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In this second paper, which follows on from the first one, published on a previous issue of this journal (n. 26, 2), David Bell responds to the various criticism he received. Here again he focusses on the dysfunction of the Tavistock clinic GIDS (Gender Identity Development Service) service. The author considers that a very large number of children have been seriously harmed through the penetration of the "trans" ideology into child and adolescent services leading to their complex problems (such as family histories, internalized homophobia, complex comorbidity problems) being seen only through the prism of gender, thus neglecting the complexities of the intrapsychic and interpsychic nature. The paper also looks at the broader socio-cultural processes that have contributed to this phenomenon. David Bell has continued to be deeply engaged in the understanding of disturbances in gender identity in children and adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Background and Objective: Gestalt Therapy (GT) is a humanistic and experiential approach that places a strong emphasis on awareness, present-moment experience, and the integration of disconnected parts of the self. Gestalt Therapy is particularly suited for exploring and understanding the complex dynamics of emotional experiences and human interactions. Within the context of psychotherapy, sexuality is a vital and intricate aspect of human experience and well-being. Therefore, there is a need to explore and evaluate the scientific literature regarding Gestalt Therapy interventions specifically addressing issues related to sexuality over the past decade. Methods: A comprehensive research strategy was developed to identify relevant scientific articles from four databases: ScienceDirect, PubMed, PsycINFO, and Google Scholar. The search strategy used a combination of keywords related to Gestalt Therapy, sexuality, interventions, and the specified time period. The study follows the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines to ensure transparency, replicability, and methodological rigor. Two independent reviewers conducted the search, article selection, and data extraction. English-language papers published between 2013 and 2023 in peer-reviewed journals concerning work on sexuality in Gestalt Therapy were included. Scientific papers concerning sexuality and organic pathologies, other literature reviews, book chapters, books and essays were excluded. Results: The initial search yielded a total of 39 articles. After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 6 articles were selected for full review. Data extraction involved categorizing the included articles according to study characteristics, participant demographics, intervention descriptions, and reported outcomes. A thematic analysis was conducted to identify common themes, emerging patterns, and research gaps. Conclusions: This scoping review provides an overview of the scientific literature on Gestalt Therapy interventions related to sexuality published between 2013 and 2023. The results can contribute to the existing evidence base, enhance understanding of the effectiveness and applicability of Gestalt Therapy in working with sexuality, and help identify areas requiring further research.

Copyright of Sociologia Italiana is the property of EGEA S.p.A and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In the manner of Oedipus Rex, the myth of Myrrha—a story about a daughter's initiation of sex with her father—promises to divulge insights about feminine development. Given parallels between these two myths, the author asks why Jung identified Electra rather than Myrrha as the feminine counterpart to Oedipus, and revisits Freud's and Jung's differing interpretations of the incest theme in personality development. To break open the metaphor of Myrrha's incest, the author analyzes a similar account of incest in the Old Testament story of Lot and his wife and finds that they share a theme of female bitterness related to wounding of the mother and its arresting effect on the daughter's maturation. The article then considers the Demeter‐Persephone myth, a tale not of incest but rape in Persephone's initiation into womanhood. In contrast to Myrrha, Persephone's development unfolds with strong maternal support tempered by the opposing claims on her by the masculine. The article draws these stories together to illuminate the archetypal forces that drive feminine development as well as the human affairs that resist and complicate them. The article concludes with a case study of a client whose developmental "stuckness" follows the contours of the Myrrha myth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the relationship between fairy tales, sexuality, and national identity in socialist Slovenia. Theoretically, it builds on the canonical work by Bruno Bettelheim, The Uses of Enchantment. The main objective of the analysis is to interrogate the Freudian sexual script in relation to Slovene national identity formation. For this purpose, I study two fairy tales from the socialist period, France Bevk's Peter Klepec and Moj dežnik je lahko balon by Ela Peroci. The concepts of family romance and infantile citizenship are applied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work presents some insights derived from a four-session analysis with a young man. Through clinical observations and theoretical considerations, the author sheds light on the intricate processes that unfold on the path towards integration and psychological growth. The contribution delves into clinical experiences and theoretical inquiries centered around the early phases of psychic development, which profoundly shape one’s sense of self. A notable emphasis is placed on the primal communicative bond between mother and newborn, rooted in the melodic tones of the maternal language and the harmonious exchange that emerges in the initial interactions. As the reader navigates through the narrative, he/she encounter various themes: the challenges of integration, the anxieties of non-integration, the internal dynamics revolving around Oedipal issues, the interplay of aggressive and sexual impulses, and the intricate complexities of transference and countertransference. Ultimately, the author raises thought-provoking questions about the analyst’s role in tolerating and facilitating the process of psychic elaboration as the analysis nears its conclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sexuality is a key element of the life of any human being. The present study aims to explore therapists' experience of facilitating discussion of the topics of gender and sexuality in therapy. The design consisted of a qualitative approach using semi-structured in-depth interviews with five participants. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was used to analyse the transcripts where themes were identified. The results highlighted two superordinate themes and five sub-themes. The first superordinate theme is View from Within with three sub-themes: personal processing, level of comfort and self of the therapist. The World Outside is the second superordinate theme and it includes subthemes of therapy training and facilitating discussion of the topics. Conclusions highlighted that overall, therapists facilitate discussion of matters relating to gender and sexuality with clients. However, they feel unprepared by their training and may be reluctant to engage because of a lack of comfort and knowledge. An awareness of their own facilitation, personal processing and experiences enhances this offering. Despite certain challenges, the findings of this study suggest that therapists engage with these topics and this concurs with existing research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper takes as its focus the massive increase in children and young people (CYPs) seeking gender transition. It discusses the factors that have contributed to this both at the individual level and at the socio-cultural level. At the individual level there are many pathways to gender dysphoria (such as internalized homophobia, complex comorbid problems, histories of family trauma and so on). The author considers that a very large number of children have been seriously harmed through the penetration of the "trans" ideology into child and adolescent services leading to their complex problems being seen only through the prism of gender, thus leading to these problems being neglected. The paper also looks at the broader socio-cultural processes that have contributed to this phenomenon - such as the commodification of health care, misogyny, relativization of truth, all contributing to what the author terms "a peculiar mode of thinking" that has come to dominate this debate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The essay investigates the reasons for the gap between secular discourse on the abuse committed by members of the clergy on minors and that of Catholic authorities, examining doctrinal sources from the early modern age. Has the identification of marriage as the only framework in which sexuality is allowed, provided it abides by its contractual rules and sacramental dignity, possibly contributed to making all other expressions of sexuality unthinkable? And has this, in turn, prevented that positive prescriptions or injunctions be set forth to regulate them, while also rendering abuse victims invisible? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A lecture given by Erich Fromm on May 28, 1957, at The New School for Social Research of New York is translated here in Italian for the first time. This lecture was the last in a series about the main concepts of Freud's psychoanalysis (most of these lectures were not recorded, while this one was recorded and transcribed). Fromm discusses the following topics: Freud's physiological concept of sexuality and the biological concept of sexuality suggested by Fromm; the role of masculinity and femininity; the Freudian concept of the libido; Fromm's theory of human nature, in which he conceptualizes various needs as described in his 1955 book The Sane Society (the need for relatedness, the need for rootedness, the need for a sense of identity, the need for transcendence, the need for a frame of orientation and an object of devotion); impacts for the understanding of patients; Freud's technique of free association; the relationship between the analyst and the patient; the importance of dreams; the present situation in psychoanalysis and its future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The approval of divorce law in 1970 and the subsequent referendum of 1974 represent one of the crucial points in the history of the customs evolution in Italy. The divorce debate in Italy follows the relative discussion in Parliament, registering its significant peaks in the mid-sixties and mid-seventies. A few years earlier, in 1961, the comedy by Pietro Germi Divorce Italian Style had been released in Italian cinemas. It was centered on a double anachronism: the absence of divorce in Italy and the existence of the honour killing. The film is a blockbuster of the year and represents a central work in the whole genre of Italian comedy, which photographs the Italy during the economic miracle and its changes. By clearing a taboo, Divorce Italian Style triggers a lively debate in the popular press, in particular provoking the reaction of the most traditionalist sectors of society and the Catholic world, worried about the questioning of the bond of marriage. In this sense, Divorce Italian Style activates a reflection in the public opinion on the issue of divorce which anticipates what would have happened a few years later.

In the following essay I will propose the oral Deleuze. Something to be added to Deleuze's written works; a kind of laboratory centred on his never-ending process of thinking. Deleuze, in his lectures and conferences, used to talk about his work-in-progress writings and essays. The first part of this paper deals with the reversal of the idea of subject and how such a reversal is connected to the idea of power and sexuality. In the second part of the essay, I open up a space created by consideration of two oral terms used in some lessons at Vincennes, particularly: 'Objectile' and 'Superject'. I hope that the intertextuality between the four aspects – orality, faciality, sexuality and perspectivism – will appear as clear as possible. Nonetheless, this essay requires a certain effort by the reader and some premises I will list in the introduction. Shakespeare's Macbeth and Saint Teresa of Avila (the devil and the holy water) will be two cases I will analyze to apply Deleuze's ideas to literature and life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breast cancer is the most frequent form of cancer and, even today, although there has been an improvement in prognosis, it remains the leading cause of cancer death in women. The objective of this study was to evaluate the quality of life and investigate the psychological, sexological and affective aspects in women with breast cancer, comparing them with a control group and identifying possible differences. The protocol, consisting of self-report tools, was administered to 97 women divided into two groups: the clinical group (n = 44 women with breast cancer) and the control group (n = 53 postmenopausal women). The analyzes sought to investigate which domains determined the significance in the comparison between the two groups. Sexual (FSFI) and distress (FSDS) functioning, psychological (SCL-90-R) and emotional (PANAS) functioning were assessed. Women with iatrogenic menopausal breast cancer showed greater sexual difficulties than women in natural menopause. Similarly, symptoms such as anxiety and depression are present to a greater or lesser extent in women in natural menopause, while they acquire greater value in those in which menopause has been induced early. The data that emerge from the study have significant implications both for future research and for the clinic, underlining how the biopsychosocial perspective is fundamental to fully understand the personal and relational experience connected to the pathology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper aims to offer a general picture of sexuality during the perinatal period (from gestation to the first years of the child's life). The physical and psychological changes associated with pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum can influence both the woman's sex life and the couple's sexual health. It is essential to investigate these topics that are often overlooked, considered separately and still surrounded by too many taboos and prejudices. This article reviews existing studies dealing with these topics to offer a general overview and to deepen and discuss their limits for wider considerations. The literature highlights a decline in sexual functions during pregnancy, which then continues to experience in the postpartum period. Most of the studies address the issue of sexuality in pregnancy by examining above all the female experience and highlighting the physical, hormonal and psychological differences during the three trimesters of pregnancy (endogestation) but unfortunately no research deals with the analysis of the post-partum (exogestation). Furthermore, the analysis of the experience of the male partner is almost completely omitted both during pregnancy and during postpartum. The sexuality between the two partners, which in this period undergoes a reduction or even an interruption, is the main theme of this study. There are still too many specialists who recommend abstinence in pregnancy, in any case, without this being supported by scientific evidence. This generates an atmosphere of unfounded fears and anxieties, which undermine the unity of the couple, in a such delicate and special moment, in which a healthy sexual activity would be the cornerstone for maintaining a good relationship in the couple and to prevent and protect the future of the family. It is therefore essential that couples are accompanied by professionals prepared to answer their questions related to sexuality, in order to clarify, without taboos, the many perplexities on an such intimate and complex issue. It is essential to consider the modality of sexual intercourse of each specific couple before pregnancy, in order to be able to speak of decline, normality or pathology in postpartum. It is essential to encourage open and sincere communication between partners, rather than dictating general rules, based on false myths, which influence the frequency, spontaneity or even block sexuality during pregnancy and puerperium. In order to generate by default the natural rapprochement between the two partners, it is necessary to involve the father by structuring the birth accompaniment courses for couple, so that not only the psychological experiences of the mother are explained, but also those of the future father. Giving proper attention to both would represent a revolution that would help to prevent serious problems such as postpartum depression or the increase in divorces (a phenomenon most frequently encountered within the first three years of the child's birth). This contribution also wants to make clear the similarity between the sexual act and the childbirth, which are events influenced by the same identical hormones (oxytocin, endorphins, adrenaline, etc.), which are very sensitive to the context and the environment. In fact the more or less pleasant outcome of the sexual encounter or of the experience of childbirth derives from the hormonal combination. An unprocessed traumatic birth brings with it negative consequences on sexual intercourse in the postpartum. This is why adequate pre-birth training, combined with post-partum sexual counseling, are essential for the support of the two partners, so that they do not feel abandoned to themselves and lacking in communication tools. In conclusion, these are the services that should therefore be increased to resolve the current situation, which is contaminated by misinformation and false myths: refresher courses for health professionals, so that taboos of medical staff are broken; birth accompaniment courses for couples, to ensure that the mother feels supported, the father is informed and prepared and that effective communication develops between the two before the birth of the child; post-partum sexual counseling for couples who have difficulty resuming sexual understanding. Birth is a crucial moment for the development of the ability to love, so the commitment and willingness to know everything around it represents a fundamental help both for couples and for future generations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Scienza & Politica is the property of University of Bologna, Department of Political & Social Sciences Alma Mater Studiorum and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Scienza & Politica is the property of University of Bologna, Department of Political & Social Sciences Alma Mater Studiorum and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Italian Journal of Nursing (IJN) / Giornale Italiano di Infermieristica is the property of Collegio IPASVI MI-LO-MB - Ordine Professioni Infermieristiche MI-LO-MB and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Rivista Italiana di Conflittolgia is the property of Edizioni Labrys and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article offers an analytical Presentation of the Document of the Pontifical Biblical Commission: What is Man? (Ps 8:5). An Itinerary of Biblical Anthropology (30-IX-2019), exposing some aspects of the Theological Message of Gen 1–3. After having presented the context, the purpose and the articulation of the Document, two exemplary reasons for the anthropological message of Gen 1–3 are underlined: a) ’ådåm and its relations; b) In search of the face (Gen 3:8). Finally, three perspectives emerging from reflection on the Document are highlighted. The First Perspective is given by the relationship between anthropology and Christology. The Second Perspective is part of the broad interpretation of the human story in the light of the history of the covenant with God. The Third Perspective concerns the dialectic between creatural Weakness and the life-giving power of Divine Action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In questo contributo saranno passati in rassegna alcuni enigmi della tradizione letteraria greca che coinvolgono, in varia misura, la sfera della sessualità. Sarà tracciata una distinzione tra indovinelli che chiedono di essere effettivamente risolti e indovinelli che svelano la soluzione contestualmente alla loro enunciazione. In tale contesto, saranno posti in rilievo i punti di contatto tra le esigenze della scena comica e alcuni epigrammi erotici e scoptici che mutuano la forma grifotica senza proporre davvero la soluzione di un enigma, a ulteriore testimonianza della tendenza del genere epigrammatico a incorporare elementi desunti dalla commedia. Il riconoscimento di alcune analogie formali tra gli esempi analizzati indurrà ad accostare alla tradizione del γρῖφοςun testo poco noto, adesp. AP11.272, che della formulazione enigmatica si serve per stigmatizzare i cinedi, in linea con la tendenza, ben documentata in letteratura greco-latina, a definire l’omosessualità attraverso la negazione e la contraddizione logica. Saranno infine espresse alcune considerazioni di ordine generale sul rapporto tra enigma ed epigramma e sui criteri scelti dagli antologizzatori per operare una distinzione tra i due generi. The aim of this paper is to analyse some ancient Greek riddles variously involving the sexual sphere. A distinction between riddles that actually require to be solved and others that reveal their solution while being posed will be drawn. In such a context, attention will be paid to the points of contacts between comedy and some erotic and scoptic epigrams in the form of a riddle, in order to contribute to a better appreciation of the tendency of the epigrammatic genre to incorporate comic elements. The identification of formal analogies among the examples taken into account will also allow to analyse under the light of the riddling tradition an anonymous scoptic epigram, AP11.272, whose targets are passive homosexuals. The paper will be concluded by some observations on the relationship between riddle and epigram, and on the criteria adopted by anthologists in order to distinguish them.

Breast cancer represents the most common malignant cancer in the female population and it is the cancer with the highest mortality in the world's female population. It has been shown in the literature that women with breast cancer are more likely to develop sexual dysfunction than healthy women; women with breast cancer often develop difficulties in their body image and feminility, because cancer affects a secondary sex organ. The aim of current study was to explore the relationship between sexual dysfunction and cognitive or emotional factors in women with breast cancer, in particular we investigated the construct of alexithymia, cognitive schemas, automatic thoughts and sexual dysfunctional beliefs. The study was conducted on 156 women, divided in two groups: 60 women with breast cancer and 96 healthy women. The women of the clinical group have been recruited in the departments of senological oncology and integrated therapies of the Policlinico Agostino Gemelli in Rome and the women of the control group were randomly extrapolated from the database of the Clinical Sexology Institute (ISC) of Rome. All women completed 4 self-report questionnaire: Questionnaire of Cognitive Schema Activation in Sexual Context (QCSASC), Sexual Dysfunctional Beliefs Questionnaire (SBDQ), Sexual Modes Questionnaire (SMQ) to explore cognitive factors and Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) to assess emoctional aspects. MANCOVA statistical analysis was used to highlight statistically significant differences between the two groups; the covariates included were age, level of education and relational situation. Also it was used the Chi2 test for frequencies. Analysis of the data shows that women with breast cancer have higher levels of alexithymia and more dysfunctional beliefs in the sexual sphere than healthy women. Regarding to sexual beliefs, women in the clinical group perceive feelings as very important during sexual activity and consider the advancement of the chronological age a negative element for the sexual sphere. Previous research shows that also women with sexual dysfunction believe that aging negatively affects sexuality; therefore this beliefs seems to be common to women with breast cancer and women with sexual dysfunction. In women with breast cancer, this dysfunctional belief could be emphasized by the iatrogenic induction of menopause. Regarding to alexithymia, women with breast cancer show higher scores in the subscale "difficult to identifying feeling" and "externally-oriented thinking". These results are partly in line with current literature, infact some studies have shown that women with breast cancer have more difficult to identify their feelings than healthy women, while according to other research there aren't significant differences in the alexithymia construct between women with breast cancer and healthy women. Finally in the questionnaires assessing automatic thoughts and cognitive schema there aren't significant differences between clinical and control group. Future research could contribute to a better understanding of the role of cognitive and emotional aspects on the sexuality in women with breast cancer; prevention and treatment of sexual dysfunction and quality of life of women with breast cancer could be improved. The study has some limitation such as lack of previous scientific studies; this gap partially compromises the quality of the discussion of data emerged by the study and urges us to conduct further research, since this information could improve quality of life and health sex of women with cancer. Also the length of the protocol represents a limitation of the study, as it may have altered the reliability of the results; furthermore the research protocol is based exclusively on self-report questionnaires. Finally, there are significant differences related to age, educational level and relationship situation between two groups; however, to limit this problem, these variables have been included as covariates in MANCOVA statistical analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Griffin Hansbury’s (2017) treatment of his patient follows a theoretical framework which differs from that of the discussant. Despite Hansbury’s criticism of gender binaries, he expands Freud’s (1922) theory of a “body ego” by introducing a new binary concept, the «capital- V Vaginal» as a «symbolic counterpart to the [capital-P] Phallic» (Hansbury, 2017 p. 20, p. 1010 of the original edition). Hansbury tries to drag into the 21st century a 19th century theory with roots in antiquated assumptions about gender. Greenberg & Mitchell (1983) refer to this theoretical approach as “accommodation”, when writers and theorists don’t challenge questionable assumptions of an original theory but add new concepts to expand upon it. An example of accommodationist approaches in rethinking homosexuality is discussed. Nevertheless, Hansbury’s receptivity to talking about his patients’ sexual body parts and functions creates a space to talk about other difficult subjects. In doing so, he demonstrates a mix of both conservative and radical trends in psychoanalytic theory and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the ancient Athenian satyr-play was the model for Italian Renaissance pastoral tragicomedy, its chorus of singing and dancing satyrs was suppressed, and these same essential characters were often reduced to a solitary outsider figure representing a violent threat rather than a regenerative force for human communities. My essay asks how and why this reduction became a prevalent dramatic choice, as well as how and why the genre-bending spirit of satyrs nevertheless persisted, with distinct modulations, in many Italian and English plays. Historiographical and theoretical insights from the field of animal studies shape my comparative analysis: these include Donna Haraway's pluralistic and playfully companionate models of 'natureculture' and respect. A key focus is on tensions between anthropocentric and theriophilic attitudes – also expressed through the figure of the 'Wild-Man' – and how they inform pastoral productions from Giraldi Cinzio's Egle to Shakespeare's Winter's Tale, revealing the protean vitality of buffoonish, irrepressibly theatrical satyrs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nei primi decenni del secolo scorso, in Ghana, i casi e le accuse di stregoneria aumentarono in modo sensibile e divennero una questione quasi esclusivamente femminile. Ciò fu accompagnato dal diffondersi di alcuni culti ritenuti in grado di identificare i colpevoli e quindi curarli. Le donne adottarono strategie differenti nei confronti delle accuse rivolte nei loro confronti; alcune si ribellarono apertamente mentre altre fecero proprio lo sguardo esterno, dei familiari e della comunità, e confessarono, non senza drammatiche contraddizioni, di essere delle streghe e di avere compiuto delitti efferati. Attraverso l’analisi delle fonti di archivio, (trascrizioni di processi e resoconti delle indagini degli amministratori coloniali) e di alcune fonti secondarie, quali le trascrizioni delle confessione, raccolte dall’antropologa coloniale M. Field, si vuole qui discutere il significato della pratica della confessione come strumento per cercare di normalizzare i comportamenti e la sessualità femminili che in quegli anni apparivano sempre più eccentrici.

Copyright of L'Infermiere is the property of IPASVI - Italian Nursing Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The revolution of 1968 represented, for Western culture, the beginning of a radical and continuous change. This process affected all areas of life and, among them, the way to experience the affective and sexual dimension. The way in which the contemporary man and woman - and young people in particular - build the relationship with their own and with the body of others has changed, applying to the affective and sexual sphere, the same dynamics that the postmodernity ascribes to the relational field in a broader sense. With the perspective point of view reduced, the design dimension seems to be very limited, in favour of a radical anchorage to the present, but not in the perspective of the depth of experience. This approach to self, to the other and to life in general, while generating a sense of apparent power, places the subject in a state of disorientation, for which the need to reformulate, according to new languages, new answers to existential questions that, continuously, recur to experiencence, is urgent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work presents the results of an exploratory study on adolescents' sexual and relational-emotional knowledge, sources of information, and behaviors. The study also investigates adolescents' risky experiences in both real and virtual life. The sample consists of 1522 adolescents of Italian nationality with age range between 12 and 18 years (44% males and 56% females), who completed an online self-report questionnaire. Results show that, contrary to their perception, adolescents' knowledge about sexuality and emotionality is rather scarce. They refer primarily to parents, friends, and, to a considerable extent, to the Internet to get information about sexuality. In addition, the percentage of sexually active adolescents who report to enact risky behaviors, especially among the youngest (12- 14 years), is noteworthy. Finally, a consistent percentage of adolescents report to receive or send "sensual" photos through the Internet and to receive requests to provide personal material/information by strangers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Population's aging is currently one of the most significant phenomenon in the XXI century, with very important consequences in every section of society. Human longevity has grown in a significant way thanks to differents factors: the meaningful ones are surely the adoption of modern lifestyles and the unstoppable scientific progress. All these factors bring to the conception that old people are facing up to new sets of stimuli and necessities connected to sexuality; something that they would not have experienced in the past. This happened especially for a series of social cliché and prejudices which made old people's sexuality not accepted by the community and not so interesting. Precisely for this, scientific community has started studying this fascinating theme only in the last few years. In medicine, the rising of sexual activity for old subjects has become a specific focus for geriatriscians, endocrinologists, and andrologists. It has been shown that desire does not disappear in old age: also sexual arousal and orgasmic capacity persist. In old age, therefore, sexuality continues to be present, even if the ways and conditions through which it manifests and expresses itself are different. The factors modifying the sexual response of the elderly male can be biological (e.g. erectile dysfunction, frequently caused by arterial pathologies that affect especially elderly men with hypercholesterolemia, diabetes, peripheral vasculopathy or hypertension, as well as smokers), psychosocial (e.g. lack of available partners, isolation from the active community, and other factors that feed the stereotype of the tired and inactive old man), and/or psychological (individual variability, life experiences, introjected taboo and stereotypes about older sexuality, attitude towards body changes, etc.). In this descriptive cross-sectional study, we recruited 40 male subjects between 65 and 90 years old. Subjects with clinical diagnosis affecting sexuality were excluded from the sample (i.e. patients undergoing pelvic surgery or radiotherapy; suffering from hypogonadism or hyperprolactinemia; affected by cognitive deficit or mood disorder). Through the employment of specific tests: International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF 5); Beck Depression Inventory (BDI); Quality of Life In-dex (QLI) and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), we collected data referred to some aspects: sexual function, cognitive state, mood, and general quality of life. Data have been elaborated with a descriptive and an inferential statistic analysis (linear and multiple regression). The aim of the study was to verify a possible relationship between presence/absence of sexual behaviour and individual's quality of life. We would like to stimulate a major interest in old subjects' needs in order to mantain and promote a long-life sexual health. Only through the spread of a new sensibility, towards these issues, it will be possible to promote the right of an affective and sexual health, without chronological limits, and to promote a satisfactory quality of life in elderly person on the physical, psychological and relational level, strengthening the concept of health itself. Positive and significant relations emerged, with both BDI and IIEF5 scores predicting QLI scores. Multiple regression models found that each score of BDI contribute to a diminution of 0.29 in the QLI score, while each score in the IIEF5 contribute to an increase of 0.13 in QLI score. IIEF5 scores has been found to increase QLI score in elderly men. An higher quality of life is recorded in patients who still benefit from a satisfying sexual activity; at the same time the quality of life is reduced in subjects with a decreased mood tone, probably linked to a decline in sexual function. When the sexual function remains conserved, other important domains will be preserved, lot of them are important into the framework of global well-being. The conservation of a good sexual practice affects the elderly males' life, in a multifactorial way: from biological to psychosocial aspects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article starts with some references to the predecessors of John Paul II. One note lists the topics dealt with by John Paul II as well as that of the Catholic doctrine on sexuality. There follows a list of the Pope's interventions and the documents of the various pontifical dicasteries (Congregations and Councils). It continues by means of an indication regarding the foundations of the doctrine on sexuality reaffirmed by the Pontiff, including clarifications towards the proposals of theologians, which emerged in the renowned debate on the renewal of Catholic sexual morality. Hence the overall representation of the doctrinal orientations reaffirmed by John Paul II. His doctrine on the spousal character of the body, a complete innovation in the doctrinal context on human sexuality, must be highlighted. The general perspective of pontifical teaching consists in placing everything within the sphere of the new man redeemed by Christ. The Pope addresses this man, not the historical man already described by human sciences. Probably from this point, numerous misunderstandings arose between the Pope and various commentators of his teaching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reconstructs the debate on the sexual revolution. Since 1968, the modernization and liberalization of the sexual mores bring out all the contradictions resulting from this rapid change. In particularly three authors are placed at center stage: Renata Pisu and her attempt to educate people on sexual liberation; Augusto Del Noce and his denunciation the progressively pornograficizing of society; Pier Paolo Pasolini and his analysis of the link between hedonism and erotomania, and between commodification and reducing women to objects of the sexual appetite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Feminist sex wars refers to a debate among the feminist world regarding the way in which some sexual practices can contribute to women’s emancipation. Questions such as prostitution and pornography are still active in the contemporary debate, that divides the feminists into two sides: the abolitionists, the antipornography feminists and, at the other side, the “pro-sex” feminists. This essay wants to analyze the implications and the debates born around the 1980s, when the prostitutes began to organize themselves into movements in order to claim their liberty of choice and when the expression “sex work” was coined, which refers to the sexual industry without the prejudice and the typical negative connotation.

Stefano Benni è un autore italiano sicuramente molto letto, ma non sempre apprezzato. Duplici, infatti, sono le reazioni davanti alle sue opere, sia da parte dei lettori che da parte dei critici. I primi risultano sempre o molto affezionati alla scrittura dell’autore, o molto infastiditi da essa. I secondi, al contrario, tendono a respingere Benni in toto, non reputandolo annoverabile tra i canoni della critica accademica. La ragione dei pareri negativi sulle opere dell’autore è da ricercare nei temi trattati e, in particolar modo, in uno di essi: la sessualità. Malgrado Benni faccia un uso costante e a piene mani dello strumento dell’ironia (attraverso diversi meccanismi spesso legati al campo retorico dell’adiectio e alla presentazione di immagini irrealistiche sino all’assurdo) anche nell’ambito di tale tematica, essa risulta trattata in modo assai esplicito (figurativamente e linguisticamente) e senza alcun tabù. Questo disturba spesso i lettori, che percepiscono come immotivata tale scelta autoriale, e i critici, che vedono questo atteggiamento come sintomatico di un allontanamento dai canoni tradizionali. In tale sede, tuttavia, si è scelto di prendere una direzione opposta. La presenza della sessualità nelle opere di Benni, infatti, pare essere il fulcro di una particolare modalità della narrazione, che vede tale tematica come l’elemento essenziale che influenza l’agire dei personaggi e l’atto del narrare stesso. Ma non solo: l’istintualità diventa quindi, da una parte, lo stesso motore narrativo delle vicende e, dall’altra, un utile strumento con cui l’autore veicola ulteriori tematiche a lui care e dà libero sfogo al suo personale uso del linguaggio. A partire da tali riflessioni e da un’indagine stilistica dei passi più significativi dei romanzi dell’autore, è possibile giungere a un’ipotesi costitutiva dell’intera antropologia benniana, che permetta di cogliere l’intento autoriale alla base della stessa stesura dei romanzi.Italian author Stefano Benni’s novels are certainly widely read, but not always appreciated. When it comes to judging them, both Benni’s audience and critics might express conflicting opinions and feelings. The former either happens to be very fond of his writing style or truly annoyed by it. The latter, on the other way, usually put him aside, because scholars do not reckon him to be included into the literary canon. The reason for these negative judgements is surely to be searched for in the themes Benni focuses on, one of which might be particularly controversial: sexuality. Despite Benni making constantly use of irony (which is mediated by different devices usually related either to the rhetorical field of adiectio or to descriptions pushed to the limit of the absurd) and sexuality is no exception, it ends up being described with no restraints (both figuratively and linguistically). This often annoys the readers, who perceive it as unmotivated choice by the author, and critics as well consider this behavior a symptomatic departure from traditional canons. Nevertheless, in this essay I deliberately chose to take a different direction. The recurrence of sexuality in Benni’s novels, in fact, seems to be the pivot of a peculiar narrative style, that considers this theme as the essential element that influences the acting of the characters and the act of narration itself. Not just that, instinct on the one hand becomes the narrative engine of the different plots, and on the other is a useful tool with which the author conveys further themes he is particularly fond of. Moreover, he exploits this subject to give voice to his personal use of the language. Starting from these premises, and from a stylistic inquiry of Benni’s most meaningful novel extracts, it is possible to come to a structural hypothesis about the author’s anthropological vision. This allows grasping the purpose which is at the core of all his novel writing.

Endometriosis is a chronic gynecological disease often associated with a strong impairment of sexual life, mainly characterized by the experience of genital-pelvic pain during intercourses. The literature highlighted that endometriosis mainly affects the female reproductive system and, therefore, has a strong impact on sexuality, on gender identity, on the quality of a woman's relational and mental life. The present study arises from the intention to deepen the cognitive health situation of women with endometriosis. The aim of the current study was to explore the relationship between sexual functioning and cognitive factors in women with endometriosis. In particular, we focused on the association of sexual functioning to cognitive schemas, automatic thoughts and sexual dysfunctional beliefs. Data were collected in two groups of women: 35 patients in child-bearing age (age range 18-45 years, M=34.83 SD=7.70) with a diagnosis of endometriosis (verified by laparoscopy) belonging to the department of Gynecology and Obstetrics of the Policlinico Umberto I and 41 healthy women from the general population. The women completed a self-report questionnaire assessing cognitive structures through the Questionnaire of Cognitive Schema Activation in Sexual Context (QCSASC), the Sexual Modes Questionnaire (SMQ) and the Sexual Dysfunctional Beliefs Questionnaire (SDBQ). In the analysis of the data emerged from the QCSASC, women with endometriosis showed a greater activation of negative cognitive patterns related to the sense of impotence compared to the control group. This result could be linked to the data emerging on the access to seek help for sexual problems: only 26.7% of women in the clinical group with sexual difficulties underwent or have undergone a specialist consultation in the past, compared to 80% of women in the control group. It is reasonable that women with endometriosis have more difficulties in seeking help, maybe because of the rigid and dysfunctional cognitive schemes related to the sense of impotence on their condition. The women from the clinical group reported a greater number of beliefs related to "sexual conservatism" and a tendency towards the "affection primacy" component. In the literature, conservative attitudes towards sexuality and unrealistic expectations about sexual performance are commonly associated with sexual difficulties in women and men. In conclusion, the results of our study seem to indicate that in endometriosis the cognitive aspects related to sexual dysfunctions may play an important role in influencing the perception what a woman is experiencing, of her identity and of her relational situation. Further in-depth investigations could contribute to a better understanding of the impact that this pathology has on sexual health, on the quality of life and thus direct towards a more appropriate targeted intervention under the biopsychosocial model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Enthymema is the property of Enthymema, International Journal of Literary Criticism, Literary Theory & Philosophy of Literature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Endometriosis is a chronic gynecological disease often associated with a strong impairment of sexual life, mainly characterized by the experience of genital-pelvic pain during intercourses. The literature highlighted that endometriosis mainly affects the female reproductive system and therefore has a strong impact on sexuality, on gender identity, on the quality of a woman's relational and mental life. The present study arises from the intention to deepen the psycho-affective health situation of women with endometriosis. The overall goal is to explore the characteristics associated with psycho-affective and sexual health in a small group of women with endometriosis by comparing it with a group of healthy women. The general hypothesis is that endometriosis women would report worse scores in all the areas examined (sexual function, alexithymia, emotions endorsed during sexual activity and psychological symptoms). Data were collected in two groups of women: 35 patients in child-bearing age (age range 18-45 years, M = 34.83, SD = 7.70) with a diagnosis of endometriosis (verified by laparoscopy) belonging to the department of Gynecology and Obstetrics of the Policlinico Umberto I and 41 healthy women from the general population. All women completed a socio-demographic questionnaire, the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS), the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), the MCGill Pain Questionnaire (MCGILL), the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) and the Symptom Check-List-90-R (SCL-90-R). In the results, the group with endometriosis reported clinical scores in the area of sexuality (overall sexual functioning and pain), a higher level of psychological distress (especially in the somatization dimension) and a more negative emotions endorsed during sexual activity compared to the control group. Surprisingly, there was no significant difference between the two groups regarding to alexithymia. Although there are no significant differences between the two groups in this dimension, however, women with endometriosis showed a light tendency to report greater difficulty in identifying feelings. The presence of alexithymia might represent a defense mechanism against mental and physical pain that should be better deepened in future studies. Chronic diseases involve a series of bodily, affective and cognitive transformations that force the individual to a radical existential change and an identity redefinition. The results obtained are in line with the data in the literature that testify the tendency of people suffering from chronic diseases to translate their internal conflicts through somatic symptoms. Women with endometriosis usually show passive and avoidant coping, negative emotions associated with poor mental status, and this is important to be considered for clinical purposes. This study further confirms how endometriotic pathology can have important repercussions, as well as on the body, even in the psycho-affective and sexual sphere of the women affected. A profile emerged of women suffering and tending to somatization and a greater experience of negative emotions associated with sexual suffering. The literature suggests that a biopsychosocial approach, which places the woman to the center of a system and takes into account the psychological, biological and social variables in play, may be the most suitable for coping with the complexity of endometriosis. A model of this type is inspired by an integrated approach to the individual, the couple and the disease. Finally, it is important to remember that the analysis of the problem from a psycho-sexological point of view as well as a physiological one, with particular attention to the diagnosis and treatment phases, could result in an improvement of the assistance services and a higher probability of therapeutic success in the endometriosis pathology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are a few studies in the literature dealing specifically with the sexuality of obese patients, from the medical-endocrinological perspective to the psychosocial experience. Obesity in men is often associated with sexual difficulties, whereas the Erectile Dysfunction (ED) is the most reported. The main aim of the present study was to explore the sexual health of obese men asking for bariatric surgery. The study addressed 152 obese men undergoing the psychodiagnostic evaluation for bariatric surgery suitability, referring to the Department of General Surgery and Italian and European Excellence Center of Bariatric Surgery of the "Sapienza" University of Rome - Polo Pontino (LT). The self-administered protocol consisted of a sociodemographic questionnaire with questions on lifestyles and sexual health, the Symptom Checklist-90 Revised (SCL-90-R), the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) and the Sexual Dysfunctional Beliefs Questionnaire (SDBQ). The results of this exploratory study show that there is a significative damage reported in sexuality, in which cognitive factors such as stereotypical beliefs about gender and sexual activity play a role. The data showed that having a higher BMI seems to be a risk factor for sexual dysfunctions. Specifically, there is a decrease in all IIEF scale scores as BMI increases. Hypertension seems to play a key role for ED and for the general satisfaction of sexual life. If the patient is in a stable relationship and has a greater frequency of sexual activity, it results in an increase of sexual functioning. The study shows that in obese men, the more the first complete sexual intercourse is delayed in life, the more problems are reported in sexuality, especially ED and a low satisfaction of sexual intercourses and sentimental relationships. Instead, a good satisfaction of the first sexual experience leads to more positive scores in all the areas of sexual functioning, regardless of weight (BMI). Regarding to the psychological area, a significantly higher level of somatization emerged in the group of obese men compared to controls. The erectile functioning emerges as the most problematic sexual area in this cohort of men. In particular, 38,16% of obese men reported an ED, of which 21,05% was mild, 5,92% moderate and 11,18% severe. Concerning the role played by dysfunctional sexual beliefs, obese men reported a higher presence of stereotypical beliefs related to the male figure than the general population. In the clinical group prevails the idea that man have always to be ready for having a sexual activity, that the erection is central for the satisfaction of the partner and for this reason it must always be maintained until the end of every sexual intercourse. These beliefs stimulate a highly performing experience, which prevents from a positive sexual experience and may negatively affect the perceived sexual distress. According to this result, a higher level of sexual conservatism was also found in obese men compared to controls. The present study emphasizes the importance of psychological and cultural factors related to sexuality and body experience, elements that in a good holistic treatment should be taken into account for the improvement of the patient's quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Enthymema is the property of Enthymema, International Journal of Literary Criticism, Literary Theory & Philosophy of Literature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Studi e Materiali di Storia delle Religioni is the property of Editrice Morcelliana S.p.A. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

La letteratura erotica non è mai stata oggetto di studi seri, spesso rigettata per la sua immoralità e considerata come sottogenere. Da L'amante di Lady Chatterley di David Herbert Lawrence (1928) a il Lamento di Portnoy di Philip Roth (1968) sono tutte opere messe al bando e censurate per oscenità. Alberto Moravia è considerato uno dei più importanti romanzieri del XX secolo, che ha esplorato nelle sue opere i temi della sessualità moderna. Le sue opere a carattere erotico, in cui predominano la sensualità e il voyurismo, sono le più sorprendenti e audaci. Prenderemo in esame il romanzo breve di Alberto Moravia Agostino composto dall’autore nel 1941 ma pubblicato solo nel 1944, precedentemente ostacolato dalla censura fascista. Se Agostino può essere considerato un romanzo di formazione che racconta il passaggio dall’età infantile alla fase adolescenziale, attraverso la scoperta della sessualità come rito d’iniziazione, quale idea sul sesso lo scrittore ha voluto vincolare ? Ci proponiamo, dunque, di indagare i motivi dietro la scelta di trattare un argomento considerato come tabu’ in una società mediterranea con costumi e tradizione rigidi. Tenteremo inoltre di studiare il contributo dell’opera moraviana nella realizzazione di una sorta di Liberazione sessuale nella società del tempo.