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Teenage Sexuality in Different Cultures
... Além da dimensão íntima e pessoal, a sexualidade também está atrelada ao caráter cultural como citado anteriormente, uma vez que é diretamente influenciada de acordo com as tradições, desejos e costumes característicos de cada época ou de cada sociedade de acordo com o modo que vivem e influenciam seus princípios éticos e morais e, principalmente, o comportamento sexual dos sujeitos (Carvalho, 2008;Ventriglio;Bhugra, 2019;Wood, 2012). ...
... A Universidade como instância social, responsável pela divulgação e acessibilidade do conhecimento, tem o papel de informar e discutir todas as variantes referentes aos conceitos sexuais, com a finalidade de multiplicar as informações e educar os jovens a vivenciarem a sexualidade como uma questão social e política, não apenas uma necessidade instintiva e biológica (Wood, 2012). ...
A Sexualidade é uma característica inerente de cada indivíduo, sendo moldada por influência da construção social e cultural. Sendo assim, toda complexidade da sexualidade é alterada com o passar dos anos de acordo com a moral estabelecida como errado e certo. Dado ao multiculturalismo presente na sociedade, é comum o aparecimento de preconceitos, tabus e, consequentemente, a falta de diálogo sobre a temática. A Universidade como instância social, responsável pela divulgação e acessibilidade do conhecimento, tem o papel de informar e discutir todas as variantes referentes aos conceitos sexuais, com a finalidade de multiplicar as informações e educar os jovens a vivenciarem a sexualidade como uma questão social, histórica e política e não apenas como uma necessidade instintiva e biológica. Este estudo é um relato de experiência de integrantes do Grupo de Pesquisa e Extensão, intitulado Sexualidade: Múltiplos Olhares cujo intuito é descrever a vivência como integrante de grupo durante as aulas acerca deste tema em turmas do ensino superior do curso de Biologia Licenciatura de uma Universidade Federal do Nordeste brasileiro. Foi observado que em cada turma a pluralidade e diversidade demonstrada pelos próprios alunos se fez presente e dificilmente será possível reduzir a sexualidade a um aspecto puramente biológico de forma que não considere, também, os aspectos históricos, sociais, culturais e comportamentais. Deste modo, foi importante discutir a temática sexualidade nas disciplinas de Biologia Licenciatura, pois prepara os futuros professores de Ciências e Biologia para prática docente que promova pensamento reflexivo, respeito a opiniões e estilos de vida adotados nas novas gerações de estudantes. Isso possibilita a criação de ambiente de ensino harmonioso, construtivo e educativo, estimulando os jovens a terem uma vivência saudável da sexualidade.
... Et annet sosiodemografisk kjennetegn som er knyttet til digitale seksuelle krenkelser, er innvandringsbakgrunn. Unge med to foreldre født i utlandet rapporterer sjeldnere enn andre unge at de har vaert utsatt for slike krenkelser. Dette er kanskje ikke overraskende, da en del av disse ungdommene har foreldre med en kulturell bakgrunn som har et mer restriktivt syn på unges seksualitet (Wood, 2012). ...
... These experiences can enrich youth understanding of personal sexuality needs, body image, and self-identity ( Arbeit, 2014;Breuner et al., 2016). Other important elements embedded in the sexual well-being perspective is acceptance and celebration of diversity, which enable youth to explore and compose their identities (Diamond, 2014;Diamond & Savin-Williams, 2009;Green, 2010;McGlashan & Fitzpatrick, 2017;Wood, 2011). Studies have also demonstrated increased self-esteem and sense of empowerment when youth are able to develop a comfortable sexual or gender identity (Haberland & Rogow, 2015;Heidari, 2015). ...
Addressing sexuality can support youth to thrive with positive development. Healthcare providers (HCPs) are uniquely positioned to offer such support given their professional knowledge and relationship with youth. This paper aims to identify and summarize suggestions to support HCPs to discuss sexuality with youth. A scoping review methodology was used and 17 included studies were screened from four databases (i.e., Embase, Medline, CINAHL, PsycINFO). Six suggestions for practice were identified, including (i) establish a trusting relationship; (ii) create a safe and comfortable environment; (iii) ask for consent and keep conversation confidential; (iv) initiate the conversation; (v) use inclusive language; and (vi) discuss the psychosocial aspect of sexuality. It was also found that youth with a disability or chronic condition were under-represented in the literature. Future research should evaluate the clinical utility of these suggestions and how suggestions can be adapted to meet the sexuality needs of youth with a disability.
... An important point to consider in the discussion of electronic and online sexual behaviors is the fact that sexual behavior is often valueladen, and these values may vary country to country, neighborhood to neighborhood, family to family, or even youth to youth (e.g., Wood, 2012). Even the empirical literature varies widely in its perception of electronic and online sexual behaviors (see Finkelhor, 2014 for discussion). ...
Over the past decade, internet access has become deeply ingrained in the daily lives of individuals across the world, with particularly rapid growth in its use by children and adolescents. In the United States (U.S.), 45% of teens report using the internet “almost constantly” (p. 8; Anderson et al., 2018). With such increased availability of technology, concerns have arisen regarding how easily youth can engage in sexual behaviors online or via electronics, like viewing pornography or “sexting.” Despite this increase in concern, many professions responsible for youth (e.g., schools, law enforcement, child welfare) are faced with navigating and guiding youth online behavior. However, limited research to date has examined how professionals who work with youth, specifically those who have engaged in other problematic sexual behavior, perceive and conceptualize electronic and online sexual behavior. We conducted qualitative interviews with 36 professionals from different disciplines across eight sites. Participants were asked about their perceptions of youth use of technology; changes in rates of electronic and online sexual behaviors over time; the severity, frequency, and impact of the behavior; and typical community responses to the behavior. Stakeholders perceived youth’s engagement in electronic and online sexual behaviors to be frequent, growing, and concerning yet reported that they lacked clear protocols to determine the severity of these behaviors and guide responses. Implications of the results for prevention efforts, future research directions, and policy development are discussed.
... Attitudes toward sexuality are essentially determined by moral, ethical, and practical elements. Sexual education is one of the most important elements (Wood, 2012). ...
This research investigates the current situation of university students' sexual knowledge levels as well as perceptions, beliefs, attitudes, and practices of sexuality with a survey research in Turkey. The sampling of the research consists of 285 Turkish university students. The ages of the students are range from 20-24 years old. 58.2 % were women and 41.8 % were men. In order to measure the students' sexual knowledge and behaviors, the researchers were administered a questionnaire that includes statements about the students' sexual activities, their sexual experience, attitudes toward sexual and contraceptives behaviors, communication about sexuality, and their perception about sexual intercourse. The chi-square test were performed in order to find whether there was any statistically significant differences between the female and male participants. The results showed that the differences between gender and some variables about the sexuality were statistically significant. The variables that were tested by chi-square analysis were as follows: The curiosity about sexuality, the level of sexual knowledge, the sexual knowledge resources, the correctness of sexual knowledge, needs of sexual closeness, type of sexual action, having any sexual closeness, type of sexual closeness, initiation of sexual closeness, the definition of sexual intercourse, having any masturbation experience and having any masturbation orgasm differed between the female and male participants. In most of the variables, the female participants had higher scores than the male participants.
... Given the controversial findings in literature and the important role of sexuality and socialization during adolescence and young adulthood (Scimeca et al., 2013;Wood, 2012), our results highlight the importance of assessing facilitation expectancies to develop prevention strategies focused on minimizing cannabis use in adolescence. Therefore, future research should further address the motivation for cannabis use. ...
Cannabis use is frequently related to social anxiety in young adulthood, but the nature of this
relationship is unclear. Moreover, much research has been conducted on the role of cannabis
effects expectancies and their relationship to social anxiety among young adults, but less is
known about adolescence. The study examined the relationship between social anxiety,
cannabis use patterns, and cannabis effects expectancies among a nonclinical sample of
1,305 adolescents (51% female). Non-users reported higher social anxiety scores than
non-problematic and risky users. Compared to users, non-users had more negative
expectancies. Risky and problematic users showed higher social and sexual facilitation
expectancies and perceptual and cognitive enhancement expectancies. In addition, social
anxiety was related to global negative expectancies and social and sexual facilitation
expectancies. Moreover, we found that among socially anxious adolescents, social and
sexual facilitation expectancies are dissuasive reasons to use cannabis. Clinical
implications and future directions are discussed.
... Online social media such as social networking sites (Facebook, Twitter) have become an integral part of adolescents' lives, and a key stage idea of sharing information. This could be exploited effectively for the dissemination of health education in preventing teenage marriage and childbearing, underlining the fact that it is harmful not only to teenage mothers and their children, but also clarifying how it closes many windows of opportunity (Wood 2012). ...
Aim: While there has been a considerable decline in birth rate worldwide, there is growing concern among program and policy makers about the level of adolescent birth rate (ABR, birth per 1,000 women aged 15–19 years), commonly considered an indicator of teenage childbearing, a potential cause of maternal and child morbidity and mortality. This has also been addressed in the fifth Millennium Development Goal. The insufficient performance in reducing ABR led to the establishment of the United Nations Interagency Task Force on Adolescent Girls (UNITFAG) in 2010. The UNITFAG aims to make girls a priority in national development planning and it is expected that by 2015, the task force would have successfully rolled out comprehensive programs in twenty developing countries that will improve their health and education, promote their leadership skills and protect them from violence. In this overview, we discuss both the accomplishments and the barriers faced in addressing ABR globally, and the policies and programs required to tackle them.
Subject and methods: Literature review .
Results: We propose a bi-model approach to address the issue of teenage childbearing. The approach includes preventing early marriage and focuses on postponing childbearing among girls who were married at an early age.
Conclusion: The most effective approach to make communities realise how teenage childbearing compromises the health of mothers as well as their children is the targeted community based intervention.
Abstract Aim The cross-sectional study aimed at examining the sexual function of young adult women suffering from ED. Methods Fifty three (26 with Anorexia Nervosa (AN) and 27 with Bulimia Nervosa (BN)) women suffering from Eating Disorder (ED) and 58 female students were interviewed. Each participant was administered the following questionnaires: a) Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), b) Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26), c) Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ), d) Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Results The comparison between the three groups showed that AN patients scored lower in each FSFI subscale than healthy controls (Desire (significance: 0.001), Arousal (significance: 0.02), Lubrication (significance: 0.01), Orgasm (significance: 0.008), Satisfaction (significance: 0.003), Pain (significance: 0.009) and Total score (significance: 0.001). AN patients reported lower frequency of sexual contact (significance: 0.01) and daytime sexual fantasies (significance: 0.03) than healthy controls. There was no significant difference between BN and healthy controls. Sexual functionality of the AN patients was correlated only with Body Mass Index (r:0.5, significance: 0.01). Sexual functionality of the BN patients was correlated only with BDI (r:-0.4, significance: 0.03) Conclusions AN patients have more disturbed sexual function than non ED controls. Sexual function can be related to the level of starvation and depressive symptomatology.
A review of the dating violence literature reveals a limited number of studies with high school students and few studies that investigate the contextual issues of violence, such as meaning, motivation, and consequences. The present study sought to investigate the extent of dating violence victimization in a New Zealand sample of senior high school students (aged 16 to 18 years) and the perceived reasons for the violence, emotional effects, disclosure of the violence, and relationship consequences. A questionnaire that contained both open-ended and forced-choice items pertaining to experiences of violence and its consequences was developed using material gathered from focus group discussions with high school students. Findings showed gender similarity in the extent of violence and a number of significant gender differences in the aftermath of violence, particularly in the area of sexual coercion. These findings are discussed in the context of future research and prevention of dating violence.
The link between adolescent sexual activity and psychological well-being is a controversial issue in developmental psychology. This cross-sectional study investigated the association between three aspects of teenage sexuality (genital sexual experience, age of sexual onset, and number of sex partners) and positive well-being (hedonic, eudaimonic, and overall) in a sample of 475 high school seniors (48% female; 89% White) from a single school district in a rural upstate New York community. Based on a group-norms perspective, we expected higher well-being in adolescents whose sexual behaviors followed group-normative patterns. As expected, sexually experienced and on-time (at age 16) students reported higher well-being than sexually inexperienced or late-onset (17 or older) students. Contrary to expectations, a high number of sex partners and an early sexual onset (15 or younger) were not related to lower well-being. Early-onset girls reported higher levels of well-being than normative-onset peers. Findings are discussed in relationship to theoretical perspectives and past empirical findings of teenage sexuality as a developmental asset versus risk.
Mass media exposure has been associated with an increased risk of eating pathology. It is unknown whether indirect media exposure--such as the proliferation of media exposure in an individual's social network--is also associated with eating disorders.
To test hypotheses that both individual (direct) and social network (indirect) mass media exposures were associated with eating pathology in Fiji.
We assessed several kinds of mass media exposure, media influence, cultural orientation and eating pathology by self-report among adolescent female ethnic Fijians (n=523). We fitted a series of multiple regression models of eating pathology, assessed by the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q), in which mass media exposures, sociodemographic characteristics and body mass index were entered as predictors.
Both direct and indirect mass media exposures were associated with eating pathology in unadjusted analyses, whereas in adjusted analyses only social network media exposure was associated with eating pathology. This result was similar when eating pathology was operationalised as either a continuous or a categorical dependent variable (e.g. odds ratio OR=1.60, 95% CI 1.15-2.23 relating social network media exposure to upper-quartile EDE-Q scores). Subsequent analyses pointed to individual media influence as an important explanatory variable in this association.
Social network media exposure was associated with eating pathology in this Fijian study sample, independent of direct media exposure and other cultural exposures. Findings warrant further investigation of its health impact in other populations.
While numerous studies have explored young people's sexual behaviour in Peru, to date few have explored how adolescents situate sexuality within the context of their broader lives. This information is needed to inform policies and programmes. Life history interviews were conducted with 20 12-17-year-old young women and men from a low-income settlement near Lima, Peru. Data were analysed using holistic content analysis and grounded theory. Sexuality had a strong presence in respondents' lives. However, interviewees viewed the full expression of their sexuality as a constrained choice. Particular constraints derive from the belief that sexual intercourse always results in pregnancy; the nature of sex education; the provision of proscriptive advice; and the family tensions, economic problems, racism and violence present in young people's lives. The results of this study can inform policies and programmes to support young people as they make sexuality-related decisions.
Adolescents and young adults are avid Internet users. Online social media, such as social networking sites (e.g., Facebook, MySpace), blogs, status updating sites (e.g., Twitter) and chat rooms, have become integral parts of adolescents' and young adults' lives. Adolescents are even beginning to enter the world of online dating with several websites dedicated to "teenage online dating." This paper reviews recent peer-reviewed literature and national data on 1) adolescents use of online social media, 2) gender differences in online social media and 3) potential positive and negative health outcomes from adolescents' online social media use. We also examine parental monitoring of adolescents' online activities. Given that parental supervision is a key protective factor against adolescent risk-taking behavior, it is reasonable to hypothesize that unmonitored Internet use may place adolescents' at significant risk, such as cyberbullying, unwanted exposure to pornography, and potentially revealing personal information to sexual predators.
The increasing salience of sexuality on the internet, whether cybersex or use of the internet to make sexual contacts, has focused interest on how internet-mediated sexuality informs social theory. This article reviews social theory and sexuality in relation to the internet, with specific reference to the development of intimacy, the association of texts with sexual scripts, the emergence of cybersexuality as a sexual space midway between fantasy and action, and the question of boundaries and the location of the person in sexual interaction. Also, the supplanting of the real by the symbolic, the internet as a sexual marketplace, its important role in creating sexual communities, particularly where sexual behavior or identity is stigmatized, its impact as a new arena for sexual experience and experimentation, and its impact in shaping sexual culture and sexuality are noted. Finally, the importance of the internet as a medium for the exploration of human sexuality and as an opportunity to illuminate previously challenging areas of sexual research is discussed.
The authors evaluated emotional distress among 9th-12th grade students, and examined whether the association between being lesbian, gay, bisexual, and/or transgendered (i.e., "LGBT") and emotional distress was mediated by perceptions of having been treated badly or discriminated against because others thought they were gay or lesbian. Data come from a school-based survey in Boston, Massachusetts (n = 1,032); 10% were LGBT, 58% were female, and ages ranged from 13 to 19 years. About 45% were Black, 31% were Hispanic, and 14% were White. LGBT youth scored significantly higher on the scale of depressive symptomatology. They were also more likely than heterosexual, non-transgendered youth to report suicidal ideation (30% vs. 6%, p < 0.0001) and self-harm (21% vs. 6%, p < 0.0001). Mediation analyses showed that perceived discrimination accounted for increased depressive symptomatology among LGBT males and females, and accounted for an elevated risk of self-harm and suicidal ideation among LGBT males. Perceived discrimination is a likely contributor to emotional distress among LGBT youth.
Although it has been hypothesized that culture and religion play an important role in sexuality, the relative roles of acculturation and religiosity on ethnic differences in sexual attitudes have not been often empirically explored. The present study assessed differences in sexual attitudes in Euro-American, Asian, and Hispanic American populations using measures of acculturation to analyze the relative effects of heritage and mainstream cultures, as well as religiosity, within each ethnic group. A total of 1,415 college students (67% Euro-American, 16% Hispanic, 17% Asian; 32% men, 68% women) completed questionnaires which assessed attitudes towards homosexuality, gender role traditionality, casual sex, and extramarital sex. In concordance with previous studies, Asians reported more conservative sexual attitudes than did their Hispanic and Euro-American peers. Hispanics reported sexual attitudes similar to that of Euro-Americans. For both Hispanic and Asians, higher acculturation predicted sexual attitudes similar to that of Euro-Americans. For Asian, Hispanic, and Euro-American women, there was a significant interaction between intrinsic religiosity and spirituality such that the relationship between conservativism of sexual attitudes and intrinsic religiosity was stronger at higher levels of spirituality. In Euro-Americans and Asians, intrinsic religiosity and religious fundamentalism strongly predicted conservative sexual attitudes; while still significant, these relationships were not as pronounced in the Hispanic sample, implying an ethnic-by-religious effect. Novel to this study, acculturation did not mediate the relationship between religiosity and sexual attitudes, indicating that ethnic differences in religiosity effects were distinct from acculturation.
Female genital mutilation (FGM) is considered as the most dangerous custom still ritually practised and 2 million girls undergo the ordeal each year. This practice is anchored and fixed firmly in numerous African people’s culture and Western countries are confronted to it through African immigrants. In order to understand the justifications and the consequences of FGM we interviewed 14 genitally mutilated African women living in France. Unfortunately and despite the conscious knowledge of consequences and absurd side of such practice, yet it seems to be perpetuated over the descendants. Educational approach is the best solution to fight female genital mutilation fixed firmly in numerous African people’s culture.
Adolescents far outnumber adults in their use of e-communication technologies, such as instant messaging and social network sites. In this article, we present an integrative model that helps us to understand both the appeal of these technologies and their risks and opportunities for the psychosocial development of adolescents. We first outline how the three features (anonymity, asynchronicity, and accessibility) of online communication stimulate controllability of online self-presentation and self-disclosure among adolescents. We then review research on the risks and opportunities of online self-presentation and self-disclosure for the three components of adolescents' psychosocial development, including identity (self-unity, self-esteem), intimacy (relationship formation, friendship quality, cyberbullying), and sexuality (sexual self-exploration, unwanted sexual solicitation). Existing research suggests several opportunities of online communication, such as enhanced self-esteem, relationship formation, friendship quality, and sexual self-exploration. It also yields evidence of several risks, including cyberbullying and unwanted sexual solicitation. We discuss the shortcomings of existing research, the possibilities for future research, and the implications for educators and health care professionals.
Sexual problems such as forced and transactional sex are common among adolescents, especially in developing countries. The objective of the present study was to describe how young people respond to their social living conditions and why they marry early, have early pregnancies, experience forced sex and involve themselves in transactional sex. Young people, 15-24 years old, participated in focus group discussions that were tape recorded, translated into English, transcribed and analysed by qualitative content analysis. Six groups were mixed, with both women and men, while two groups had only men and one group only women as participants. The two study sites were located in a slum area in Kampala and in a village in Wakiso district, near a trading centre. The following topics were discussed: Forced sex, early marriage, contraception, teenage pregnancy and transactional sex. The participants described how young people are affected by harmful cultural practices, by power imbalance, especially due to gender-based inequity, and by lack of information and life skills. This study also showed that young people perceive themselves as a resource and are prepared to help other less advantaged youth to get knowledge about reproductive health issues. Enforcement of laws that can protect children and youth was suggested. Government and community should work against harmful traditional practices and introduce sexual education in primary school.
Despite the well-established association between adolescent sexual activity and delinquent behavior, little research has examined the potential importance of relationship contexts in moderating this association. The current study used longitudinal, behavioral genetic data on 519 same-sex twin pairs (48.6% female) divided into two age cohorts (13-15 and 16-18 years olds) drawn from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. Analyses tested whether adolescent sexual activity that occurred in romantic versus non-romantic relationships was associated with delinquency from adolescence to early adulthood, after controlling for genetic influences. Results indicated that, for both younger and older adolescents, common underlying genes influence both sexual behavior and delinquency. After controlling for these genetic influences, there was no within-twin pair association between sexual activity and delinquency in younger adolescents. In older adolescents, sexual activity that occurred in romantic relationships predicted lower levels of delinquency, both cross-sectionally and longitudinally, whereas sexual activity in non-romantic relationships predicted higher levels of delinquency. These results are consistent with emerging research that suggests that the psychological correlates of adolescent sexual activity may be moderated by the social context in which this activity occurs.
This survey was carried out to assess attitudes and behaviour among youth within four constituencies in Oshana region, Namibia and to understand to how certain social and cultural factors inform attitudes and influence sexual behaviour among the population of young people surveyed. Using a structured questionnaire, data were collected from a random sample of eighty young men and women between the ages of 15-30 years from four constituencies in Oshana region. Survey outcomes revealed attitudes and certain factors that are linked to sexual risk behaviour such as multiple sexual partnerships. Outcomes also reveal an influence of established socio-cultural norms on gender dynamics within relationships and a culture of reserve around discussions of sex and sexuality among young people. Stakeholder interventions should be directed towards incorporating approaches that address these factors as part of efforts to curb the incidence of HIV among young people in Namibia.
Some recent studies suggest that sexual minorities may have worse health-related outcomes during adolescence because they report lower levels of family connectedness, a key protective resource. Using data from wave 3 of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (n = 11,153; 50.6% female; mean age = 21.8 years), this study extends prior research on adolescents to young adults. We examine whether lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) young adults report lower levels of parental support than their heterosexual peers and whether differences in parental support help explain why LGB young adults tend to have worse health-related outcomes. We find that lesbian and bisexual women report lower levels of parental support than heterosexual women and that gay men report lower levels of parental support than bisexual and heterosexual men. Compared to heterosexual women, lesbian and bisexual women have higher odds of suicidal thoughts and recent drug use; bisexual women also have higher odds of elevated depressive symptomatology and heavy drinking. Gay men have higher odds of suicidal thoughts than heterosexual men. With the exception of heavy drinking, parental support either partially or fully mediates each of the observed associations. Even though the transition from adolescence to young adulthood is characterized by increased independence from parents, parental support remains an important correlate of health-related outcomes during this stage of life. Sexual minorities report lower levels of parental support during young adulthood, which helps explain why they have worse health-related outcomes. Interventions designed to strengthen relationships between LGB young adults and their parents could lead to a reduction in health disparities related to sexual orientation.
To compare risk of suicide ideation and attempts in adolescents with 1) gay, lesbian, or bisexual (GLB) identity, 2) "unsure" identity, or 3) heterosexual identity with same-sex attraction/fantasy or behavior, to heterosexual identity without same-sex attraction/fantasy or behavior.
A total of 1,856 students 14 years of age and older from 14 public and private high schools in Montréal, Québec, were surveyed anonymously. The survey included items assessing sexual orientation, health risk behaviors, and suicidal ideation and attempts. Multiple logistic regression models were used to assess risk factors for suicidal ideation and attempts.
In all, 58 (3.1%) adolescents self-identified as GLB, 59 (3.2%) as unsure, and 115 (6.2%) as heterosexual with same-sex attraction/fantasy or behavior. Compared with heterosexually identified youth without same-sex attraction/fantasy or behavior (N = 1,624; 87.5%), in multivariable analyses, 12-month suicidal ideation was significantly higher for both GLB (odds ratio [OR] = 2.31, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.22-4.37) and unsure youth (OR = 2.64, 95% CI = 1.38-5.08). Twelve-month suicide attempts were significantly elevated for GLB youth (OR = 2.23, 95% CI = 1.15-4.35) and high, although not statistically significant, for unsure youth (OR = 1.61, 95% CI = 0.77-3.36). Heterosexual identity with same-sex attraction/fantasy or behavior was not significantly associated with increased suicidal ideation (OR = 1.26, 95% CI = 0.76-2.08) or attempts (OR = 1.03, 95% CI = 0.55-1.91) in multivariable analyses.
Compared with heterosexual youth without same-sex attraction/fantasy or behavior, adolescents with GLB and unsure identities were at greater risk of suicidality. However, youth who reported same-sex attraction or behavior but a heterosexual identity were not at elevated risk.
The Internet has become all pervasive in the lives of young people and this paper will review studies that examine the risks and opportunities that it affords. We will examine research that investigates the more negative aspects of youth online behavior such as addiction as well as online risks such as harassment/cyber bullying and sexual solicitation. In addition, positive aspects of Internet use such as its potential for learning and enhancing social relations as well as delivering health interventions will be examined.
The results show that online risks such as addiction, cyber bullying, and sexual solicitation are associated with negative consequences for youth. It is important to note that not all children are equally susceptible and more research is necessary to identify the youth most at risk as well as to develop effective interventions. The Internet can also provide benefits in the areas of cognitive, social, and physical development, and can also be used to deliver treatment interventions.
The Internet represents both risks and opportunities for young people. To protect youth who are at risk for online addiction, bullying, and solicitation, we need more research to understand which youth may be most susceptible and to develop targeted interventions to protect them. The Internet also has many positive aspects and can be used to enhance youth learning and empowerment; although it is a tremendous health resource and can be used to cheaply deliver interventions, we need to understand how to better implement them to enhance their effectiveness.
Atherosclerosis can obstruct branching arteries of the abdominal aorta, including four paired lumbar arteries and the middle sacral artery that feed the lumbar spine. The diminished blood flow could result in various back problems. The aim of this systematic literature review was to assess associations between atherosclerosis and disc degeneration (DD) or low-back pain (LBP).
A systematic search of the Medline/PubMed database for all original articles on atherosclerosis and DD/LBP published until October 2008. The search was performed with the medical subject headings atherosclerosis, cardiovascular risk factor, or vascular disease and keywords "disc degeneration", "disc herniation", and "back pain" on the basis of MeSH tree and as a text search. In addition reference lists were studied and searched manually. Observational studies investigating the association of atherosclerosis or its risk factors and lumbar DD/LBP were selected.
The following data were extracted: study characteristics, duration of follow-up, year of publication, findings of atherosclerosis/cardiovascular risk factors and DD/LBP. Disc herniation was regarded as a form of disc degeneration and cardiovascular risk factors were regarded as surrogate for atherosclerosis in epidemiological studies.
One hundred and seventy-nine papers were identified. After exclusion of case reports, letters, editorials, papers not related to the lumbar spine, and animal studies, 25 papers were included. Post-mortem studies showed an association between atheromatous lesions in the aorta and DD, as well as between occluded lumbar arteries and life-time LBP. In clinical studies, aortic calcification was associated with LBP, and stenosis of lumbar arteries was associated with both DD and LBP. In epidemiological studies, smoking and high serum cholesterol levels were found to have the most consistent associations with DD and LBP.
Aortic atherosclerosis and stenosis of the feeding arteries of the lumbar spine were associated with DD and LBP. Cardiovascular risk factors had weaker associations, being clearly apparent only in cohorts on elderly people or in large study samples. More prospective clinical studies are needed to further clarify the association of atherosclerosis and low-back disorders.
To compare the sexual function of women with female genital mutilation (FGM) to women without FGM.
A prospective case-control study.
A tertiary referral university hospital.
One hundred and thirty sexually active women with FGM and 130 sexually active women without FGM in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Women with and without FGM were asked to answer the Arabic-translated version of the female sexual function index (FSFI) questionnaire.
The individual domain scores for pain, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, pain, and overall score of the FSFI were calculated.
The two groups were comparable in demographic characteristics. There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in mean desire score (+/- standard deviation) or pain score. However, there were statistically significant differences between the two groups in their scores for arousal, lubrication, orgasm, and satisfaction as well as the overall score.
Sexual function in women with FGM is adversely altered. This adds to the well-known health consequences of FGM. Efforts to document and explain these complications should be encouraged so that FGM can be abandoned.
Despite the fact that adolescents represent almost one quarter of the Indian population, their reproductive health needs are poorly understood and ill served. This paper documents the existing research on sexual and reproductive health, explores the knowledge and attitudes among this population in India, and highlights limitations of methodologies currently employed in research on adolescent reproductive health in India. One serious limitation is the lack of attention in almost every dimension of their reproductive health, including sexuality, reproductive morbidity, abortion-seeking and reproductive choice. What is needed is more behavioral research that explores the levels, patterns, and sociocultural factors underlying adolescents' reproductive health; assesses adolescent reproductive health needs and ways in which health and information services can be structured to respond to these needs in light of the social, cultural and economic constraints that adolescents face; and explores appropriate methodological alternatives, recognizing the need for community-based research, as well as the difficulties of conducting such research under the sociocultural constraints prevailing in India. At the same time, this review argues for far more attention within programs to address adolescent reproductive health service and information needs.
Female genital mutilation (FGM) is considered as the most dangerous custom still ritually practiced and 2 million girls undergo the ordeal each year. This practice is anchored and fixed firmly in numerous African people's culture and Western countries are confronted to it through African immigrants. In order to understand the justifications and the consequences of FGM we interviewed 14 genitally mutilated African women living in France. Unfortunately and despite the conscious knowledge of consequences and absurd side of such practice, yet it seems to be perpetuated over the descendants. Educational approach is the best solution to fight female genital mutilation fixed firmly in numerous African people's culture.
In response to the SIECUS Report entitled "Adolescent Sexuality and Popular Culture", Susan Bankowski of the Campaign for Our Children, Inc. explains why knowledge about popular culture is so important in work dealing with young people. It is noted that blame has often been placed on pop culture as contributing to American youth's early initiation into sexual activity. Various studies and groups of people cite the explicit display of sex in media as a major reason for such behavior of teens. However, in Europe, where teen birthrates are much lower and contraceptive use is higher than in the US, sex and sexuality are an accepted part of media expression. In view of this, Bankowski states that there is a need for sexuality educators to embrace the media that influence the teens with whom they work. Drawing on her own experience, Bankowski further explains that educators need to be aware of trends when selecting educational materials.
Scholarly investigations into male and female sexuality over the life course have long occupied two separate "camps": One focused on the biological aspects of sexuality and one focused on the sociocultural/political aspects. This bifurcated approach has been particularly ill suited for the study of sexual desire, a topic that has been generally undertheorized by sex researchers. A modern reappraisal of gender and sexual desire is proposed that takes into coordinated account both the biological and sociocultural/political factors that produce and shape subjective sexual desires over the life course. The specific relevance of this approach for three particular topic areas, adolescent sexual maturation, same-sex sexuality, and sexual dysfunction, is addressed. Methodological approaches to the study of gender and sexuality capable of investigating how cultural and biological factors intersect to shape the subjective quality of men's and women's desires at different points in the life course and within different sociocultural and interpersonal contexts are advocated.
One hundred and ninety five male and female volunteers across the social strata were interviewed using structured questionnaire. Data were analysed using frequency tables. The study revealed that 74.7% of female respondents were circumcised. They believe that the practice would help prevent sexual promiscuity, curb sexual desires and that it is a custom they cannot do without. Most of the men would not marry an uncircumcised female, while a substantial number of the respondents would like to circumcise their daughters. Community effort to eradicate the practice is very minimal. Based on the findings, it is suggested that communities where female genital mutilation (FGM) is practiced as a social norm should be involved in eradication campaigns with support from national and international organisations.
This article addresses the typical components that contribute to the development of adolescent sexuality. It defines the important terms that are addressed in the article, explains the roots of human sexuality from birth and childhood, and details three components of adolescent sexuality: biologic, psychologic, and social cultural. The concluding sections on sexual education and sexual risk-taking further explain key factors in the development of adolescent sexuality.
Conducting adolescent sexuality research in schools: lessons learned Views on social and cultural influences on sexuality and sexual health in groups of Ugandan adolescents Bankowski SB: Note to sexuality educators: popular culture is your friend
- L Blinn-Pike
- Rea-Holloway T Berger
- M Eb
- Kiwanuka
Blinn-Pike L, Berger T, Rea-Holloway M: Conducting adolescent sexuality research in schools: lessons learned. Fam Plann Perspect 2000; 32:246 11. R assj€ o EB, Kiwanuka R: Views on social and cultural influences on sexuality and sexual health in groups of Ugandan adolescents. Sex Reprod Healthc 2010; 1:157 12. Bankowski SB: Note to sexuality educators: popular culture is your friend. SIECUS Rep 2000; 28:27 P.L. Wood / J Pediatr Adolesc Gynecol 25 (2012) 228e232