Boys Are Victims, Too: The Influence of Perpetrators' Age and Gender in Sexual Coercion Against Boys.

Sexual coercion among adolescent boys in South Africa is an underresearched topic despite the frequency of such events. Although quantitative research has illuminated the prevalence of sexual coercion toward boys, it has provided little understanding of the context of sexual coercion for adolescent boys. Given the often severe consequences of sexual coercion, it is important to further understand these experiences to inform prevention efforts. The current study aims to provide a more nuanced understanding of the context of sexual coercion. Data come from the baseline assessment for a translational research evaluation of a school-based intervention. The current study focuses on a subset of early and middle adolescent boys who reported experiencing sexual coercion (n = 223). Analyses examine boys' reports of their perpetrators' characteristics and details about the sexual coercion encounter. Logistic regression is used to examine how coercion tactics used by the perpetrator differs depending on the perpetrator's age and gender. Eighth-grade boys were most likely to report that their perpetrator was a similar-aged female and that perpetrator's age played a particularly important role in what tactics were used. Adult perpetrators were more likely to use physical force, threaten them, harass them electronically, and drink or use drugs at the time. Results provide important insight into boys' experiences of sexual coercion that have implications for both future research and intervention efforts. Although much research is needed on the topic, intervention programs should recognize that both male and female adolescents can be victim and perpetrator.

Forced Sexual Experiences and Sexual Situation Self-Efficacy Among South African Youth.

Nearly 20% of South African youth experience forced or coerced sexual intercourse. Understanding the factors associated with forced sex is important for informing prevention programs aimed at reducing sexual violence and HIV and AIDS. Multilevel regression models test the association between sexual situation self-efficacy and forced sex among 2,893 South African adolescents. Findings suggest that youth are more likely to experience forced sex after periods of time when their levels of self-efficacy are lower than their average levels of self-efficacy. Furthermore, youth who are lower on their self-efficacy compared to their peers are more likely to experience forced sex. Implications for prevention research are discussed.

Controlled breathing with or without peppermint aromatherapy for postoperative nausea and/or vomiting symptom relief: a randomized controlled trial.

PURPOSE: With little scientific evidence to support use of aromatherapy for postoperative nausea and/or vomiting (PONV) symptoms, this study evaluated controlled breathing with peppermint aromatherapy (AR) and controlled breathing alone (CB) for PONV relief. DESIGN: A single blind randomized control trial design was used. METHODS: On initial PONV complaint, symptomatic subjects received either CB (n = 16) or AR (n = 26) intervention based on randomization at enrollment. A second treatment was repeated at 5 minutes if indicated. Final assessment occurred 10 minutes post initial treatment. Rescue medication was offered for persistent symptoms. FINDINGS: Among eligible subjects, PONV incidence was 21.4% (42/196). Gender was the only risk factor contributing to PONV symptoms (P = .0024). Though not statistically significant, CB was more efficacious than AR, 62.5% versus 57.7%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: CB can be initiated without delay as an alternative to prescribed antiemetics. Data also support use of peppermint AR in conjunction with CB for PONV relief.

Was Bob Seger Right? Relation Between Boredom in Leisure and [Risky] Sex.

This article examines the association between boredom in leisure and risky sexual behaviors among South African youth (N = 1695) using longitudinal data. We hypothesized that youth who were higher on boredom in leisure at the end of ninth grade would be more likely to report engaging in risky sexual behaviors at the beginning of tenth grade. Chi-square results indicate youth, especially male youth who experience high levels of leisure boredom in ninth grade, are more likely to engage in risky sexual behaviors in tenth grade. These findings have implications for prevention programs that aim to delay sexual initiation, reduce sexual risk behaviors, and decrease the transmission of HIV and AIDS. The findings support the need for additional research on how the reduction of leisure boredom may be a potential target for reducing sexual risk among youth.

Measuring HIV/AIDS-Related Stigma Across South Africa: A Versatile and Multidimensional Scale.

Reducing HIV/AIDS-related stigma is critical in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Although national campaigns and prevention programs have been implemented across South Africa to address this critical concern, assessing the impact of these initiatives is difficult as it requires that measurement of HIV/AIDS-related stigma is uniform and comparable nationwide. The appropriateness of existing stigma measures for this task is unclear as measurement of HIV/AIDS-related stigma may be qualitatively different across South Africa's diverse population. The current study assesses a theoretically and culturally informed multidimensional, HIV/AIDS-related stigma scale for measurement invariance across a sample drawn from two culturally distinct South African provinces: Limpopo (n = 597) and Western Cape (n = 598). Results suggest measurement invariance across groups for the HIV/AIDS stigma scale, supporting the scale's integrity and appropriateness for use across diverse populations.

Health insurance coverage predicts lower childbearing among near-poor adolescents.

PURPOSE: The impact of health insurance on adolescent childbearing takes on increased salience in the context of the ongoing United States health care debate. Health insurance coverage is important for accessing health care services, including reproductive health services, yet prior research has not examined the association between insurance coverage and childbearing. Consequently, the role of insurance in the prevention of adolescent childbearing has been unclear. METHODS: Using three panels (2001, 2004, and 2008) of the nationally representative Survey of Income and Program Participation data, hierarchical multilevel logistic regression models test the association between pre-pregnancy health insurance coverage and childbearing for a sample of 7,263 unmarried adolescent women (aged 16-19 years), controlling for known correlates of adolescent childbearing. Analyses examine variations in the association based on family income. RESULTS: The odds of reporting childbearing were almost twice as great for adolescents who were uninsured compared with those who were insured before a pregnancy occurred. Interaction models demonstrate this effect for near-poor adolescents (who are less likely to have health insurance coverage) compared with poor and more advantaged adolescents. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of the current nationally representative study suggest that health insurance coverage is associated with a lower probability of childbearing for near-poor adolescents. Future research should examine potential mechanisms through which insurance coverage influences adolescent childbearing.