Is Pelvic Floor sEMG a Measure of Women's Sexual Response?

INTRODUCTION: Pelvic floor surface electromyography (sEMG) is often used in the assessment and treatment of individuals with pelvic floor abnormalities to measure muscle tone and neural control of the pelvic floor muscles (PFM); however, little is known about the role of the PFM in sexual arousal. AIM: The aim of this pilot study was to examine whether changes in deep and superficial PFM activity-assessed with sEMG-can be observed during the presentation of sexual stimuli. METHODS: Deep PFM sEMG activity was assessed with a vaginal probe. Superficial PFM activity was assessed with sEMG electrodes placed over the bulbocavernosus and perianal muscles. 15 sexually healthy women (mean age 27 years) watched a series of neutral, anxiety-evoking, and sexually explicit films. Continuous subjective sexual arousal was measured using a handheld arousometer. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Changes in microvolts were measured by sEMG sensors, from neutral to anxiety-evoking and neutral to sexually explicit films. RESULTS: There was an increase in intravaginal and perianal sEMG for both the erotic and anxiety films. Bulbocavernosus sEMG responses did not differ among the 3 films. Concordance between self-reported continuous sexual arousal for the erotic film and bulbocavernosus sEMG (r = 0.349) was not significantly different than concordance using intravaginal sEMG (r = 0.293) or perianal sEMG (r = 0.236). CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Understanding more about which parts of the PFM respond specifically to sexual stimuli may have implications for measuring the effects of treatments aimed at improving sexual response in women. STRENGTH & LIMITATIONS: The results of this pilot study provide a preliminary understanding of which pelvic floor muscles respond to sexual stimuli. A limitation of this study was the small sample size. CONCLUSION: Taken together, these findings suggest that intravaginal and perianal sEMG respond to erotic stimuli, whereas bulbocavernosal sEMG responses do not. Hannan-Leith MN, Dayan M, Hatfield G, et al. Is Pelvic Floor Surface Electromyography a Measure of Women's Sexual Response? A Pilot Study. J Sex Med 2019;16:70-82.

"Do You Want to Go Forward or Do You Want to Go Under?" Men's Mental Health in and Out of Prison.

More than 11 million people are currently imprisoned worldwide, with the vast majority of incarcerated individuals being male. Hypermasculine environments in prison are often tied to men's health risks, and gathering information about mental health is fundamental to improving prison as well as community services. The purpose of the current study was to describe the connections between masculinities and men's mental health among prisoners transitioning into and out of a Canadian federal correctional facility. Two focus groups were conducted with a total of 18 men who had recently been released from a federal correctional facility. The focus group interviews were analyzed to inductively derive patterns pertaining to men's mental health challenges and resiliencies "on the inside" and "on the outside." Participant's challenges in prison related to heightened stresses associated with being incarcerated and the negative impact on preexisting mental illness including imposed changes to treatment regimens. Men's resiliencies included relinquishing aggression and connecting to learn from other men "on the inside." Mental health challenges "on the outside" included a lack of work skills and finances which increased the barriers that many men experienced when trying to access community-based mental health services. Mental health resiliencies employed by participants "on the outside" included self-monitoring and management to reduce negative thoughts, avoiding substance use and attaining adequate exercise and sleep. The current study findings offer practice and policy guidance to advance the well-being of this vulnerable subgroup of men in as well as out of prison.

Male Body Practices.

The pressure on boys and men to engage in extensive body practices (e.g., closely monitored eating and exercise habits) and achieve ideal male bodies has grown significantly over the past 20 years. Central to the depiction of ideal male bodies and body practices are both the pursuit and achievement of lean and well-defined muscles. The labels "pitches," "purchases," and "performativities" were inductively derived from the literature, and used to describe the multifaceted connections between masculinities, muscularity, and idealized male body practices. "Pitches" distil how popular culture posture norms of masculinity, and manly bodies and behaviors attainable and necessary. "Purchases" refer to men's diverse buy-in to dominant discourses about acceptable male bodies and practices. "Performativities" chronicle how men embody and navigate gender norms as they evaluate their own bodies, behaviors, and eating habits and those of their peers. Based on findings from the current scoping review, future research could benefit from fully linking masculinities with the drive for muscularity to address health and social risks associated with the pursuit of the idealized male body. In highlighting the plurality of masculinities and the complexity of men's diverse identities, health care providers can better reach and support men. Focusing on, and celebrating, a wider range of male bodies could help recenter dominant discourses about how and whose bodies and experiences are idealized. The current scoping review article offers an overview of how masculinities and muscularity have been linked to male body practices, and recommendations to advance this emergent field.

Men's depression and suicide literacy: a nationally representative Canadian survey.

BACKGROUND: Male suicide prevention strategies include diagnosis and effective management of men's depression. Fundamental to suicide prevention efforts is public awareness, which in turn, is influenced by literacy levels about men's depression and suicide. AIM: The aim of this study is to examine sex differences in mental health literacy with respect to men's depression and suicide among a cohort of Canadian respondents. METHODS: About 901 English-speaking Canadian men and women completed online survey questionnaires to evaluate mental health literacy levels using 10-item D-Lit and 8-item LOSS questionnaires, which assess factual knowledge concerning men's depression and suicide. Statistical tests (Chi-square, z-test) were used to identify significant differences between sex sub-groups at 95% confidence. RESULTS: Overall, respondents correctly identified 67% of questions measuring literacy levels about male depression. Respondents' male suicide literacy was significantly poorer at 53.7%. Misperceptions were especially evident in terms of differentiating men's depressive symptoms from other mental illnesses, estimating prevalence and identifying factors linked to male suicide. Significant sex differences highlighted that females had higher literacy levels than men in regard to male depression. CONCLUSIONS: Implementing gender sensitive and specific programs to target and advance literacy levels about men's depression may be key to ultimately reducing depression and suicide among men in Canada.