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This qualitative study explores how perceptions of masculinity, sexual intimate relationships and sex-for-pay (SFP) shape the experiences of men who pay women for sex (MPWS). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 16 Israeli MPWS. Participants were recruited through an STD community clinic, an anonymous online survey, ads posted in online forums for MPWS, and an organization for the abolition of prostitution. The findings offer a complex understanding of the experiences of MPWS, based on the intersections between their views of sexuality within long-term intimate relationships, and their perceptions of the acceptability of SFP within dominant discourses of masculinity. The findings comprise four experiential patterns of the multi-layered practice of paying for sex: Agonizing, Ambivalent, Intermittent and Simultaneous. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aims to examine the experiences of pre-marital, non-cohabiting partners while coping with the Covid-19-induced lockdown. With specific focus on sexual intimacies, our interest is to investigate the degree or extent by which the pandemic has constrained people's sexual interests and expressions with the intention to determine whether or not the overall relationship would be negatively affected by the paucity of sexual encounters. Findings drawn from online interviews involving 28 participants reveal that the pandemic has indeed affected sexual intimacy aspirations among partners, with some participants calling these times as "dry season." For this very reason, the pandemic has also emerged as a sexual issue. Further results reveal that partners employ technology-based strategies in order to satisfy their sexual desires during these times when restrictions in movement are in place. Trust, love, communication and understanding serve also to assure partners of the integrity of the relationship. The study suggests that the loss of physical sexual encounters during lockdowns is not sufficient to result in negative relationship outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Available literature points to a worsening trend in sexual functioning, desire, and satisfaction during the pandemic. Nevertheless, virtually no empirical research was conducted on the mechanisms of coping with the pandemic's impacts on sex life. Thus, the purpose of this exploratory study was to examine a variety of coping mechanisms and their perceived usefulness by people who have and have not tried these coping strategies to maintain and enhance their sex lives during the first year of the pandemic. The cross-sectional data were collected using an online survey methodology (N = 420; 66.9% women) and analyzed utilizing exploratory factor analysis, analysis of variance, and multiple regression. The results revealed nine factors/coping mechanisms (based on 59 items/strategies), including goal-setting strategies, risk and experimentation strategies, relational strategies, caution and logistical strategies, creativity and innovation strategies, substances and context-related strategies, online and technology strategies, diversion strategies, and educational strategies. Consistently, across all the specific coping strategies and overall coping mechanisms, people who tried them found them significantly more useful than those who had not tried these coping strategies. Moreover, a higher diversity of tried strategies per coping mechanism consistently and significantly predicted the perceived usefulness of that coping mechanism. These results emphasize the crucial role of experience with coping mechanisms and show that amidst COVID-related adversity and challenges, many people found ways to adapt their sex lives and enjoy silver-lining opportunities. This exploratory study offers promising evidence for potential sexual coping strategies during times of stress that could be informative for clinical practice and education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The type and program of Kant's monetary philosophy in ethics is prescient and pre-empirical (or metaphysical) principles of ethics. With this goal in the foundation of metaphysics, ethics, moral value, absolutely, only the decent will is the good field; An intention that is determined by the moral law, absolute, rational and simple, and the motive of action is duty and not something else, including a feeling of compassion and a desire to achieve the result and obedience to God's orders. Kant presents various formulas for the moral law (universal law, universal law of nature, humanity, self-reflection and kingdom of ends). In Post-Criticism II, Kant relates the completion of abstraction to integration problems. One of the problems that Kant deals with is speed, relationships, and sexual intercourse, which can only be fulfilled legally in the form of marriage. In addition, marriage is not based on friendship or love, but based on sexual intercourse and agreement between a man and a woman for the exchange of sexual organs. This image of marriage and sexual relations raises various issues in Kant's field of ethics; including that opposition to individuality in the interaction between people, how is it gathered in the fulfillment of sex and marriage? Does Kant's formula of humanity make an exception in this case or does it somehow justify marriage in the same formula? Prohibition of ownership of a person's body, how can it be collected by marriage, which is the transfer of this ownership? The commentators of Kant answer these questions with the points that I will discuss in this article. Kant, along with theorists of physical law in ethics (such as Thomas Aquinas), believes that sexual intercourse with a married person is obviously devoid of any virtue, unless it is done with the motive of reproduction. Kant's opposition to certain sexual relations and/or sexual movements (such as masturbation, sexual relations with animals and homosexuals) can be understood in this context. Finally, in this article, the place of love in Kant's ethics is discussed and the question is whether we have a duty to love others.

The practice of female circumcision or FGM/C (Female Genitalia Mutilation/Cutting) in Indonesia is stated as a purification process by removing najis or dirt in female genital area and it is useful for controlling women's sexual desires so that they are far from evil. Based on this motivation, FGM/C makes women increasingly subordinated by placing the assumption of infertility and being responsible for the satisfaction of sexual relations with their partners. Apart from tradition, this phenomenon is also based on the strong influence of Islamic religious doctrine which generally makes parents feel compelled to fulfill it. Through a qualitative approach with descriptive-analytical methods, this research will compile and explain the data that has been obtained to be analyzed and drawn conclusions. The results of this study indicate that there is no concrete evidence that correlates female circumcision with sexual harmony, female circumcision is purely a tradition and not an Islamic teaching.

Objective: Temporary ejaculation failure on the oocyte retrieval day might leading interruption of the oocyte retrieval procedure. The present study aims to understand the psychosocial factor that affects men with temporary ejaculation failure (TEF) in Vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) patients, and thus provide new ideas for optimal clinical treatment. Study design: In a prospective study, the male patients during IVF treatment in a reproductive center of a tertiary hospital in Shandong were divided into two groups, 70 men with TEF and 79 normal controls. General population sociology and clinical disease were investigated, and the Kessler 10 scale, emotion regulation questionnaire, big five inventory questionnaire, and sex subscale of marriage quality were used to assess the psychological distress, emotion regulation, neuroticism, and satisfaction with sexual life. Results: The scores of perceived distress and neuroticism of the TEF group were higher than the non-TEF group (p < 0.001), and cognitive reappraisal and sexual relationship were significantly lower than those in the non-TEF group (p < 0.001). Psychological distress (OR 1.130, p = 0.031) and neuroticism (OR 1.096, p = 0.050) were risk factors for TEF, while cognitive reappraisal (OR 0.883, p = 0.004) and sexual relationship (OR 0.712, p < 0.001) was protective factors. Conclusion: The present study demonstrates that psychosocial factors influence TEF in IVF-ET patients, which provides the basis for the prevention of the occurrence of TEF in a male undergoing IVF-ET. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Safer sex negotiation refers to the means through which partners in sexual relationships agree to have intercourse that protects both partners from adverse sexual health outcomes. Evidence is sparse on the socio-cultural barriers to safer sex negotiation, especially in Northwest Nigeria where almost every aspect of women’s lives is influenced by religious and cultural norms. Understanding the socio-cultural barriers requires having knowledge of the perspectives of community stakeholders such as religious leaders, and community leaders. Thus, from the perspectives of community stakeholders, this study explored the perception and socio-cultural barriers to safer sex negotiation of married women in Northwest Nigeria. Method A qualitative research design was adopted. Participants were purposively selected across six states, namely, Kano, Katsina, Jigawa, Kebbi, Kaduna, and Zamfara. Data were collected through Key Informant Interview (KII). A total of 24 KIIs were conducted using the in-depth interview guide developed for the study. The selection of the participants was stratified between rural and urban areas. The interviews were tape-recorded, transcribed, and translated from the Hausa language into the English language. Verbal and written informed consent were obtained from participants prior to the interviews. Data were analyzed using inductive thematic content analysis. Results Safer sex negotiation was well-understood by community stakeholders. Men dominate women in sexual relationships through the suppression of women’s agency to negotiate safer sex. Married women endured domination by males in sexual relationships to sustain conjugal harmony. The practice of complying with traditional, cultural, and religious norms in marital relationships deters women from negotiating safer sex. Other socio-cultural causes of the inability to negotiate safer sex are child marriage, poverty, poor education, and polygyny. Conclusion Community stakeholders have a clear understanding of safer sex negotiation in Northwest Nigeria but this has not translated into a widespread practice of safer sex negotiation by married women due to diverse socio-cultural barriers. Strategies that will empower women not only to gain more access to relevant sexual and reproductive health information and services but also to encourage women’s assertiveness in family reproductive health decisions are imperative in Northwest Nigeria.

Background & aim: Pregnancy is a unique event that might challenge sexual relationship. The purpose of this study was to explore the meaning of sexuality from pregnant woman’s perspectives.Methods: This was a qualitative study reporting the findings of individual in-depth interviews with 23 pregnant women conducted in Kashan, Iran in 2018. Participants were selected using purposive sampling. All interviews were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. The data collection continued until data saturation was achieved. Conventional content analysis was used to analyze the data.Results:The main emerged theme was priority to fulfill husband's sexual need comprising of two categories including: (1) more male-centered sexual relationship in pregnancy consisting of three sub-categories of passive sexual role, give in to sex for fear of infidelity and self-blame for not providing optimal sex to the partner (2) unmet emotional-sexual expectations of pregnant women consisting of two sub-categories of needing to more husband's empathetic behaviors and dissatisfaction from mutual companionship of spouse in sexual relationship.Conclusion: The findings suggest that pregnancy can have unpleasant effects on pregnant women's life emotionally and lead to a decreased quality of sexual life. Sexual health consultation must be embedded in prenatal care in order to increase marital satisfaction.

This article presents a new conceptual framework that shows how dementia may affect the sexual relationship between partners, and how different actors become progressively more involved in "managing" the sexual relationship during consecutive phases of dementia, that is, the premorbid, preclinical, and clinical phases. Each phase challenges couples in different ways and these challenges may affect the expression of sexuality in their relationship. The person living with dementia and/or the partner's desire to continue to be sexually active may result in conflicts with health care professionals and family members who want to protect the person living with dementia from becoming the perpetrator and/or the victim of "inappropriate" or "harming" sexual behavior. The framework posits that a diagnosis of dementia instigates a journey of renegotiating sexuality in which gradually more actors—who often approach sexuality from a sex-negative point of view—become involved. Therefore, the new framework starts from a sex-positive perspective and is presented together with a new research agenda that ensues from this framework. Research based on this framework that starts from the experience of both people living with dementia and their partners will help us to better understand the relational and sexual effects of a dementia diagnosis. This knowledge will enable health care professionals to provide tailored care with respect for the sexual needs of couples living with dementia. Hence, clinical implications arising from the framework are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Coronavirus is an infectious disease that has affected sexual life. Sexual activity has decreased for many people, and couples' physical contact has reduced. The present study aimed to determine the sexual relationship of Iranian people and related factors during the Corona home quarantine by focusing on all constructs of the protective motivation theory. Methods This cross-sectional online survey was conducted on Iranian people under in-home quarantine from July to December 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic. Seven hundred sixteen people were selected by the convenience sampling method. The data was gathered by an ad-hoc tool consisting of demographic information and sexual relationship regarding protection motivation behavior in the Covid-19 pandemic. Participants should be able to complete the online questionnaire because the questionnaires were completed online. One-way ANOVA, independent T, and Pearson correlation tests were used to analyze the data in SPSS 16 software. Results Findings indicate the average age of the participants was 37.78 + 8.34 years. Most of them were women (%85.1), married (%91.3) and had a university education (%90.2). In addition, %42.5% of participants had Full-time jobs and %34.2 lived in Tehran. 49.9% obtained information about corona from TV. 63.3% of the participants and their spouses did not catch Covid-19. Employment status was the only variable that was significantly different from sexual relationships regarding protection motivation (p = 0.031). Perceived response efficiency with an average of 79.12 had the highest, and perceived self-efficacy with an average of 69.92 had the lowest mean score among the areas of sexual relationship. Among the protection motivation domains of sexual behavior that all had significant correlations, there was no significant correlation between perceived severity and perceived self-efficacy (p = 0.067). Conclusion and implication Perceived vulnerability is associated with employment status, place of residence, and age. Sexual relationships regarding protection motivations are only associated with employment status. Overall, participants in the present study reported high levels of perceived severity, perceived vulnerability, perceived response efficiency, and perceived costs Therefore, they reported a high level of motivation for protective and preventive behaviors in their sexual relationship. Our findings suggest that future interventions should focus on general cognition by developing appropriate knowledge about the severity and vulnerability of Covid-19 and sexual behaviors, improving perceived response efficiency, and self-efficacy of protective behavior through skills training.

Background: Safer sex negotiation refers to the means through which partners in sexual relationships agree to have intercourse that protects both partners from adverse sexual health outcomes. Evidence is sparse on the socio-cultural barriers to safer sex negotiation, especially in Northwest Nigeria where almost every aspect of women's lives is influenced by religious and cultural norms. Understanding the socio-cultural barriers requires having knowledge of the perspectives of community stakeholders such as religious leaders, and community leaders. Thus, from the perspectives of community stakeholders, this study explored the perception and socio-cultural barriers to safer sex negotiation of married women in Northwest Nigeria.Method: A qualitative research design was adopted. Participants were purposively selected across six states, namely, Kano, Katsina, Jigawa, Kebbi, Kaduna, and Zamfara. Data were collected through Key Informant Interview (KII). A total of 24 KIIs were conducted using the in-depth interview guide developed for the study. The selection of the participants was stratified between rural and urban areas. The interviews were tape-recorded, transcribed, and translated from the Hausa language into the English language. Verbal and written informed consent were obtained from participants prior to the interviews. Data were analyzed using inductive thematic content analysis.Results: Safer sex negotiation was well-understood by community stakeholders. Men dominate women in sexual relationships through the suppression of women's agency to negotiate safer sex. Married women endured domination by males in sexual relationships to sustain conjugal harmony. The practice of complying with traditional, cultural, and religious norms in marital relationships deters women from negotiating safer sex. Other socio-cultural causes of the inability to negotiate safer sex are child marriage, poverty, poor education, and polygyny.Conclusion: Community stakeholders have a clear understanding of safer sex negotiation in Northwest Nigeria but this has not translated into a widespread practice of safer sex negotiation by married women due to diverse socio-cultural barriers. Strategies that will empower women not only to gain more access to relevant sexual and reproductive health information and services but also to encourage women's assertiveness in family reproductive health decisions are imperative in Northwest Nigeria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to predict the propensity to have extramarital affairs based on psychological androgyny and wisdom considering the mediating role of the sexual relationship. This study is basic and the research method was descriptive and a structural equation modeling. The statistical population includes married women in Urmia in 2017–2018, and 800 of these women were selected through an available sample. The research instruments were the Extramarital Affairs Scale (EAPS) by Zafar Gholizadeh, Khademi & Tasbihsazan Mashhadi (2021), the Sex Role Inventory (BSRI) by Bem (1974), the Three-Dimensional Wisdom Scale (3D-WS) by Ardelt (2003), and the Sexual Relations Scale (SRS) by Hughes & Snell (1990). The results showed that all variables in the study, except for exchangeable orientation, had a significant negative relationship with the propensity to have extramarital affairs (P≤0/01). The data were analyzed using Pearson moment correlation coefficient and structural equation modeling technique with SPSS version 22 and AMOS software, and to test the significance of the indirect paths, Sobel test was used. The results indicated that the model fit well, with both psychological androgyny and wisdom directly and indirectly (via sexual relationship) predicting the propensity to have extramarital affairs. Psychological androgyny and wisdom appear to play a key role in the propensity to have extramarital affairs, along with other factors including how people perceive their sexual relationships, and it is necessary to pay attention to these factors in the counseling situation.

Sexual function and satisfaction in couples decreases after childbirth. Often communication problems play a central role in persisting sexual dysfunctions. The aim of this study was to evaluate sexual function of mothers of young children and to assess their partners' perception of their sexuality. This cohort study is a postal survey using the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) questionnaire for women who gave birth at least 3 to 4 years ago in a perinatal health care centre in Germany. Additionally, the male partner got a modified FSFI questionnaire for evaluation of their perception of females' sexuality. In all, 215 couples answered the questionnaire and were included in the study. The concordance of females' and males' answers was correlated with the females' sexual function. The prevalence of women with potential female sexual dysfunction (FSFI < 26.55) was 24.3%. Besides, men seemed to underestimate their female partners' sexual satisfaction. However, a good perception of men was associated with a good sexual function of women. Additionally, a child younger than three years was associated with a decreased sexual function in women and worse perception of men. This study helps to understand interactions between partners concerning females' sexuality in couples with young children. Health care professionals should inform young parents about possible changes in sexuality after childbirth and encourage them to talk to each other about their sexual concerns and wishes to improve sexual and partnership satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Since the onset of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, there have been some reports regarding the impact of COVID-19 on male psychosexual health. Aims and Objectives: To assess the severity of stress during COVID-19 and to determine the association of stress levels with partner relationships and sexual activity. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Saudi Arabia through social media platforms via an online questionnaire between 1 December 2020 and 31 January 2021 among 871 participants after a pilot study among 20 participants, of which 497 were included in the study. Stress levels were assessed using the Arabic version of the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21). Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS version 20.0. Responses were presented as frequencies and percentages, and associations were studied using the Chi-squared test/Fisher's exact test. A value of p ≤ 0.05 was considered significant. Results: A total of 497 participants who had been infected with COVID-19 completed the survey. In total, it was found that 203 (40.8%) had severe stress scores (severe and extremely severe scores merged), while 131 (26.4%) had moderate stress scores. About 84 (16.9%) participants agreed that their sexual desire decreased, 91 (18.1%) confirmed their sexual intercourse frequency decreased, and sexual satisfaction decreased in 76 (15.3%). A significant positive correlation was found in that those who disagreed with having a good sexual relationship tended to have severe stress (p < 0.001). Conclusion: There were increased levels of stress during the lockdown period, which impacted psychosexual health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bed sharing—the sharing of a sleeping surface by parents and children—is a common, yet controversial, practice. While most research has focused on the public health aspect of this practice, much less is known regarding its effect on the marital relationship. The aim of the present study was to conduct a scoping review on the impact of parent–infant bed sharing sleeping practices on the sexual and marital relationship of couples. The qualitative synthesis of six studies on this topic suggests that overall, bed sharing does not exert a significant negative impact on family functioning; when it does, it appears to be related to incongruent parental beliefs and expectations, especially when bed sharing is not an intentional choice of sleep arrangement, and there are other confounding factors such as fatigue and psychological distress. Suggestions for future studies and clinical implications are discussed.

The present study aims to investigate the effectiveness of a stress management training on risky behaviors of female students. In view of the objective and data collection, the present research method is applied in terms of purpose and is a quasi-experimental study with pre-test-post-test and follow-up design in terms of data collection. The statistical population consists of 380 students of secondary school in Shahriar, Andisheh region, in the academic year 2019–2020, out of which 30 were selected and classified into experimental and control groups by homogenizing the academic grade point average. For the pre-test, the students answered the Iranian Adolescent’s Risk-Taking Scale (IARTS) and after 10 sessions of stress management training for the experimental group, they answered the above instruments for the post-test. Data was analyzed using SPSS-24 software, and the repeated measures analysis of variance method was used to analyze the data. The results of the present study showed that the interactive effect of time × group on the components of propensity to smoke and propensity to violence, propensity to sexual relations and behavior and relationship with the opposite sex were significant. Studying the context in which risky behaviors occur seems to help prevent problematic behaviors in students. Based on the results of the present study, it is recommended to raise awareness among families by encouraging parents to attend courses on parental stress management.

OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to assess sexual activity, partner relationships among males who had been infected with COVID-19, to study the impact of COVID-19 infection on partner relationship and to find out the association between partner and sexual relationship during lockdown. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross sectional study was conducted in Saudi Arabia through social media platforms via online questionnaire between December 1, 2020 and January 31, 2021 among 871 participants after a pilot study among 20 participants of which 497 were included in the study. Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS version 20.0 (IBM Inc., Armonk, NY, USA). Responses were presented as frequencies and percentages and the association was studied using Chi squared test/Fisher's exact test. The value of p ≤ .05 was considered significant. RESULTS: Out of the total study participants, nearly 85% of them belonged to the age range of 18 to 39 years, more than half of the participants were married. In the six months prior to the study being conducted, 268 respondents (53.9%) did not have sexual relationships. Respondents with positive COVID-19 infection reported that their partner lived with them in the same house during home isolation and was also found to be significantly associated with having intact sexual relationships in the last six months of the lockdown period (p-value < .001). Moreover, respondents who reported having good relationships with their partners during the pandemic were found to be significantly associated with having intact sexual relationships during the pandemic lockdown (p-value < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Among the COVID-19-positive respondents, sexual activity and partner relationships were largely found to be intact during the pandemic lockdown period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preliminary research shows a substantial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on women's sexual health, whereby empirical work on sexual well-being of minoritized sexual identities is still rare. The objective of this study was to explore sexual health in heterosexual, lesbian and bisexual cis women during the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic in Germany. An anonymous nationwide online survey was conducted among cis women during the first nationwide lockdown in Germany from April 20th to July 20th, 2020. The questionnaire was distributed via e-mail, online chats and social-media platforms. Demographic variables and self-report measures from the Sexual Behavior Questionnaire (SBQ-G) "before the pandemic" and "since the pandemic" were collected. A total of 1,368 cis women participants were included: heterosexual women (n = 844), lesbian women (n = 293), bisexual women (n = 231). Results indicate overall decrease in frequency of sexual contacts and masturbation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Regarding differences before and during the pandemic lesbian women showed significant changes in sexual arousal whereas heterosexual women showed significant changes in all dimensions except capability to enjoy sexual intercourse. The data of bisexual women showed significant changes in almost all dimensions except for frequency of sexual intercourse and sexual arousal. Results of the multiple regression analysis revealed that being younger than 36 years-old, and being in a relationship as well as being heterosexual (compared with being lesbian) is positively associated with general satisfaction with sexual life during the pandemic. The findings suggest that during a pandemic sexual and mental health care for (cis) women should be provided and address the specific needs of sexual minority groups. This is the first study to describe sexual behavior in heterosexual, lesbian and bisexual women during the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany. Limitations, however, include the fact that the data described were obtained at only one time point so there is a possibility of recall bias, and that the results cannot be generalized because of the underrepresentation of women over age 46. This study examined the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting social constraints on the sexual health of particular groups of lesbian and bisexual women, which may improve preparedness for future public health and policy crises. Batz F, Lermer E, Hatzler L, et al. The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Sexual Health in Cis Women Living in Germany. J Sex Med 2022;19:907–922. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Coronavirus is an infectious disease that has affected sexual life. Sexual activity has decreased for many people, and couples' physical contact has reduced. The present study aimed to determine the sexual relationship of Iranian people and related factors during the Corona home quarantine by focusing on all constructs of the protective motivation theory.Methods: This cross-sectional online survey was conducted on Iranian people under in-home quarantine from July to December 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic. Seven hundred sixteen people were selected by the convenience sampling method. The data was gathered by an ad-hoc tool consisting of demographic information and sexual relationship regarding protection motivation behavior in the Covid-19 pandemic. Participants should be able to complete the online questionnaire because the questionnaires were completed online. One-way ANOVA, independent T, and Pearson correlation tests were used to analyze the data in SPSS 16 software.Results: Findings indicate the average age of the participants was 37.78 + 8.34 years. Most of them were women (%85.1), married (%91.3) and had a university education (%90.2). In addition, %42.5% of participants had Full-time jobs and %34.2 lived in Tehran. 49.9% obtained information about corona from TV. 63.3% of the participants and their spouses did not catch Covid-19. Employment status was the only variable that was significantly different from sexual relationships regarding protection motivation (p = 0.031). Perceived response efficiency with an average of 79.12 had the highest, and perceived self-efficacy with an average of 69.92 had the lowest mean score among the areas of sexual relationship. Among the protection motivation domains of sexual behavior that all had significant correlations, there was no significant correlation between perceived severity and perceived self-efficacy (p = 0.067).Conclusion and Implication: Perceived vulnerability is associated with employment status, place of residence, and age. Sexual relationships regarding protection motivations are only associated with employment status. Overall, participants in the present study reported high levels of perceived severity, perceived vulnerability, perceived response efficiency, and perceived costs Therefore, they reported a high level of motivation for protective and preventive behaviors in their sexual relationship. Our findings suggest that future interventions should focus on general cognition by developing appropriate knowledge about the severity and vulnerability of Covid-19 and sexual behaviors, improving perceived response efficiency, and self-efficacy of protective behavior through skills training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This study explored the role of body image dissatisfaction on orgasmic response during partnered sex and masturbation and on sexual relationship satisfaction. The study also described typologies of women having different levels of body image satisfaction. Methods: A sample of 257 Norwegian women responded to an online survey assessing body image dissatisfaction, problems with orgasm, and sexual relationship satisfaction. Using structural equation modeling and factor mixture modeling, the relationship between body image dissatisfaction and orgasmic response was assessed, and clusters of sexual response characteristics associated with varying levels of body image dissatisfaction were identified. Main Outcome Measure: Orgasmic function during partnered sex and masturbation, along with sexual relationship satisfaction, were assessed as a function of body image. Results: Body image dissatisfaction, along with a number of covariates, predicted higher levels of “problems with orgasm” during both partnered sex and masturbation, with no significant difference in the association depending on the type of sexual activity. Varying levels of body image dissatisfaction/satisfaction were associated with differences in orgasmic incidence, difficulty, and pleasure during partnered sex; with one orgasmic parameter during masturbation; and with sexual relationship satisfaction. Conclusion: Body image dissatisfaction and likely concomitant psychological distress are related to impaired orgasmic response during both partnered sex and masturbation and may diminish sexual relationship satisfaction. Women with high body image dissatisfaction can be characterized by specific sexual response patterns.Horvath Z, Smith BH, Sal D, et al. Body Image, Orgasmic Response, and Sexual Relationship Satisfaction: Understanding Relationships and Establishing Typologies Based on Body Image Satisfaction. Sex Med 2020;8:740–751.

Men who have sex with men (MSM) is the community that has become the largest epicenter in the transmission of HIV / AIDS. At present the MSM community is a marginalized community, so it is difficult to observe its development, this is because of the negative stigma from the community environment towards MSM. So they use social media in forming communities and offering sexual relations. The aim of study was to analyze the social media that were most often used by MSM in sexual transactions activity. A cross sectional approach was applied in this study with a sample of 58 people, selected by snowball and using a questionnaire to collect quantitative data. Respondent characteristics data were analyzed descriptively, then bivariate analysis to determine the relationship of independent variables with dependent variables and independent variables that could be included in multivariate analysis. Multivariate analysis with logistic regression was used to determine the effect of independent variables on sexual transactions conducted by MSM. The results found that, Grindr social media is the most dominant among Whatsapp, Facebook, Me Chat and other social media. Meanwhile, based on the technique of having sex, sex activeness is seen in MSM who have anal and oral relations. It was also reported in the results of research that getting younger MSM increasingly increases sexual desire. The conclusions of this study are MSM who use Grindr, with anal and oral sex techniques as well as young age, which increases sexual activity.

Bed sharing--the sharing of a sleeping surface by parents and children--is a common, yet controversial, practice. While most research has focused on the public health aspect of this practice, much less is known regarding its effect on the marital relationship. The aim of the present study was to conduct a scoping review on the impact of parent-infant bed sharing sleeping practices on the sexual and marital relationship of couples. The qualitative synthesis of six studies on this topic suggests that overall, bed sharing does not exert a significant negative impact on family functioning; when it does, it appears to be related to incongruent parental beliefs and expectations, especially when bed sharing is not an intentional choice of sleep arrangement, and there are other confounding factors such as fatigue and psychological distress. Suggestions for future studies and clinical implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the relationships and sexual behavior of university students will help educators and service-providers meet the reproductive health needs of students. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of relationship behaviors and their predictors among students attending an American university. A cross-sectional survey was carried out among 924 students attending Central Michigan University. A self-administered structured questionnaire was derived from the World Health Organization and sent via emails to the participants. Descriptive analysis, bivariate and linear regression were used to analyze the data. This study showed that the average age of the first sexual encounter was 18.20 ± 4.31 years and the prevalence of having a girlfriend/boyfriend among university students was 92.1%. In total, 86.9% of students described their relationship as serious, 95.4% of cases announced that their boy/girlfriend was single when they started the relationship and someone who was working or were a full-time student (93.8%). Our results showed that only age was associated with relationship behavior among sociodemographic characteristics as older students had higher relationship behavior scores (OR: 0.09, CI 95% [0.03, 0.16]). There was no association between students' knowledge of risky sexual behavior and sex education (OR: 0.04, CI 95% [0.71–0.17]). Moreover, the history of sex education during school years was not associated with relationship behavior during university years. This study showed that although university students started their sexual relationship at a reasonable age, their knowledge about risky sexual behavior was not significantly associated with sex education. Future interventional studies pointing to the sexual knowledge and behavior of university students are recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: A person's sexual satisfaction reflects their judgment and analysis of their own sexual behavior. Factors that affect sexual satisfaction vary in different societies and cultures. Aim: This study investigated the determinants of sexual satisfaction in women referred to health centers in Sari, north of Iran, in 2016. Methods: This cross-sectional study investigated 490 women who had been referred to health centers in 2016 and who were qualified for the study; the population was selected using convenient sampling method. Main Outcome Measure: The main outcome of this study was sexual satisfaction that assessed by the Larson's sexual satisfaction questionnaire. Other Data were 2 questionnaires: the general health questionnaire–28 and a researcher-made questionnaire developed on factors related to sexual satisfaction. Data were analyzed with IBM SPSS software using the one-way analysis of variance, Pearson correlation coefficient, and t-test. To determine the predictors of sexual satisfaction, all the significant independent variables were incorporated into a linear regression model. Results: The average age of the women in this study was 33.6 years, and average sexual satisfaction score was 99.26. The results of the linear regression model showed that the spouse's job as a laborer (P = .003), a low income (P

Heroin use, a prevalent and disabling condition, affects sexual functioning and the sexual quality of life. While there is adequate literature on sexual dysfunction with heroin use, the literature is scarce on the emotional aspects of sex, like the perception of sexual relationship, self-esteem, and satisfaction amongst heroin users. The study assessed these parameters among treatment-naïve, sexually active, married, male patients with heroin dependence. We interviewed 63 treatment-naïve men seeking treatment for heroin dependence using Self-esteem and Relationship Questionnaire (SEAR), New Sexual Satisfaction Scale-Short form (NSSS-S), Sexual Quality of Life Questionnaire-Male (SQoL-M), Index of Premature Ejaculation (IPE), and International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF). Overall scores in SEAR, NSSS-S, SQoL-M, IIEF, and IPE were low, suggesting poor self-esteem and relationship, poor sexual quality of life and sexual satisfaction, higher premature ejaculation, and erectile dysfunction. Injecting drug use was associated with lower scores on confidence domain of SEAR, partner activity focused domain of NSSS-S, intercourse-satisfaction, and overall sexual quality of life. Sexual dysfunctions, poor sexual relationship, and sexual quality of life are common among men seeking treatment for heroin dependence. Treatment strategies must not lose focus on this dimension of health during the treatment process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work I will address the filmic Trilogy of Life as one of the most emblematic and effective expressions of Pasolini’s intellectual intervention in the Italian cultural panorama of the late 60s and early 70s. Through a stylistic and structural analysis, I will focus firstly on Pasolini’s personal understanding of the relationship between a creative subjectivity and the world of the objects that need to be engulfed and shaped in order to be properly represented by the subjective artistic impulse. In the first part of this study, I will identify such a dynamic process of representation with Pasolini’s typical poetics of contamination. In the second part I will utilize the considerations of the first part as a point of access to both Pasolini’s theory of cinema and the practical realization of it in the Trilogy of Life. In the analysis of this cinematic trilogy I will use as a constant point of reference two articles written by Pasolini as defensive commentary and political justification of the Trilogy of Life: Libertà e Sesso Secondo Pasolini and Abiura dalla «Trilogia della vita». Moreover, through a close reading of the three movies of the trilogy – Il Decameron, I Racconti di Canterbury and Il Fiore delle Mille e Una Notte – I will specifically address the dreamlike tone that permeates Pasolini’s three-fold cinematic work and its especially saturated presence in the last movie. In conclusion, I will show how this saturation overturns and undercuts the tone suggested by the title – Trilogy of Life – to produce a trilogy that is more about death than life.

ABSTRACT: Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic drastically altered the way of life around the world. Due to social distancing measures, contact restrictions and fears of infection, social life has changed significantly. These measures along with the stressors associated with the current worldwide situation, will inevitably have an effect on people's interpersonal and personal behaviors. Aim: This study evaluates the effect the COVID-19 pandemic and nationwide German lockdown had on the sexual behavior of cis men. Methods: An anonymous nationwide web-based questionnaire was conducted among cis men in Germany during the first COVID-19 home isolation (April 20, 2020–July 20, 2020). The questionnaire was distributed via e-mail, online chats and social-media platforms. Main Outcome Measures: Data was collected on general characteristics including demographics and socio-economic backgrounds. To evaluate sexual health, questions from the Sexual Behavior Questionnaire were included. Results: 523 cis male participated. 414 met the inclusion criteria. Most were heterosexual (n = 248, 59.9%; vs homosexual n = 97, 23.4%; vs bisexual n = 69, 16.7%). 243 (59%) were employed, 153 (37.1%) were students and 16 (3.9%) were unemployed. Most of the participants reported an annual income lower than 75.000€. During the lockdown, average weekly frequency of sexual intercourse and masturbation was increased in all groups. Consistently, a significant rise of higher satisfaction with the frequency of sexual contacts during the quarantine was observed (P < .05). Furthermore, the level of sexual arousal increased significantly in all groups (P < .0005). Capability to enjoy sexual intercourse or masturbation increased significantly in heterosexual (P < .0005) and homosexual men (P < .005). Bisexual participants showed a significant increase in general satisfaction with sexual life (P < .05) and a significant decrease in satisfaction in relationship or single life (P < .05). Positive confounders in the changing of sexual behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic were: Being in a relationship or being single, parenthood and being employed. Conclusion: Our study firstly describes how COVID-19 pandemic related restrictions and social distancing measurements altered sexual behavior amongst cis male in Germany. Further studies, including sexual minorities specifically, are needed to clarify if the behavior in the first German nationwide quarantine has persisted or transformed as the pandemic proceeded. Mumm J-N, Vilsmaier T, Schuetz JM, et al. How the COVID-19 Pandemic Affects Sexual Behavior of Hetero-, Homo-, and Bisexual Males in Germany. Sex Med 2021;9:100380.

Introduction: Since the onset of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, there have been some reports regarding the impact of COVID-19 on male psychosexual health. Aims and Objectives: To assess the severity of stress during COVID-19 and to determine the association of stress levels with partner relationships and sexual activity. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Saudi Arabia through social media platforms via an online questionnaire between 1 December 2020 and 31 January 2021 among 871 participants after a pilot study among 20 participants, of which 497 were included in the study. Stress levels were assessed using the Arabic version of the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21). Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS version 20.0. Responses were presented as frequencies and percentages, and associations were studied using the Chi-squared test/Fisher’s exact test. A value of p ≤ 0.05 was considered significant. Results: A total of 497 participants who had been infected with COVID-19 completed the survey. In total, it was found that 203 (40.8%) had severe stress scores (severe and extremely severe scores merged), while 131 (26.4%) had moderate stress scores. About 84 (16.9%) participants agreed that their sexual desire decreased, 91 (18.1%) confirmed their sexual intercourse frequency decreased, and sexual satisfaction decreased in 76 (15.3%). A significant positive correlation was found in that those who disagreed with having a good sexual relationship tended to have severe stress (p < 0.001). Conclusion: There were increased levels of stress during the lockdown period, which impacted psychosexual health.

Background: Physical attractiveness is a major motive for anabolic-androgenic steroid (AAS) use. Since majority of AAS users are men, we investigated heterosexual women's ratings of the physical, sexual and romantic attractiveness of AAS-using and non-using men. Methods: A sample of 112 AAS-non-using heterosexual women (age range: 15–81, M = 29.61 years) was randomized to two independent conditions: food (n = 50) and AAS (n = 62). After exposure to a vignette (varied in AAS use or food consumption) and the target image of a moderately muscular man (same across conditions), participants in both conditions rated their respective target on physical, short-term sexual, and long-term romantic attractiveness. We compared ratings of the two targets using an independent t-test. Results: Compared to the non-using target, the AAS-using target received lower ratings (t = −2.61, p <.05, Cohen's d = 0.50) on long-term romantic attractiveness. Conclusion: Heterosexual women rate perceived AAS-using men as less attractive for long-term romantic relationships. Preventive and harm reduction interventions may benefit from highlighting this finding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Many individuals with persistent pain experience difficulties with sexual function which are exacerbated by avoidance and anxiety. Due to embarrassment or shame, sexual activity may not be identified as a goal for pain management programmes (PMPs). In addition, clinicians can feel that they lack skills and confidence in addressing these issues. Methods: We sought to develop a biopsychosocial model for helping patients return to sexual activity and manage relationships in the context of pain management, known as 'ReConnect'. The model amalgamates well-established methods from pain management and sex therapy to guide multidisciplinary team members. ReConnect comprises three components: (1) 'cognitive and myth-busting', (2) 'sensations and feelings' and (3) 'action-experimentation'. We collected self-report data from 281 women and 92 men from our specialist PMP for chronic abdomino-pelvic. pain, including questions measuring interference with and avoidance of sex due to pain, and the Multi-dimensional Sexuality Questionnaire (MSQ) to measure anxiety about sexual activity. Results: The results show statistically significant improvements for anxiety, avoidance of sex and sexual interference. Using the ReConnect model to structure clinical work, pain management clinicians reported increased confidence in addressing sexual activity goals. Conclusion: By using the ReConnect model is a framework for clinicians to use to support sexual activity goals. It has demonstrated improvements in clinical outcomes such as anxiety around sex and interference of pain in sexual activity. We encourage its application in pain management services in both one-to-one and group sessions, as a method for encouraging pain patients to address this important area of life which can be adversely affected by pain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonsomatic factors play a significant role in erectile dysfunction. We assessed the impact on men suffering from male factor infertility by employing the validated Self‐Esteem and Relationship questionnaire (SEAR) and compared the scores with controls. Men with primary infertility were asked to fill SEAR questionnaire. Normal fertile men visiting clinic for unrelated problem or normal male accompanying infertile patients constitute the control group. Transformed score of each domain and total score of SEAR questionnaire and means were compared. Data were analysed by R version 5.2. Univariate and multivariate analyses were done to determine factors predicting self‐esteem and total relationship score. There were 45 men each in the study and control groups. The mean transformed self‐esteem score and total score of infertile men were significantly lower as compared to controls (74.44 versus 95.83) and (73.54 versus 95.86) p‐value of <.0001. Longer duration of infertility, advanced age, diabetes and higher education were factors significantly lowering the scores on univariate analysis, and on multivariate analysis, diabetes was the only significant predictor of total SEAR score in infertile men. Infertility leads to lower self‐esteem, sexual performance and confidence among infertile men as compared to controls. The relationship score worsens with increasing duration of infertility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gender roles and imbalances in sexual power contribute to the heightened HIV-1 risk faced by women in Sub-Saharan Africa. This has led prevention research to focus on the development of female controlled methods. Despite the design of products such as vaginal rings to be used autonomously by women, male partners and women's perceptions of relationships influence HIV prevention choices. To understand the influences that male partners and dyadic dynamics had on the use of the Dapivirine Vaginal Ring in the ASPIRE trial, this analysis of qualitative data explored the types of intimate partner relationships that women engaged in. This paper describes how partners facilitated or challenged women's ring use and how women dealt with these challenges within six different types of relationships characterized by power dynamics and commitment levels. We offer insights into how future use of female-initiated HIV prevention products can be promoted through recognition of different relationship types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prevalence of female sexual dysfunction (FSD), or in everyday notion, sexual dissatisfaction, among Malay women remains high, denoting that there are several influences shaping their experience of sex within marriage. This qualitative study identified the perceived effects of social factors in the development of sexual dysfunction among Malay women. Engaging a phenomenological framework, 26 in-depth face-to-face interviews were conducted among married women from Peninsular Malaysia, based on their self-reporting of FSD symptoms. All sessions were audio-recorded and the data were transcribed verbatim and managed in the ATLAS.ti software before being analysed. The three themes that emerged—‘sex is taboo and culturally unacceptable’, ‘self-ignorance about sex’, and ‘lack of husband’s role in mutual sexual enjoyment’—suggest some influence of Islamic teachings and cultural conduct, as in Adat, on sexuality in society. However, a lack of knowledge and nonadherence to positive values and teachings around sexual satisfaction between men and women, as espoused through the Islamic religion, have affected woman’s sexual functions and coupling relationship even more significantly. The results of this qualitative study show that a formal, culturally sensitive, and comprehensive sex education programme incorporating both medical and Islamic knowledge may work to effectively reduce FSD.