Toward A Typology of Identity Gaps in “Non-Normative” Sexual Partner Communication

BACKGROUND Black men who have sex with men (BMSM) continue to experience disproportionate rates of HIV/STI infection despite advances in effective prevention tools. Over the last decade the method of finding sexual partners has evolved, with BMSM increasingly using geospatial dating applications to find sexual partners. Sexual health communication between partners has been associated with safer sex practices by previous scholars, but it is unclear how sexual health communication of BMSM differs for sex partners found on or offline. OBJECTIVE The current study explored sexual health communication in relationship to how one found their last sexual partner and factors associated with poorer sexual health communication. METHODS This study used secondary data in the form of a self-administered national survey. BMSM were recruited online and in-person and answered questions about their sexual health behaviors regarding their last sexual partner. RESULTS In total, 403 individuals were included in the analysis. The majority of respondents 55.8% (225/403) were more likely to have found their last sexual partner through geospatial dating applications and online websites than offline venues 44.3% (178/225). There was not a significant difference in scores of sexual health communication between those who found their last sexual partner on or offline (P=.49). Additionally, sexual health communication was also not significantly associated (P = .25) based on the venue of their last sexual partner after controlling for covariates. Significant predictors of lower sexual health communication of BMSM were found: positive HIV status (P = .003), a casual partner type (P < .001), and endorsement of traditional masculinity ideologies (P = .01). CONCLUSIONS Findings from this study confirm high rates of sexual partner seeking via online venues among BMSM. The significant predictors of lower sexual health communication, endorsement of traditional masculinity ideologies and positive HIV status, suggest that stigma is a barrier to effective sexual health communication of BMSM.

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An Assessment of the Cues College Students Interpret From a Sexual Partner to Determine They Are Refusing

Journal of Interpersonal Violence ◽

10.1177/0886260521997930 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 088626052199793

Author(s):

Tiffany L. Marcantonio ◽

Danny Valdez ◽

Kristen N. Jozkowski

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

College Students ◽

Sexual Partner ◽

Online Survey ◽

The United States ◽

Sexual Partners ◽

Sexual Scripts ◽

Nonverbal Cues ◽

Sexual Experiences ◽

Verbal Cues

The purpose of this study was to assess the cues college students use to determine a sexual partner is refusing vaginal-penile sex (i.e., refusal interpretations). As a secondary aim, we explored the influence of item wording ( not willing/non-consent vs refusal) on college students’ self-reported refusal interpretations. A sample of 175 college students from Canada and the United States completed an open-ended online survey where they were randomly assigned to one of two wording conditions ( not willing/non-consent vs refusal); students were then prompted to write about the cues they used to interpret their partner was refusing. An inductive coding procedure was used to analyze open-ended data. Themes included explicit and implicit verbal and nonverbal cues. The refusal condition elicited more explicit and implicit nonverbal cues than the not willing/non-consent condition. Frequency results suggested men reported interpreting more explicit and implicit verbal cues. Women reported interpreting more implicit nonverbal cues from their partner. Our findings reflect prior research and appear in line with traditional gender and sexual scripts. We recommend researchers consider using the word refusal when assessing the cues students interpret from their sexual partners as this wording choice may reflect college students’ sexual experiences more accurately.

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The Quality of Life Definition: Where Are We Going?

Uro ◽

10.3390/uro1010003 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 1 (1) ◽

pp. 14-22

Author(s):

Tommaso Cai ◽

Paolo Verze ◽

Truls E. Bjerklund Johansen

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Extra Dimension ◽

Sexual Partner ◽

Therapeutic Approach ◽

Well Being ◽

Narrative Review ◽

Laboratory Findings

The quality of life (QoL) concept now includes new aspects related to patients’ well-being because QoL has become more of a personal perception than an an objective and measurable entity. Here, we discuss the principal aspects of QoL-related aspects in urology and andrology by using a narrative review. Some aspects concerning the QoL are essential when managing uro-andrological patients. The aim of treatments should not only include the absence of disease or symptoms relief but also the improvement of a patient’s QoL with regard to his/her internal status and relationship with others. In this sense, any therapeutic approach should be based on the patient’s perspectives and not only on the instrumental and laboratory findings. Finally, we discussed the role of a patient’s sexual partner adding an extra dimension to the patient-centerd approach as part of the QoL concept in andrology.

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The role of sexual compulsivity in unprotected intercourse among STI patients in Shanghai, China

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/s12889-021-10186-0 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Yang Ni ◽

Hengan Liu ◽

Ruijie Gong ◽

Mei Shi ◽

Shuxian Zhang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sexual Partner ◽

Skin Diseases ◽

Transmitted Disease ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Sexual Partners ◽

Sexual Compulsivity ◽

Sexually Active ◽

Unprotected Intercourse ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Significant Difference

Abstract Background Sexual compulsivity (SC) and its relationship with unprotected intercourse (UI) have long been an intriguing topic, but its existential meaning in the management of public health or, more precisely, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) has rarely been studied to date. This study examines whether SC plays a role in UI among sexually active STI patients. Method A cross-sectional study was conducted in two sexual transmitted disease (STD) clinicals of Shanghai Skin Diseases Hospital in Shanghai. Totally 664 sexually active STI patients were included. Results The ages of the 664 participants ranged from 18 to 76 years, with 58.73% between 26 and 40 years old. 449 (191 male and 258 female) reported had UI during the past 6 months. Although the only statistically significant difference (p < 0.01) was in relation to UI with a casual sexual partner, the difference between male/female and regular/casual sexual partners remained evident. Conclusions SC is evidently a potential predictor of UI with a casual sexual partner in male STI patients, while the use of condoms is more likely to be affected by other factors. In addition to general sexual education, counseling interventions should be provided by health institutions, and specific intervention methods targeting gender and sexual partners should be considered.

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