scholarly journals Attitudes to sexual health in the United States: results from a national survey of youth aged 15–25 years

Sexual Health ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (6) ◽  
pp. 540 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Hogben ◽  
Christopher Harper ◽  
Melissa A. Habel ◽  
Kathryn Brookmeyer ◽  
Allison Friedman
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Sexual Health ◽  
Social Connectedness ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Sexual Health Care ◽  
Sexual Behaviours ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Physical Intimacy

Background Several common global definitions of sexual health refer to physical, emotional and social well-being, with respect to sexuality, and also to the need for this well-being to be reflected for all individuals in relationships. How well sexual health definitions fit US youths’ attitudes to sexual health, and associations between these attitudes, sexual behaviours and sexual health care were assessed. Methods: In total, 4017 youth aged between 15 and 25 years via an online survey panel, weighted to be representative of the US population, were surveyed. Respondents reported their attitudes towards seven dimensions of sexual health that we abstracted from existing global definitions (emotional fulfillment, social connectedness, spirituality, overall pleasure, physical intimacy, mental fulfillment, reciprocal benefits). Respondents also reported on sexual health-related discussions with partners, sexual behaviours, and their use of sexual health care. Outcomes through weighted frequency estimates and ordinal regression models were reported. Results: Youth generally construed all seven dimensions as important to sexual health, with the emotional dimension rated most favourably. Attitudes to the dimensions of overall pleasure, physical intimacy and spirituality were most consistently related to sexual health discussions and behaviours. The behaviours most consistently related to sexual health attitudes were going for a sexual health check-up, discussing birth control/pregnancy and discussing risk before sex without a condom. Conclusions: Youth construal of sexual health fits well with global sexual health definitions. Attitudes to dimensions of sexual health were related to some sexual health-related behaviours, especially healthcare use and complex discussions.

scholarly journals Psychological Distress Among the U.S. General Population During the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christi J. Guerrini ◽  
Sophie C. Schneider ◽  
Andrew G. Guzick ◽  
Gifty N. Amos Nwankwo ◽  
Isabel Canfield ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Healthy Behaviors ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Clinically Significant ◽  
Amazon's Mechanical Turk

The COVID-19 pandemic is taking a significant global toll on emotional well-being, but evidence of mental health impacts in the United States remains limited. In April 2020, we conducted an exploratory survey of U.S. residents to understand prevalence of and factors associated with psychological distress during the pandemic. Data collection was conducted using Qualtrics, an online survey platform, and U.S. adult respondents were recruited via Amazon's Mechanical Turk platform. Among 1,366 respondents, 42% (n = 571) reported clinically significant anxiety and 38% (n = 519) reported clinically significant depression. Factors associated with anxiety and depressive symptoms included Hispanic/Latino ethnicity; younger age; lower income; employment as or living with a health care worker-first responder; caregiver status; SARS-CoV-2 infection status; decreased frequency of engagement in healthy behaviors; and changed frequency of engagement in unhealthy behaviors. That some of these factors are associated with elevated distress during the pandemic is not yet widely appreciated and might be useful in informing management of mental health care resources.

Real Men Do…Real Men Don’t: Young Latino and African American Men’s Discourses Regarding Sexual Health Care Utilization

2009 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 218-230 ◽  
Author(s):  
Debra Kalmuss ◽  
Karen Austrian
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
African American ◽  
Sexual Health ◽  
African American Men ◽  
The United States ◽  
Care Utilization ◽  
Care Seeking ◽  
Sexual Health Care ◽  
New Directions ◽  
The Relationship

There is growing recognition that men as well as women need sexual health care (SHC) services. Despite this, male friendly sexual health services are not readily available in the United States, and men are underutilizing the services that are available. This situation needs to be rectified to improve sexual health outcomes for men and women. In this study we conducted 10 focus groups with young adult Latino and African American men to examine their perceptions of the factors influencing SHC utilization among the men they know, with an emphasis on how notions of what it means to be a man affects health care seeking. The findings both amplify and complicate the relationship between masculinity and SHC seeking. They suggest new directions for public health efforts to enhance men’s SHC utilization.

scholarly journals Setting Up Psychosexual Medicine Unit: Insights From a Private University-Based Medical College Hospital

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 179-185
Author(s):  
Sathish Raju Nilakantam ◽  
Shivanand Manohar ◽  
Suman S. Rao ◽  
M. Dayananda ◽  
Supriya Mathur ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Sexual Health ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Private University ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Academic Program ◽  
Sexual Disorders ◽  
Sexual Medicine ◽  
Sexual Health Care ◽  
Medical College

Introduction: Sexual health issues are highly prevalent but are underdiagnosed and underrecognized in day-to-day clinical practice. The lack of awareness of the specific health care needs of the patients with sexual dysfunctions and resource limitations might be certain reasons why many hospitals are not been equipped with the sexual health care units. There is paucity of specialized psychosexual health care services across the country. Trained interdisciplinary team with prepared environment in sexual medicine is the need of the hour. We started this psychosexual medicine unit with an emphasis on sexual wellness to deliver comprehensive sexual health care which will be a primary care linkage to patients presenting with symptoms of sexual disorders, so also treatment emergent sexual dysfunction in psychiatry and other medical and surgical branches. Aim: To portray the methods, opportunities, and challenges that we experienced in establishing a specialty psychosexual medicine facility as a different unit in a private university-based medical college and hospital in Mysuru, India. Methods: This triweekly psychosexual medicine unit is situated in the Outpatient Division of Psychiatry and is staffed with a multidisciplinary group of health care professionals. Structured survey tools and proforma are utilized to assess all patients. Case conclusions are made according to International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, symptomatic/clinical explanations and diagnostic recommendations, and furthermore Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fifth Edition) when required. Patient care included interventions in the form of psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy. Results: It is possible to set up a functional psychosexual medicine facility as a different unit with a trained interdisciplinary group of professionals. Patient-centered approach is vital in our care plan and management. Postgraduate students and internees posted in psychiatry division have been undertaking rotations respectively as per their duty rota. There is also a robust academic program that includes once-weekly seminars pertaining to topics of psychosexual health and monthly journal club gatherings interchanging with seminars on sexual health and well-being appraisal devices. Conclusion: By investing on improving infrastructure and available human resources, the specialty psychosexual medicine unit was established. The psychosexual medicine unit not only gave chances for a more comprehensive assessment of individuals with sexual disorders but also improved training and education for residents with focused interdisciplinary research in the field of sexual medicine. It portrays a versatile model that can be replicated in settings of similar type.

Perceived impact of COVID-19 on sexual health and access to sexual health services among university students in Canada

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica Wood ◽  
Christopher Quinn-Nilas ◽  
Alexander McKay ◽  
Jocelyn Wentland
Keyword(s):  
Health Services ◽  
Sexual Health ◽  
University Students ◽  
Sexual Behaviour ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Personal Contact ◽  
Sexual Behaviours ◽  
Perceived Impact

We examined the perceived impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sexual health, sexual behaviour, well-being, and access to sexual health services among university students in Canada. Between December 2020 and January 2021, 1504 university students across Canada completed an online survey focused on overall sexual health, well-being, solitary sexual behaviours, partnered sexual interactions, and access to sexual health services. The survey was designed by the Sex Information & Education Council of Canada and administered by the Leger polling company. Reported levels of overall sexual health were high. Cisgender women reported significantly greater scores of COVID-19—related stress compared to cisgender men; LGBQ+ students had higher levels of stress compared to heterosexual participants. Overall, solitary sexual behaviours (i.e., masturbation, porn use, vibrator use) remained unchanged or were perceived to increase compared to the time before the pandemic. Cisgender men reported higher scores (i.e., greater perceived increases) on masturbation and porn use than cisgender women. Frequency of sex with casual partners was perceived as similar or lower than what was usual before the pandemic, and most participants did not engage in sex where the close personal contact put them or their partner at risk for COVID-19. Declines in access were reported for all sexual health care services surveyed, with cisgender women and students of colour more likely to report decreased access to services. Results highlight the need for targeted public health messaging regarding sexual behaviour, investment in sexual health services, and supports tailored to the needs of women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and people of colour.

scholarly journals Burden of Misconception in Sexual Health Care Setting: A Cross-Sectional Investigation among the Patients Attending a Psychiatric Sex Clinic of Bangladesh

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-4 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. M. Yasir Arafat ◽  
Srijony Ahmed
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Sexual Health ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Sexual Life ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Sexual Health Care ◽  
Care Services ◽  
The People ◽  
Health Related

Background. Bangladesh is a country in South Asia with about 160 million people and achieved health related Millennium Development Goals (MDG) significantly. But sexual health is still an untapped issue with predominant myths and misconception. Objective. We aimed to look into the proportions of patients attending sexual health care services due to misconceptions. Methods. The descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted among 110 patients attending Psychiatric Sex Clinic (PSC) of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University. Respondents were included in the study with convenient sampling from November 2016 to March 2017. Data were collected through face-to-face interview with semistructured preformed, pretested questionnaire and analyzed by SPSS software 16.0 version. Results. Most of the patients (93%) were male, 60% were married, 62% were urban habitant, 42% were under grade 10, and 33% were service holder. Total 55% of the patients had misconceptions and 29% visited only for misconception; 14% had Premature Ejaculation; and 12% had desire disorder. 32% of the patients had psychiatric disorders and among them depression was most common, 13%. Conclusion. Positive openness in sexual health and appropriate strategy should be taken to improve the quality of sexual life as well as reduce the misconception in the people of Bangladesh.

scholarly journals Cisgenderism and transphobia in sexual health care and associations with testing for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections: Findings from the Australian Trans & Gender Diverse Sexual Health Survey

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (7) ◽  
pp. e0253589
Author(s):  
Shoshana Rosenberg ◽  
Denton Callander ◽  
Martin Holt ◽  
Liz Duck-Chong ◽  
Mish Pony ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Sexual Health ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Sexual Health Care ◽  
Sti Testing ◽  
Gender Diverse ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Community Based Services ◽  
Health And Well Being

Transgender and gender diverse people have unique risks and needs in the context of sexual health, but little is known about sexual health care for this population. In 2018, a national, online survey of sexual health and well-being was conducted with trans and gender diverse people in Australia (n = 1,613). Data from this survey were analysed to describe uptake of sexual health care and experiences of interpersonal and structural cisgenderism and transphobia. Experiences of cisgenderism and transphobia in sexual health care were assessed using a new, four-item scale of ‘gender insensitivity’, which produced scores ranging from 0 (highly gender sensitive) to 4 (highly gender insensitive). Logistic and linear regression analyses were conducted to determine if experiences of gender insensitivity in sexual health care were associated with uptake and frequency of HIV/STI testing in the 12 months prior to participation. Trans and gender diverse participants primarily accessed sexual health care from general practice clinics (86.8%), followed by publicly funded sexual health clinics (45.6%), community-based services (22.3%), and general hospitals (14.9%). Experiences of gender insensitivity were common overall (73.2% of participants reported ≥2 negative experiences) but most common in hospitals (M = 2.9, SD = 1.3) and least common in community-based services (M = 1.3, SD = 1.4; p<0.001). When controlling for sociodemographic factors, social networks, general access to health care, and sexual practices, higher levels of gender insensitivity in previous sexual health care encounters were associated with a lower likelihood of recent HIV/STI testing (adjusted prevalence ratio = 0.92, 95% confidence interval [CI]:091,0.96, p<0.001) and less-frequent HIV/STI testing (B = -0.07, 95%CI:-0.10,-0.03, p = 0.007). Given the high rates of HIV and other STIs among trans and gender diverse people in Australia and overseas, eliminating cisgenderism and transphobia in sexual health care may help improve access to diagnostic testing to reduce infection rates and support the overall sexual health and well-being of these populations.

scholarly journals Perceptions of Prominent Animal Welfare and Veterinary Care Organizations in the United States

Animals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 472
Author(s):  
Mario Ortez ◽  
Courtney Bir ◽  
Nicole Olynk Widmar ◽  
Christopher A. Wolf
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Likert Scale ◽  
Perceived Impact ◽  
American Society ◽  
High Level ◽  
The Impact

U.S. residents’ perceptions of the impact of prominent animal welfare and veterinary care organizations on pet animal well-being and health care may not be linked to the organization’s stated mission and effectiveness in advancing it, but to the level of recognition people have for the groups. An online survey of 1000 U.S. residents was used to understand the perceived impact of organizations with self-stated dedication to pet animal well-being. Using a Likert-scale, respondents ranked 13 prominent organizations as having a low to high impact on pet animal well-being and health care. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) had the highest perceived average impact, while People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) had the lowest. A best–worst scaling (BWS) choice experiment was conducted with 7 of the initial 13 organizations to elicit relative rankings by forcing tradeoffs by respondents. Consistent with the Likert-scale results, the ASPCA was ranked as the most impactful organization. The ASPCA’s perceived impact on pet animal well-being and health care may be linked to their high level of recognition among respondents, as this was the organization that respondents most frequently reported having seen/heard stories related to animal well-being and health care.

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