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Background: Sexual victimisation is an important problem that affects millions of people around the world, especially those with some kind of disability. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of self‐reported and documented sexual abuse in people with mild or moderate intellectual disability and to analyse the sequelae that such experiences can have on their psychosocial health. Methods: The sample consisted of 360 adults (50% men and 50% women) between 18 and 55 years of age (M = 39.87; standard deviation = 10.55). Results: The prevalence of sexual abuse is 6.10% when it is self‐reported (9.4% in women and 2.8% in men) and 28.6% when it is reported by professionals (27.8% in women and 29.4% in men). People who self‐report cases of abuse present poorer quality of life, more negative attitudes towards sex and a lower capacity to identify situations that entail a risk of sexual abuse. Individuals who have suffered documented cases of abuse are more likely to present encopresis, social isolation, self‐harm and a higher number of suicide attempts. Conclusions: Our results evidence the need to have access to all sources of information so as to be able to obtain prevalence figures that match the real situation and to perform a proper analysis of the sequelae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the number of programs to improve sex education for people with intellectual disabilities has increased. However, in most cases, these programs do not provide any evidence of their impact. In the present study we analyzed the effectiveness of the SALUDIVERSEX affective-sexual education program for people with intellectual disabilities using a controlled trial design. 246 individuals from eastern Spain completed a battery of questionnaires before and after the intervention. Multilevel statistical analyses showed that the risk of experiencing sexual abuse had significantly decreased and knowledge about sexuality significantly increased among those who received the intervention compared to those who did not. The evaluation of the professionals who worked daily with the participants agreed on how knowledge about sexuality and intimacy increased and concerns about sexuality decreased among those in the intervention group. The SALUDIVERSEX program is a powerful educational strategy to promote better sexual health and quality of life for people with intellectual disabilities.

Background: A positive conception of sexuality among people with intellectual disabilities is crucial and relies on several social and interpersonal contexts. The goal of this study is to analyse the interaction and impact of three different contextual groups: individuals with intellectual disabilities, their parents, and professionals working with them., Methods: Survey data were collected from 330 people with intellectual disabilities attending occupational centres in eastern Spain, 330 parents, and 100 professionals., Results: Correlation and variance analyses of dyad-level data show significant differences among the three groups in all variables. Professionals perceived people with intellectual disabilities to have higher knowledge of socio-sexual norms than people with intellectual disabilities actually appear to be, but they are also more concerned about aspects related to this area of people with intellectual disabilities. Compared to people with intellectual disabilities and professionals, parents perceived people with intellectual disabilities to have lower sexual knowledge., Conclusions: Our study demonstrates inconsistent perceived knowledge of people with intellectual disabilities' socio-sexual norms and sexual knowledge among the three groups, leading to disparate levels of concern regarding people with intellectual disabilities sexuality. Thus, the need to collect information from different perspectives for more accurate reporting and the critical need for sex education programs that involve the target population, but also parents and professionals who frequently interact with people with intellectual disabilities are highlighted., (© 2023 The Authors. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Individuals with intellectual disabilities need an affective and sexual education adapted to their characteristics. There are few interventions that meet these objectives and offer empirical evidence of their efficacy. To respond to the limitations of existing interventions, an evidence-based affective-sexual educational intervention for adults with a mild degree of intellectual disability is proposed: SALUDIVERSEX. Participants will be randomly assigned to an intervention group that will receive the SALUDIVERSEX program or to a waiting list group. The intervention will be implemented by educators of occupational centers after a thorough training phase. Our main hypothesis is that the SALUDIVERSEX program will improve the sexual health and quality of life, through the joint action built into three components: the acquisition of basic information, the development of skills and strategies and the achievement of healthy attitudes towards the experience and expression of sexuality. The results of this approach could have important implications for optimizing the quality of life and self-determination of individuals with Intellectual disability by contributing to the development of healthy sexuality.

The scientific community has systematically ignored the needs of women who have sex with women (WSW). The invisibilization of romantic and sexual relationships between women has caused a profound lack of knowledge about the impact of HIV and other STIs on this population subgroup. This study aims to analyze the frequency of dental dam and condom use in WSW and identify the variables that explain the use of these two preventive methods. The sample is composed of 327 women aged between 18 and 60 years (M = 27.82; SD = 8.10). The results indicate that only 4.7% of those who practice cunnilingus and 5.2% of those who practice anilingus report "always" using dental dam (systematic use). Condoms are used systematically by 37.1% of those who practice vaginal penetration and 37.8% of those who practice anal penetration. Age, high perceived self-efficacy, and adequate assertive communication skills are variables significantly related to preventive behavior. The severity attributed to HIV and the perceived risk of infection are protective factors regarding dental dam use. For condom use, high levels of internalized homophobia and drug use are risk factors. Future preventive strategies should provide information on preventive strategies to WSW who, for different reasons, are not involved in LGBT contexts or associations and, therefore, do not have access to training activities and mistakenly believe that they are invulnerable as they do not have sexual relations with men., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

High levels of perfectionism in college students can compromise their academic performance and psychological well-being. This study aims to analyze the implication of perfectionism in psychological well-being and suicidal ideation in the last year. A total of 1.287 students from different degrees reported their academic performance in the previous academic year and completed questionnaires on academic perfectionism, psychological well-being, and suicidal thoughts in the last year. In both men and women, academic perfectionism correlates positively with academic performance and negatively with the different dimensions of psychological well-being. Likewise, both the average grade in the previous year ( β = 0.364) and the level of demand of the degree ( β = -0.461) are mediating variables between perfectionism and psychological well-being. Furthermore, the interaction between perfectionism and academic performance is related positively to psychological well-being, but not to with suicidal ideation. So, the relation between suicidal ideation and perfectionism is positive (OR = 1.075), but this is negative with academic performance (OR = 0.900), although both variables show a mild predictive capacity. These findings suggest that the levels of perfectionism are associated differently with the mental health of students, since if perfectionism is effective (high academic performance), psychological well-being is high, although in our results, this interaction is not as important for suicidal thoughts.

Background: This paper presents psychometric properties of an instrument for the Assessment of Sexual Behaviour and Knowledge of people with Intellectual Disability (ASBKID), other-reported by professionals who are in daily contact with them., Methods and Procedures: Assessments of 236 individuals with intellectual disability were obtained from 100 professionals., Results: Confirmatory factor analysis revealed a four-factor structure: concern about the user's inappropriate or uninhibited sexual behaviour; perception of the user's knowledge about privacy and social norms; perception of the user's knowledge about sexuality; and concerns about the user's sexuality. A multi-group CFA was also conducted in men and women, confirming the adequacy of this four-factor structure by gender. The reliability of the factors ranged from 0.74 to 0.92., Conclusions: The psychometric results obtained support the use of the ASBKID as a valid and reliable measure for the assessment of sexual behaviour and knowledge in both men and women with intellectual disability., (© 2020 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: The prevention of HIV or other STIs in people with intellectual disabilities (ID) is a rarely studied subject even though this population group is at the same risk of infection as the general population., Aims: The present study aims to conduct a descriptive analysis of sexual behaviours and condom use frequency in Spanish men and women with intellectual disabilities and identify the combination of variables that best explain condom use in vaginal intercourse., Methods and Procedures: The sample consisted of 253 people (56.1 % male and 43.9 % female) aged between 20 and 64 years (M = 38.52; SD = 10.48). Participants completed the Sexuality Questionnaire for People with Intellectual Disabilities and the Sexual Abuse Risk Screening Scale., Outcomes and Results: The percentage of consistent condom use is 27.7 % for vaginal intercourse. Lack of knowledge about body boundaries constitutes a risk factor contributing to risky sexual behaviour. Knowledge of HIV-transmitting fluids and perceived self-efficacy are protective factors. The proposed model explains between 35.5 % and 46.6 % of the variance., Conclusions and Implications: The results highlight the importance of considering the judgements people make about their ability to perform preventive behaviour and the provision of information on sexuality adapted to cognitive abilities to minimise the engagement in risky behaviours., (Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: The lockdown due to COVID-19 affected the sexual health of the people with intellectual disabilities by differentially modifying the frequency and characteristics of people's sexual activity depending on whether or not they lived with a partner during this period. The aim of this study was to analyze the extent to which the sexual behavior of people with intellectual disabilities (with and without a partner) was affected during the lockdown., Methods: The sample consisted of 73 people with intellectual disabilities between 21 and 63 years old (M = 39.63; SD = 10.11). The variables analyzed were the physical, social, and technological environment during the lockdown, sexual appetite, sexual behavior, online sexual activity, and sexual abuse. The data were collected between the months of May and June of 2020., Results: The lockdown increased the sexual appetite of a third of the sample (38%), especially the youngest participants. Sexual activity focused on autoeroticism and online behavior, particularly sending nude images of oneself (88%) and viewing pornography (83.6%). Rates of sexual abuse during this period were relatively high (6.8%)., Conclusions: The sexual activity of people with ID was important during the lockdown, and they had to adapt to the circumstances of isolation in a similar way to the general population. Technological improvements in terms of devices and connection quality at home allowed their sexual behavior to be reoriented, opening the door to new risks for the sexual health of people with ID., Policy Implications: Cybersex and the increase in sexual abuse due to confinement are aspects that should be included in programs to improve the sexual health of this group., Competing Interests: Conflict of InterestThe authors declare no competing interests., (© The Author(s) 2021.)

Men who have sex with men (MSM) account for more than half of the new HIV diagnoses in Spain. This study aims to carry out a descriptive analysis of the sexual practices and frequency of condom use of MSM and identify the variables that explain inconsistent condom use during anal intercourse. The sample consists of 405 men between 18 and 60 years of age (M = 28.94; SD = 9.35). The results indicate that the percentage of consistent condom use is 72.9% for anal intercourse. Lack of risk perception, high self-esteem, and greater sensation-seeking are risk factors for risky sexual behavior. In contrast, high levels of sexual assertiveness and self-efficacy are protective factors. The proposed model explains between 33.8 and 49.2% of the variance. These findings highlight the importance of designing and implementing condom promotion programs for MSM who engage in anal intercourse with specific sections that consider the acquisition of assertive skills and reduce the risks associated with a perceived invulnerability to HIV., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

People with intellectual disability (ID) are more vulnerable to being victims of sexual abuse (SA) because, in most cases, they are not able to detect the warning signs that abuse could occur. However, there is a lack of appropriate assessment tools to determine their vulnerability. To address this limitation, the current study tests the psychometric properties of the Detection of Sexual Abuse Risk Screening Scale (DSARss), a new scale developed to assess the ability of individuals with mild or moderate ID to detect the risk of SA. In all, 246 individuals with mild or moderate ID (55.3% males) completed the DSARss, along with other scales assessing related dimensions (e.g., psychopathological symptoms, quality of live). Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) yielded a four-factor structure explaining 65.34% of the total variance in the DSARss. Two independent EFAs in males and females were also performed to confirm the suitability of this four-factor structure according to gender. The reliability of the total score and subscales ranged between .70 and .93. Likewise, correlations with other related scales were positive and significant. Temporal stability 6 months after the first application was .47. Finally, we explored the criterion-related validity of the DSARss across different SA indicators. These results, along with the absence of sound questionnaires to assess the risk of SA in people with ID, justify the use of the DSARss to assess this construct in both men and women.

Background: Studies have shown the role played by perceived self-efficacy in explaining condom negotiation and condom use., Aims: The factorial structure and the psychometric properties of the Brief Condom Use Self-Efficacy Scale are presented., Method: The study included 368 men and 456 women aged 17 to 55 years ( M age = 25.01, SD = 6.93)., Results: Exploratory factor analysis yielded three factors: fear of rejection, impulse control, and condom acquisition and negotiation, which together accounted for 68% of the total variance. That structure was confirmed through confirmatory factor analysis. Cronbach's alpha for the Brief Condom Use Self-Efficacy Scale was .71. The scale provided adequate convergent validity, and positive correlations were observed between self-reported condom use and self-efficacy for use of other barrier methods., Discussion: This brief instrument could be a useful and appropriate measure to assess the types of condom use self-efficacy that occur at the different moments of a sexual relationship.

Sexual Sensation Seeking has been identified as a main predictor of unsafe sex that particularly affects LGB people. This study adapts and validates the Sexual Sensation Seeking Scale to Spanish LGB people. For this purpose, we tested the factor structure in 1237 people, ranged from 17 to 60 years old, 880 self-defined as homosexuals and 357 as bisexuals. The results support the appropriateness of this scale for Spanish LGB people and determine two factors, explaining the 49.91% of variance: "physical sensations attraction" and "sexual experiences". Our findings reveal optimal levels of internal consistency in the total scale (α = 0.81) and each factor (α = 0.84 and α = 0.71). Additional analyses have demonstrated convergent validity for this scale. Important implications of the validated Sexual Sensation Seeking Scale in Spanish LGB people are discussed, in order to early detection and preventive interventions for HIV and other sexual health problems.

Internalized homophobia has been related to mental health problems and sexual risk behaviors among nonheterosexual people. This article validates the Spanish adaptation of the Short Internalized Homonegativity Scale (SIHS). For this purpose, 347 men and 183 women completed the instrument. Exploratory factorial analysis showed three factors: public identification as homosexual (PIH), sexual comfort with homosexual people (SEXC), and social comfort with homosexual people (SOCC). These factors explained 57.96% of total variance. In addition, confirmatory factorial analysis supported this structure and internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) was.80 for the full scale. The three subscales ranged from.70 to.79. Convergent validity showed a positive correlation between the SIHS and depressive symptoms, and negative correlation with condom use, self-esteem, and having sex after alcohol consumption. In conclusion, the SIHS could be an accurate instrument to evaluate internalized homophobia among the Spanish population.

This study aims to explore sexual compulsivity (SC) and sexual sensation seeking (SSS) in male sex workers (MSWs) compared to a group of non-MSW gay men. A total of 60 MSWs and 63 gay men answered the SC Scale and the SSS Scale. The total scales' mean score was slightly higher in the MSW population. Still, statistical differences were observed in only two SSS items. In spite of the absence of statistical significance, MSWs presented more sexual behavior interferences on their lives and higher failure to control sexual impulses. Future interventions among MSWs should focus on sexual self-control and impulsivity.

Some studies have concluded there is a relationship between perceived self-efficacy and behaviors that prevent HIV transmission. This paper presents the construction and validation of the latex barrier use self-efficacy scale (LBSS), which 480 participants filled out. Exploratory factor analysis yielded two components: positive expectations of self-efficacy (ES-POS) and negative expectations of self-efficacy (ES-NEG), which together accounted for 65.59% of total variance. That structure was later verified through confirmatory factor analysis. Internal consistency was .80 for the total scale, and .78 for each of the two factors. Moreover, the instrument had adequate convergent validity and was positively related with condom use self-efficacy, attitudes toward condom and latex barrier use, and ability to refuse sex if the partner refuses to use preventive methods. In conclusion, this instrument is a useful measure of self-efficacy in latex barrier use.

This study analyzes the relation of sexual orientation and gender to sexual sensation seeking. Participants were 382 individuals (200 men, 182 women) between 17 and 29 years old who completed the Sexual Sensation Seeking Scale. Of the 382 participants, 52.46% self-reported heterosexual orientation, and 47.64% self-reported homosexual orientation. The results showed differences with Sexual Sensation Seeking being more frequent among heterosexuals and men. There were no differences between heterosexual and homosexual men. Heterosexual women had higher sexual sensation seeking scores than did homosexual women. These results and their possible implications for the effective development of prevention and intervention programs in affective-sexual education are discussed.