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Summary Coronavirus is an infectious disease that has affected many countries, changing daily life. For many individuals, sexual activity has decreased, physical contact within couples has been reduced. Obviously, to maintain a safe sex life, it is essential to know how to avoid the virus transmission. Distance creates irritability, fear, anxiety, endangering sexual life: it is reasonable to have sex between cohabiting partners unless one or both are at risk of infection. Despite this, the pandemic allows us to think of new sexual intimacies mediated by sextoys and technology. Not all distant couples are willing to have sex online, and it is difficult for singles to engage in casual sexual relations, so after the pandemic there will be many couples who will have to remodel and many singles who will seek a partner. Using the Internet to maintain active sexual activity appeared to be an excellent alternative to diminish the distance between partners or to increase online knowledge. The most common advice for separated couples was to maintain constant digital contact to alleviate nostalgia and lack. This was the springboard to use sexting, meeting via webcam or making a hot call that make the couple more uninhibited. Using the webcam, also sometimes with the possibility to use sex toys, could create also the opportunity to enrich the future sexual repertoire. Practicing online sex with the stable partner far from home has helped some to keep their desire active and to satisfy it in order to be able to realize it once the pandemic has ended. The purpose of this narrative review of available evidence on sexuality during COVID-19 pandemics is to provide recommendations to help people facing their sexual life in this critical period.

Objective Urinary incontinence is a frequent medical condition in women that has severe consequences on patients’perception of quality of life and sexual life. The aim of this contribution is to analyse the range of the available treatments to evaluate short-term and long-term outcomes focusing on patients’psychological well-being. Design and method The paper provides a theoretical contribution to the treatment of urinary incontinence. The authors have consulted the main scientific search engines such as Pubmed, Medline and PsycInfo, taking into account recent publications from 2000 to 2007. Results Several kinds of treatment were taken into account to evaluate their strengths and weaknesses in providing short-term and long-term outcomes not only as to physiological aspects but also as to psychosexual well-being. Moreover, the role of a support group was studied as an important variable in the treatment outcomes. Conclusions Literature analysis of traditional, combined and alternative treatments for urinary incontinence shows the importance of using an integrative approach. The pathogenesis heterogeneity of incontinence requires a multidisciplinary approach taking into account psychosomatic and somatopsychic components of the disorder. The integrative approach considers the importance of partner role in the aetiology and the efficacy of treatment. This approach uses several professional figures such as gynaecologist, urologist, psycho-sexologist and pelvic-floor rehabilitator. Many authors think that a support group improves the treatment efficacy because it can reduce psychosocial stress and enhance motivation.

Objective Some authors belonging to the classic psychoanalytical theory had a conception of the binomial activity/passivity as strictly linked to male/female categories. This link has produced heavy stereotypes in gender role performance in every social group. The aim of this contribution is to analyse the burden that cultural phenomena have had in gender role construction of some homosexual groups. Design and method The paper provides a theoretical contribution to the topic of sexual orientation. The author has consulted the main scientific search engines such as Pubmed and PsycInfo. Results The connection between “social invisibility” of lesbians and the formation of gender categories referable to heteronormative standards was particularly taken into account concerning the female population. As regards the male population, the “bear” phenomenon was studied as a “social construction” and at the same time as an “ideal” of masculinity. Conclusions Literature analysis shows how it is still common to find lesbians who label themselves in accordance with the “butch/femme” paradigm. The heteronormative model seems to still have an important burden in gender role performance of lesbians. In the gay universe, “bear model” is described both as a creative expression of a “gender laboratory” and as a risk for other gender binarism and conformism problems. The hypothesis of a higher “erotic plasticity” in women than in men could be a major interpretation to outline the importance that cultural phenomena have in homosexuals’gender role construction.