Factors associated with people's satisfaction with their sex life: a survey conducted in Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of Congo) during the COVID-19 pandemic

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.

Heteronormativity in health settings: Realities of LGBT youth's access to healthcare in South Africa

In South Africa, sexual and gender minorities experience a wide array of health inequities and face many difficulties in accessing health services. This is largely due to the general heteronormative-based health system that is not well equipped to meet the needs of those not conforming to "normal" forms of gender and sexuality. In addition, the heteronormative-based approach to LGBT health has rendered the unique needs and experiences of sexual and gender minorities invisible within mainstream health data, systems and policies. Increasing evidence suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic has worsened health disparities and this is likely a consequence of existing challenges related to structural violence that persisted prior to its emergence. Given the current structure of South Africa's health system, this chapter examines structural violence in the context of healthcare and draws on in-depth interviews conducted with 12 LGBT students at a university in South Africa. The findings highlight the importance of raising awareness on the spectrum of sexual orientation and gender identity, applying an intersectional lens to the health system to address health inequities and gearing healthcare programs to provide services for all. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Sexual health and contraceptives in the young people of the XXI century

Youth is a key period of life to ensure future well-being, especially in relation to sexuality. The general objective is to analyze the sexual education of young people today regarding sexual practices and to study the use of contraceptive methods. Material(s) and Method(s): It is a cross-sectional, observational study of cases. Designed a digital questionnaire made with Google consisting of 26 items and 3 blocks: social-demographic data, female sexuality and sexual health. Data analysis the statistical program SPSS 25.0. Result(s): The sample obtained: 1320 women. Social-demographic data: ages between 15 and 29 years and 58.3% of the women had a partner. The most frequent sexual orientation: 77% heterosexual. Female sexuality: for 63.9% of women, sex is an important part of their relationships and 43.3% consider themselves attractive people. The most rejected practices: anal sex, during menstruation or with the light on. 4.7% do not feel prepared to require their sexual partner to use a condom. 9.7% are not able to request sexual practices that they want. 6.2% state that they do not avoid any practice despite the fact that some of them cause discomfort. During the Covid-19 situation, the frequency of sexual relations decreases by 49% and the absent practices of viral transmission via online increase. Regarding sexual education, we observe that the majority have been provided by friends, that is, unqualified personnel. The most explained topics are focused on the traditional aspects of sexual health and human development, therefore it is an education that is not of quality, data confirmed by 58% of women. The contraceptive methods most used by women are condoms and oral contraceptives, whose main purpose is the prevention of pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (condoms). Its use can have negative connotations such as decreased sexual desire, excitement, sensitivity and orgasm disorders. Conclusion(s): Currently, young women perceive sexuality more and more naturally, talking about it without fear or censorship. Sex educators are mostly not qualified personnel. The SARS-CoV2 (Covid-19) situation increases the number of sexual practices online, decreasing it. The contraceptive methods most used by women are condoms and oral contraceptives.Copyright © 2023

The relationship between the COVID-19 pandemic and the sexual life quality of nurses

Introduction and aim. Sexuality is one of the basic human needs. The coronavirus has adversely affected every aspect of people's lives. The nurses who were in the closest contact with the patients were affected more negatively due to the many unknowns during the COVID-19 pandemic. Aim of this study is to determine the relationship between the COVID-19 pandemic and the sexual quality of life of nurses. Material and methods. The sample of this descriptive-cross-sectional study consisted of 390 nurses who met the inclusion criteria. The data were collected over the social networks between November 2020-January 2021. The data were collected through social networks using the "Personal Information Form” and "Quality of Sexual Life Scale-Women” using the self-report method. Results. The mean age of the nurses was 32.44±6.83, and 59.2% of them had a university level education. The mean score of the women's sexual quality of life scale was calculated as 87.37±20.83. It has been determined that there is a statistically significant difference between the scores obtained from the sexual life quality scale according to the status of the nurses having (p<0.05). Conclusion. In the COVID-19 pandemic, it was determined that the sexual life quality of nurses was above the medium level and their sexual life was adversely affected. © 2022 Publishing Office of the University of Rzeszow. All Rights Reserved.

What impact did the COVID-19 pandemic have on psychosis and the delivery of early intervention psychosis (EIP) services in Australia?

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic had a catastrophic impact worldwide, the significance of which continues to be explored. For EIP services the implications were two fold. First, that the pandemic and associated psychosocial stressors would lead to an increased incidence of psychosis and secondly, social distancing measures would negatively impact the detection and treatment of people with psychosis. 18 months on and we now have the data to explore these questions. Method(s): Participants included in this study are young people who attended one of the six headspace Early Psychosis (hEP) services across Australia and met the criteria for being at Ultra High Risk (UHR) of psychosis or experiencing a First Episode of Psychosis (FEP), were aged between 12 and 25 years, and provided informed consent for their data to be used. We will analyse the following routinely collected data from young people accessing EIP services and compared outcomes collected the year before the COVID-19 pandemic occurred (March 2019-February 2020) with data collected during the pandemic (March 2020 onwards): a. Clinical and functional outcomes of young people at UHR or with FEP, b. Duration of untreated psychosis (DUP), c. patterns of substance use, and d. source and rates of referrals. Results and Conclusion(s): I will present the differences in the above outcomes for those young people accessing treatment pre and during COVID-19 pandemic. Confounding factors such as age, gender, sexuality, ATSI status, CALD background will be controlled for. Discussion of the results ad implication for clinical practice will follow.

Short-Term Effects of a School-Based Comprehensive Sexuality Education Intervention Among Very Young Adolescents in Three Urban Indonesian Settings: A Quasi-Experimental Study.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effects of a comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) intervention on short-term psychosocial outcomes related to healthy sexuality among very young adolescents in urban Indonesia. METHODS: A quasi-experimental study was conducted between 2018 and 2021 with students aged 10-14 years at 18 schools in Indonesia (Lampung, Denpasar, Semarang). Three schools per site were purposefully selected to receive the SEmangaT duniA RemajA intervention, a two-year, rights-based teacher-led CSE intervention delivered in classrooms (or online after the 2020 COVID-19 outbreak); and matched with three control schools. Surveys were completed by 3,825 students at pre- and posttest (82% retention). The final analytical sample included 1852 intervention and 1483 control students (N = 3,335). Difference-in-difference analysis was conducted to examine the intervention effect on healthy sexuality competencies (knowledge, skills, and attitudes) and personal sexual well-being. RESULTS: Baseline characteristics for intervention and control groups were similar in terms of sex (57% female) and age (mean 12 years). Students receiving SEmangaT duniA RemajA demonstrated significantly greater increase in competencies, including greater pregnancy knowledge, more gender equal attitudes, and communication about sexual and reproductive health and rights, compared to controls. There was no intervention effect on personal sexual well-being, except for self-efficacy to prevent pregnancy. Subgroup analysis indicated more significant effects among females and students in Semarang and Denpasar, than males or students in Lampung. DISCUSSION: While findings demonstrate the potential for CSE programs to improve healthy sexuality competencies in early adolescence, the effect appears to be highly contextualized which may be due to varying levels of implementation quality, especially since the COVID-19 outbreak.

Victimization of Users of Affective-Sexual Applications and the Culture of Compliance

The Projects "Enrolla2 Generation X Security Perceptions and Risk Attitudes in individuals belonging to the Generation X linked to the use of affective-sexual computer applications (CIPI / 20/091)" and "The management of desire in times of COVID (CIPI / 20/159) "had as their respective objectives, to study the perception of security, its incidence in the level of victimization and the risks to the health of individuals in affective-sexual applications;and to know the motivations that have led them to use affective-sexual apps during lockdown. Different levels of security were observed in the apps, depending on the treatment of user data, the existence of harassing attitudes and the emergence of a digital drug market. Legally, it is understood as necessary to improve the protection of users, potential victims of crime -individually identified -and, likewise, encourage the culture of prevention or compliance with respect to the companies that own said platforms.

Current epidemiological situation of TB in the world, Ukraine and the Czech Republic

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.

The Why and Whither of Asian American Studies: Toward a Reckoning

Yuri Kochiyama (1921–2014) On March 11, 2020, roughly three months after the first death attributed to the newly discovered SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) virus was confirmed in Wuhan, China, the World Health Organization elevated its characterization of the ensuing outbreaks from "public health emergency of international concern" (PHEIC) to global pandemic. [...]we editors, along with the contributors to this special issue, acknowledge from the outset that the formation of Asian American studies—along with ethnic studies and gender/sexuality studies—was first and foremost a paradigmatic endeavor, one that, as Lisa Lowe productively characterizes it, remains "key to thinking in comparative relational ways about race, power, and interconnected colonialisms. More than a few students found themselves spending more time in the community than in school. [...]were born a host of Asian American community organizations and services, as well as an increasing vector of Asian American political activism in defense of our communities. "4 Such reckonings, intimately tied to the formation of Asian American studies as a critical race-based interdiscipline born out of 1960s civil rights movements and liberation fronts, encapsulate the field's aspirational politics.

Evaluation of sexual function and sexual quality of life in women during the COVID-19 Pandemic: the Turkish case

Background: Sexual health is an important component of general health. Objective(s): To evaluate sexual function and sexual quality of life (SQOL) in women during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method(s): This descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted in Turkey. Data were collected via a Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), and Sexual Quality of Life-Female (SQOL-F) questionnaire. Result(s): The mean FSFI score was 26.91+/-5.62, and 39.1% of the women had an FSFI score of 26.55 or lower. The mean SQOL-F score was 79.08+/-20.90. FSFI score was significantly associated with employment status (beta=-0.661), partner education (beta=1.698), sexual compatibility between partners (beta=0.518), sexual satisfaction (beta=0.230), fatigue level (beta=-0.120), and frequen-cy of sexual intercourse (beta=0.160). In addition, SQOL-F score was significantly associated with sexual desire (beta=2.625), satisfaction (beta=1.338), pain or discomfort (beta=1.274), age (beta=-0.356), sexual compatibility between partners (beta=1.984), and fatigue level (beta=-0.981) (p<0.05). Conclusion(s): Less than half of the women participating in this study had sexual dysfunction, and overall SQOL was moderate to high. These results were associated with some descriptive characteristics of the women and were similar to those reported in pre-pandemic studies conducted in Turkey.Copyright © The Authors.

The Impacts of Social and Political Upheaval on Older Adults' Sexuality: A Call to Action

Sexuality educator and author Jane Fleishman discusses the need to focus on sexual pleasure instead of sexual dysfunction for older adults. She exhorts her readers to notice the impact of current political and social upheaval, the pandemic, the recent Dobbs decision, and the concomitant racial violence, climate change, political crises, technological divides, as well as the healthcare system's inconsistencies, which have laid bare disparities, particularly for vulnerable older adults. She encourages scholars, researchers, students, and policy makers to embrace the intersections, develop new tools, and focus on marginalized populations.

The Effect of Covid-19 Anxiety on Sexual Function of Healthcare Providers-a Cross-Sectional Survey Study

Objective. Coronavirus disease epidemic in 2019 (COVID-19) posed a big challenge to healthcare providers. The present study aimed to explore the relationship between coronavirus anxiety and the sexual function of healthcare providers. Methods. In this study, an online survey was used to explore the relationship between anxiety and sexual function in healthcare providers during COVID-19 pandemic. The questionnaire included Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) and Corona Disease Anxiety Scale (CDAS). Results. A total of 300 healthcare providers were investigated in this study. The estimated self-reported rates of mild anxiety symptoms were 49%, moderate 29.2% and severe were 29.9%. The total mean score of FSFI of healthcare providers were 19.1 (SD=4.4). The results showed that on the total scale, 40.9% of healthcare providers had mild anxiety. The results also indicated that female sexual function is inversely correlated with anxiety during COVID-19 pandemic. Also, it was shown that anxiety during COVID-19 is inversely correlated with sexual functioning. Conclusion. This study presented the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on anxiety and sexual function in healthcare providers. Therefore, psychological or sexual assistance may be beneficial.Copyright © 2022, Serbian Medical Society. All rights reserved.

Mpox Awareness, Risk Reduction, and Vaccine Acceptance among Pwh in Washington, Dc

Background: PWH are disproportionally affected by mpox and at high risk for severe complications. The recent mpox outbreak response included increasing awareness, encouraging behavioral changes and pre- and post-exposure vaccination. We assessed knowledge and perceptions of mpox, adoption of preventive behaviors, and attitudes towards vaccination among PWH in Washington, DC. Method(s): Data from a cross-sectional mpox survey were collected between August and December 2022 from PWH enrolled in a longitudinal HIV cohort, the DC Cohort. We conducted uni- and bivariable analyses comparing participants by vaccination status (vaccinated, plan to vaccinate, no plan to vaccinate) and by HIV risk group (MSM vs. non-MSM). We conducted multinomial regression to identify factors associated with vaccine acceptance. Result(s): Among 178 PWH completing the survey (median age 55;71% male, 81% non-Hispanic Black, 37% MSM), 162 (91%) had heard of mpox. Among 159 PWH who had heard of mpox and answered vaccination questions, 21% (n=33) were vaccinated, 43% (n=69) planned to vaccinate and 36% (n=57) did not plan to vaccinate. Comparing the 3 groups, significant differences were observed by age, gender, education, income, HIV risk group, and level of worry about mpox (all p< 0.01). Viral suppression, prior COVID and influenza vaccination, access to STI services, and STI diagnoses in the last year were not associated with vaccine status. Behaviorally, a higher proportion of vaccinated participants reported limiting their number of sexual partners (p< 0.001) and using more preventive behaviors (e.g., limiting gatherings, increased condom use, avoiding skin-to-skin contact;p=0.034) in response to mpox. A higher proportion of MSM reported limiting their number of sexual partners compared to non-MSM (33% vs 7%, p< 0.0001) and were more likely to be vaccinated or plan to vaccinate vs non-MSM (p< 0.001). In adjusted multinomial regression models comparing vaccinated PWH and those planning to vaccinate to those not planning to vaccinate, age (p= 0.0231) and HIV risk factor/gender (p< 0.0001) were significantly associated with vaccination status with younger PWH and MSM more likely to vaccinate (Figure). Conclusion(s): High levels of mpox awareness were observed among this cohort of PWH in Washington, DC with more MSM employing risk reduction behaviors and vaccination as mpox prevention strategies. Ensuring that all PWH, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, or age, understand the risks of mpox may improve vaccination uptake.

Queering Diasporic Desi Solidarity: South Asian Activism in US and UK Multiracial Social Movements

This article explores the linkages between queerness, racialization, activism, and community care in the South Asian diaspora. It examines activism, organizing, and social movement work practiced by queer diasporic South Asians in the UK and the United States. By analyzing the South Asian activist relationship to, and solidarity and partnership with, Black liberation activism, this article conceptualizes a framing of queer South Asian diasporic solidarity. This solidarity is framed through contrasting articulations of joint struggle, allyship, and kinship in queer communities. To articulate this struggle, the article contrasts histories of South Asian racialization, politicization, and queerness in the UK and the United States, and synthesizes first-person activist accounts of modern-day queer South Asian activists in the diaspora. Finally, it argues that queer feminist South Asian activists in both countries are employing a model of queered solidarity with Black activists and Black liberation, though in differing forms in each country, that centers queer intimacies and anti-patriarchal modes of organizing for liberation across queer communities of color.

Evidence for Sex Differences in Depression, Sexual Attitudes, and Impulsivity as Predictors of Breaking Shelter-in-Place Orders During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Although the call to understand how sexual behaviors have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic has been established as an important area of study, research examining the extent to which gender, sexual attitudes, impulsivity, and psychological distress predicted breaking shelter-in-place (SIP) orders to engage in sexual behaviors with partners residing outside the home is undefined. Obtaining a deeper examination of the variables which predict risky sexual behaviors during SIP has important implications for future research at the intersection of public health, sexuality, and mental health. This study addressed the gap in the literature by considering how partnered sexual behaviors may be used during the COVID-19 pandemic to alleviate stress, as measured by breaking SIP orders for the pursuit of sexual intercourse. Participants consisted of 186 females and 76 males (N = 262) who predominately identified Caucasian/White (n = 149, 57.75%) and heterosexual/straight (n = 190, 73.64%) cultural identities with a mean age of 21.45 years (SD = 5.98, range = 18-65). A simultaneous logistic regression was conducted to examine whether mental health symptoms, sexual attitudes, and impulsivity predicted participants' decision to break SIP orders to engage in sexual intercourse. Based on our results, breaking SIP orders to pursue sexual activities with partners residing outside the home during the COVID-19 pandemic may be understood as an intentional strategy among men with less favorable birth control attitudes to mitigate the effects of depression. Implications for mental health professionals, study limitations, and future areas of research are additionally provided.

Attachment and Sexuality: Impact of Confinement by COVID-19.

This study examined attachment style and its relationship with sexual self-esteem during COVID-19 confinement. COVID-19 has caused changes in the way couples interact intimately and sexually around the world; some have found improvements and others an increase in difficulties. This article uses a retrospective pre post approach to evaluate 120 men and 89 women who were part of a couple at the time of confinement in Spain and completed an online survey. The sample was obtained during the de-escalation months, from May 9th until July 1st, 2020. Through an online survey we collected the data using the Spanish version of the Experiences in Close Relationships (ECR-S) to measure attachment and the Brief Sexuality Scale (SS) to measure aspects related to the participants sexuality (sexual self-esteem, sexual depression, and sexual preoccupation), as well as a scale designed post hoc on other aspects related to sexuality. Overall, the t-test results suggest that confinement had a negative effect on sexuality because sexual depression (SD) had a small increased in our sample. Multiple regression analysis showed that FSI, and ANXS attachment style were able to predict sexual depression during confinement. The results also showed a decrease in the strength of the relationship between sexual self-esteem (SSE) and attachment styles during confinement. However, sexual preoccupation (SP) and sexual self-esteem (SSE) remained relatively stable. Based on the results obtained, we conclude that there is an association between an increase in participants' sexual depression and being confined due to COVID-19.

Introduction: Centering Women on Post-2010 Chinese TV

This introduction to the special issue on the topic of "Centering Women on Post-2010 Chinese TV"presents a brief review of major topics in the scholarship on televisual representations of women in contemporary China. The issue includes five research articles that, collectively, address research gaps in studies of post-2010 Chinese televisual-cultural discourses to do with ethnic minority women, women's media authorship, women's extramarital romance, and national heroines of the COVID-19 pandemic. We propose novel focuses for examining women's plural roles and subjectivities on and off the TV screen. We thus call for complex understandings that move beyond the predominant attention of existing scholarship on conventional depictions of women as (virtuous) wives, (good) mothers, (inspirational) female professionals or heroines, and masculine feminist girls. Instead, this special issue sheds light on the polyvalent and contested positionality of Chinese women as gendered, ethnicized, (trans)nationalized, and romanticized subjects during a (post-)globalization and (post-)pandemic age. © 2022 The Author(s). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of International Communication Association. All rights reserved.

Editorial Introduction

Teacher preparation programs must begin addressing the challenges these laws present to P-12 schools. [...]in this article, the author discusses a qualitative research study that examined southern gay male teachers' beliefs about the intersectionality of sexuality, gender identity, and pedagogy in secondary classrooms. The project's embrace and criticism are expressive of the juxtaposition When Diversity Isn't the Point: Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors in the Classroom Kaitlin Jackson : This article looks past the gifted classics of children's literature to explore the incredible opportunity that is missed all too often: an opportunity to intentionally choose books in which diversity is not the point but showcase much-needed representation. Drawing on in-depth interviews, participant observations, pláticas, document analyses, and literature on race and space and racism in higher education, I argue that the racially hostile campus environment experienced by MMAX students at their respective university manifests itself as a form of educational-environmental racism. Under the Next Gen- eration Science Standards, middle school students are expected to model EarthMoon-Sun motions to explain Moon phases, eclipses, and seasons (NGSS Lead States, 2013).

Impacts of electronic device use on adolescents' sexual knowledge, attitude and perception during the COVID-19 pandemic: A representative sexuality survey.

Background: COVID-19 pandemic has led to school closure and social distancing measures for infection control. Many young people thus spent more time on electronic devices and the Internet. This study aimed to determine if and how sexual knowledge, perception and behavior as well as sexuality among Hong Kong adolescents were affected as a result. Methods: Youth Sexuality Study conducted by The Family Planning Association of Hong Kong (FPAHK) evaluated the sexual knowledge, attitudes and behaviors and sexual health of youth every 5 years since 1981 with adaptations made to the changing environment. We analyzed this cross-sectional data on sexual knowledge, attitude, and experiences as well as the impacts of COVID-19 on daily life, health and relationships. Univariate analysis was conducted to investigate the relationships between the time spent on electronic devices and sexuality, while mediation analyses using the PROCESS procedure were performed to further explore differences in time spent on electronic devices. Results: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the majority of our participants spent more time on social media and browsing the Internet on electronic devices with less time for extracurricular activities and learning. Nonetheless, there was better overall sexual knowledge and a lower degree of sexual stigma with a higher overall acceptance of sexual minorities. The mediation analyses found that sexual content [Conditional effect = 0.024 (95% CI 0.008, 0.043)] and engagement online [Conditional effect = 0.036 (CI 0.021, 0.053)] could indirectly influence the effect of screen time on the frequency of sexual practices. Conclusion: Policymakers and frontline professionals should re-examine the pedagogy of the present sex education and consider online sex education as the key mode of delivery while guiding the proper use of electronic devices in the learning and exploration of sexual knowledge.