual Quality of Life-Female Scale, and the Pre-Pandemic Sexual Satisfaction and During Pandemic Sexual Satisfaction scores. Results: There was a negative correlation between the Fear of COVID-19 Scale and the Sexual Quality of Life-Female Scale and the During Pandemic Sexual Satisfaction scores. The Fear of COVID-19 Scale scores accounted for 86% of the total variance in the Sexual Quality of Life scores and 5% of the total variance in the During Pandemic Sexual Satisfaction Scores. Conclusion: Sexual problems due to the fear of COVID-19 adversely affect women's sexual quality of life. Healthcare professionals should address the fear of COVID-19 and related sexual issues during the pandemic.
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Objective: To assess the changes in the sexual behavior of Egyptian married men during the COVID-19 lockdown period. Methods: In a cross-sectional study, the sexual behavior of 164 Egyptian married men was examined through an online questionnaire, designed by the authors, and uploaded to strictly male social media groups using Google Forms. The questionnaire included demographic and clinical variables about age, stress level about COVID-19, fear of infection during sexual relations and also compared sexual behavior before the COVID-19 lockdown. Results: 39.17% of the sample reported decrease in sexual desire, 28.05% reported decrease in sexual frequency, 17.68% reported decrease in sexual satisfaction and 22% reported fear of infection with COVID-19 during sexual relations. Severe stress about COVID-19, increased rate of marital conflicts and fear of infection with COVID-19 during sexual relations were significantly associated with decreased sexual desire, frequency and satisfaction. Conclusions: This study demonstrated severe stress about COVID-19, increased rate of marital conflict and fear of infection with COVID-19 during sexual activity, all of which were significantly associated with decreased levels of sexual desire, frequency and satisfaction respectively among married Egyptian men during the COVID-19 lockdown period. Promoting education to manage stress, decreasing marital conflicts and the correction of the mistaken belief that COVID-19 is a sexually transmitted disease is highly important to promote healthy sexual relations during the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown period.
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En el presente texto se analizan los videos que han erotizado algunas situaciones ligadas a la covid-19, como el uso de guantes, mascarillas, alcohol en gel o trajes de protección para representar el contexto específico de la pandemia y que aquí se denomina "pornografía del confinamiento". Los objetivos del artículo son explorar las características de este tipo de pornografía y analizar los vínculos entre tales videos y la exigencia hacia el sujeto biopolítico de que se responsabilice por su salud. Se revisaron alrededor de veintisiete videos de la página Pornhub, prestando especial atención a diez que fueron titulados The Cleanest Porn Ever. Todos estos materiales buscan promover el "sexo seguro" basado en el distanciamiento social, en la visualización de pornografía o en el aprendizaje de técnicas higiénicas para evitar el contagio. En el análisis se utilizaron diversas teorías, noticias y estadísticas sobre el tema. Entre los hallazgos encontrados sobresale que la pornografía del confinamiento es un reflejo de la subjetividad liberal, en la que los individuos no están interesados en fortalecer el lazo social o participar en modificaciones culturales, sino en atender sus necesidades inmediatas e individuales. Finalmente, se concluye que con este tipo de pornografía se simplifica la realidad al conectar a las personas con emociones "positivas", descartando la potencia de las modificaciones que implican vínculos con la comunidad.Alternate :This text analyzes videos that have erotized situations linked to COVID-19, in which the use of gloves, masks, alcohol gel, or protective gear have represented the context of the pandemic, and that are referred to here as "pornography of confinement." The aim of this article is to explore the characteristics of this type of pornography and analyze the links between such videos and demands upon the biopolitical subject, who is to be responsible for their own health. Approximately twenty-seven videos from the website Pornhub were reviewed, with special attention to ten that were entitled The Cleanest Porn Ever. All these materials aim to promote "safe sex" based on social distancing, viewing pornography, or learning hygienic techniques to avoid infection. Diverse theories, news stories, and data on this topic were used in the analysis. Among the key findings, pornography of confinement reflects the liberal subjectivity, as the individuals represented are not interested in strengthening social ties or participating in cultural change but rather in attending to their own immediate and individual needs. Finally, it is concluded that reality is simplified in this type of pornography by connecting people with "positive" emotions, discarding the potential for change that entails ties to the collective.
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This journal issue includes 201 s of papers presented at the conference. Topics discussed include: association between cannabis use and COVID-19 and distress among adolescent patients;COVID-19 exposure and care-seeking behaviors among vulnerable urban adolescents and young adults;assessment of a poverty simulation in medical education;prevalence of chronic pelvic pain by sexual orientation in a large cohort of young women in the USA;confidentiality and patient satisfaction in adolescent telehealth visits;predictors of adolescent telemedicine visit no-shows during the COVID-19 pandemic;simulation of contraceptive access for adolescents using a pharmacist-staffed e-platform;foster caregivers and their role in contraception decision-making for adolescents in care.
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The COVID-19 pandemic has severely affected people's daily life globally, especially for the physical and mental health of children and adolescents, the vulnerable group. This paper reviews the studies, up to August 24, 2020, focusing on the following four aspects. Firstly, the mental stressors among children and adolescents are discussed from national and society, school and community, family and individual perspectives, such as the social isolation, the health care facility closures, the school closures, the economic deterioration, the home quarantine, the domestic violence and abuse, the increased screen time, and others. Secondly, the main types of psychological problems in teenagers during the COVID-19 are discussed. Emotional problems mainly include the anxiety, the depression, the loneliness, the sleep problems, the psychosomatic problems and the stress-related problems. Behavioral problems mainly include:the internet addiction, the sexual abuse behaviors, the parent-child conflicts, and others. Finally, children and adolescents are divided into five categories according to different risks under the background of COVID-19:the ordinary children, the children living in high exposure risk areas, the children with their caregivers being affected or being frontline workers, the quarantined children, the children with other diseases and the infected children. And intervention recommendations include the health education, the epidemic prevention, the knowledge popularization, the parent accompaniment;the hospital 24-hour on-duty nursing system, the online consultation and the online pharmacy;the remote interactive online education, the remote psychiatry, the book therapy, the music therapy, the emotion-focused therapy (EFT), the parent-child interaction therapy (PCIT), the cognitive behavioral writing therapy(CBWT), the eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) and the drug therapy.
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Pet ownership (PO) exerts beneficial effects on the physical and psycho-emotional health of the people with whom they live, even in pandemic contexts. Animals benefit from receiving attention and care and avoiding health risks, based on the ..One Health.. approach. Considering the contributions and importance of the subject, a compilation study of works carried out by the authors was carried out to determine the perception of the benefits of PO in different population sectors. These were exploratory and descriptive studies, cross-sectional and quantitative conducted at the National Institute of Endocrinology and the main Veterinary Clinic of Havana, in which people responsible for companion animals (PO). These people had chronic diseases (cardiovascular and endocrine-metabolic), sexual and reproductive health conditions (infertility) and sexual identity (homoerotic and transsexual sexual orientation), in different stages of life (middle and elderly), from 2013 to 2020 (during the context of the COVID-19 pandemic). Selfadministered questionnaires prepared by the research team were used. The results were processed using descriptive statistics and ethical aspects were considered. Most of the participants expressed satisfaction with PO, perceived its benefits on their physical and emotional health, motivated them to take better care of themselves and engage in physical activities, and during the COVID- 19 pandemic. Besides, PO decreased the negative effects of social distancing. Dogs and cats were the preferred animals for emotional reasons.
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Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, representations of irresponsible gay men partying with little regard for viral transmission have circulated across social media;a construction of gay men that has a history that long precedes the coronavirus conjuncture. In this article, we draw on in-depth qualitative interviews with 43 queer men in London and Edinburgh, to investigate experiences of sexual and intimate practices during COVID-19 and use the concept of ‘biosexual citizenship’ (2018) to analyse the ethical frameworks these men used to navigate them. We argue that rather than being ‘good’ or ‘bad’ biosexual citizens, queer men have developed an array of ethically reflexive strategies in order to negotiate the difficult terrain they have had to face when trying to pursue their cultures of sex and intimacy during the pandemic. In so doing, they appear to enact biosexual citizenship through diverse sexual practices that both inevitably include and challenge both hegemonic imperatives of responsibility and well-being, as well as well-worn media representations of reckless, hedonistic gay men.
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More than a decade ago, the preventive effect of antiretroviral treatment against HIV (TasP) was scientifically demonstrated: an HIV-positive person under treatment with an undetectable viral load cannot transmit the virus. This article aims to assess the level of knowledge about TasP among men who have sex with men (MSM), to describe the men's characteristics according to their declared HIV status and to identify the factors associated with their knowledge. The data source is the survey Rapport au Sexe (ERAS) 2021: a cross-sectional, anonymous, voluntary and self-administered online survey. Among the 14,706 respondents included in the analysis, who were residing in France and had engaged in sexual intercourse with a man at least once in their lifetime, 60.5% were aware of TasP, 92.4% among HIV-positive MSM and 58.2% among HIV-negative MSM or those who did not know their HIV status. Logistic regressions show that, to different extents depending on the respondent's HIV status, a low level of education, a financial situation perceived as difficult, a low level of health literacy and not defining oneself as homosexual were factors associated with less knowledge. Conversely, living in an urban area, frequenting the gay community, or attending HIV care services were positively associated to TasP knowledge. The continuation of public awareness campaigns around TasP is essential, whether administered through associations, the gay community, via health initiatives or the mass media, in order to improve knowledge about HIV and reduce HIV-related stigma.
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Introduction - The CeGIDDs are centres of information, screening and diagnosis for HIV, viral hepatitis and bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs), a network of French free-to-use clinics created in 2016. This article describes the characteristics of CeGIDD visitors as well as the screening and diagnostic activities carried out by the structures for the year 2020, comparing them with 2018. Method - We present a repeated cross-sectional study, based on continuous monitoring data from the SurCeGIDD system, which relies on the secure transmission of individual visitor data according to a predefined format. The socio-demographic and behavioural data of the visitors, and their reasons for consultation, are described. The proportions of visitors tested and the positivity rates for HIV, hepatitis B (HBV) and C (HCV), syphilis, gonococcus (NG), Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) and Mycoplasma genitalium (MG) are described according to sexual practices. Results - In 2020, 336,333 consultations were reported by 50.3% of the 336 CeGIDDs identified in 2020. Attendance at CeGIDDs fell sharply in the second quarter of 2020 (-58% compared to the first quarter). In 2020, the visitors were mostly men (62.1%) and young people under 30 (64.5%). About a quarter (23.5%) of the visitors were born abroad. The proportion of men having sex with men (14.8%) and trans people (0.38%) had increased compared to 2018. The most frequent reasons for consultation remained risk exposure (60.4%) and systematic screening (43.3%). Some reasons for consultation increased between 2018 and 2020, such as initiating or monitoring a post-exposure prophylaxis. An increase in positivity rate between 2018 and 2020 is observed for HIV (from 0.37% to 0.41%), but especially for NG (from 2.8% to 4.0%), undoubtedly related to changes in visitor characteristics. At the same time, positivity rates decreased for HBV (from 1.3% to 0.93%) and HCV (from 0.94% to 0.60%). They are relatively stable for CT (7.0% in 2020), MG (6.8%) and syphilis (1.0%). Conclusion - Despite a drop in consultations in 2020 related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the CeGIDDs continued to carry out their screening/diagnostic missions in a comprehensive sexual health approach. SurCeGIDD surveillance provides elements for monitoring the national sexual health strategy, hence the need to improve the comprehensiveness and completeness of the data collected.
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Introduction - Transgender people are highly vulnerable to HIV infection and other STIs, due to behavioral, economic, or social factors. This work aims to describe HIV diagnoses in this population. Materials-methods - The data come from HIV mandatory reporting. We analysed HIV diagnoses in transgender people between 2012 and 2020. Two categories have been described, new diagnoses (people not knowing their HIV status before diagnosis), and first diagnoses in France for people already diagnosed in another country. Results - From 2012 to 2020, 253 new HIV diagnoses in transgender people were reported, i.e. 0.7% of diagnoses. After adjustment for underreporting and missing data, this number was estimated at 418 (95% CI [367-469]). Most of these people were trans women (87%), with a median age of 31 (38.5 for men). Trans women were more often born abroad (83%, mainly in South America) than trans men (52%). The probable mode of contamination was mainly sexual (98%). The most common reason for performing serology was recent exposure to HIV (33%), and 15% of diagnoses were made following a positive rapid diagnostic orientation test. One in five trans people were diagnosed with advanced infection (AIDS or <200 CD4 cells), and 37% of trans people were co-infected with another STI. Between 2012 and 2020, 115 first diagnoses in France in transgender people knowing their HIV status were reported. These diagnoses concern almost exclusively women (99%). After correction, their number is estimated at 169 (95% CI [137-201]) people. Discussion-conclusion - Transgender people newly diagnosed are mainly born abroad and sexually infected. They are often coinfected with a bacterial STI, highlighting their high level of sexual exposure and calls for a strengthening of diversified prevention in this population, including PrEP. New diagnoses at an advanced stage of infection are more common in foreign-born transgender people diagnosed several years after arrival in France, which is an argument to support HIV screening in this population. As well as new HIV diagnoses, the first diagnoses in France of people already diagnosed in another country, are an important issue in terms of setting up HIV medical care, whether for initiation or continued antiretroviral therapy.
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Regular pleasurable sex among couples is pivotal to nurturing a healthy marriage relationship, the lack of which has been associated with frequent misunderstandings, infidelity, gender-based violence and divorce in severe cases. The World Health Organization in January 2020 declared Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) a global public health emergency. Countries all over the world declared lockdowns and formulated control measures to check the spread of the disease. Parents, children and relatives were locked down at home thereby eroding privacy among couples. This study assessed the response probability of sexual enjoyment/intimacy among Nigerian couples during COVID-19 lockdown. Convenience sampling using an online semi-structured questionnaire was employed to elicit information from 148 married Nigerian couples aged between 16 and 50+ years. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 23. Pearson Chi-Square (X2) was performed to determine associations between variables at 5% significance level (p-value 0.05). The assessment made use of response probabilities obtained by binary logistic regression modeling. Most respondents 81 (54.7%) were aged between 36-49 years;75 (50.7%) were females, 73 (49.3%) were males. 109 (73.6%) were locked down in Nigeria. Majority 122 (82.4%) reported improvement in sexual intimacy;most 106 (71.6%) enjoyed sex, while 42 (28.4%) did not. Major barriers to sexual enjoyment were frequent misunderstandings 34 (80.9%, p = 00001);accommodation type (0.00001) and infidelity 29 (69.1%). The response probabilities showed that males (0.71 Nigeria, 0.73 abroad) enjoyed sex, compared to females (0.70 Nigeria, 0.72 abroad). Overall, this study showed significant improvement in sexual enjoyment/intimacy among respondents. However, misunderstanding and accommodation type were statistically significantly associated with sexual enjoyment. In the face of rising global uncertainties/economic downturn, regular pleasurable sex is advocated among married couples, particularly females, in order to maintain physical, mental and psychological wellbeing.
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Objective: The increasing prevalence of COVID-19 in Iran has increased the risk for anxiety and stress in families. Due to the significance of the impact of family health on the society's mental health and the fundamental role of marital relationships, which is an indicator of marital satisfaction, this study was conducted to investigate associated factors of marital satisfaction in Iranian women during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Recreational sex is a popular form of leisure that has been redefined by the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. "Social distancing" rules have imposed limits on sex for leisure while also creating new opportunities. We discuss results from an online survey of 1,559 adults who were asked about the pandemic's impact on their intimate lives. While nearly half of the sample reported a decline in their sex life, one in five participants reported expanding their sexual repertoire by incorporating new activities. Common additions included sexting, trying new sexual positions, and sharing sexual fantasies. Being younger, living alone, and feeling stressed and lonely were linked to trying new things. Participants making new additions were three times more likely to report improvements in their sex life. Even in the face of drastic changes to daily life, many adults are adapting their sexual lives in creative ways.