scholarly journals Solitary and joint online pornography use during the first COVID-19 lockdown in Portugal: Intrapersonal and interpersonal correlates

Author(s):  
David L. Rodrigues

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic forced several people into social isolation and research has shown a paradoxical effect on people’s sexual functioning. Some people experienced decreases in sexual desire and sexual satisfaction, whereas others experienced heightened sexual desire and made new additions to their sexual repertoire, including more online pornography use, during the lockdown. Yet, studies failed to examine its interpersonal and intrapersonal correlates, distinguish between solitary and joint use, or explore differences between partnered and single people. We examined if changes in solitary or joint online pornography use since the lockdown were associated with sexual functioning, sexual satisfaction, perceived health, and sleep quality. We conducted an online cross-sectional study with convenience sampling in Portugal (N = 303 participants; 56.3% men; Mage = 31.32, SD = 10.55; 71.0% in a relationship) during May and July 2020. Partnered participants who reported increases in solitary online pornography use also reported decreases in their sex life quality. For partnered and single participants, increases in joint online pornography use were associated with increases in sex life quality. Single participants who reported increases in solitary online pornography use also perceived better health and sleep quality, and those who reported increases in joint online pornography use also reported more intimacy with casual partner(s) and better sleep quality. These findings suggest that online pornography might have beens used as a sexual pleasure tool to connect with a stable or casual partner(s) in a time when social interactions were restricted.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
David L. Rodrigues ◽  
Joana Martins

The pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has forced the world into social isolation and confinement for health and safety reasons. Such changes affected the way people connect with each other, which had repercussions on health and well-being. Since the COVID-19 outbreak, researchers have been striving to understand the effects of the pandemic at social, personal and relational levels. Some people have experienced heightened sexual desire and made new additions to their sexual repertoire. We extended these findings by examining the personal and relational outcomes of joint and solitary online pornography use. Results from a cross-sectional study (N = 301 participants; 56.5% men; Mage = 31.36, SD = 10.57) showed that participants indicated adherence to confinement policies, changes in lifestyle, and fear of becoming infected with COVID-19. Participants also indicated decreased sexual desire since the outbreak, but also increased willingness to have sex. Results also showed that joint pornography use was associated with more sex quality and more satisfaction and intimacy with their partners, which in turn was associated with better perceived physical health and better sleep quality. The reverse pattern was found for solitary pornography use. Lastly, overall results were consistent for single and pattered people. These findings show the personal and relational benefits of using online pornography with partners use during the pandemic.


2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 188-193
Author(s):  
Keun Tae Kim ◽  
Hyoeun Bae ◽  
Jin Gon Bae ◽  
Yong Won Cho

Background: The prevalence of sleep disorders increases as pregnancy progresses, which affects the health of pregnant women, fetal health, and the outcomes of pregnancy. The aim of this study is to evaluate the quality of sleep and life in pregnant women in Korea.Methods: This study is a prospective cross-sectional, case-control study of pregnant women and age-matched controls. From July to September 2019, all participants completed Korean-language versions of the sleep questionnaires including Pittsburgh sleep quality index (K-PSQI), Insomnia severity index, Epworth sleepiness scale, Back’s depression inventory-2(K-BDI), STOP (Snoring, Tiredness, Observed apneas, and high blood Pressure), and short-form 36 (K-SF-36).Results: A total of 422 participants consisted of 385 pregnant women and 137 controls. Second and third trimester were 200 and 185, respectively. K-PSQI scores were higher in pregnant women compared with the controls (7.87±3.49 and 8.50±3.55 vs. 5.79±2.76, <i>p</i><0.001). Total score of K-SF-36 was lowest in third trimester (62.07±17.72) and highest in the control group(79.41±13.36). There was no statistical difference between groups in K-BDI.Conclusions: This study demonstrated worsening of sleep quality as well as life quality during pregnancy. More attention to sleep of pregnant women is needed.


2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (7) ◽  
pp. 914 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aleksandra Diana Dwulit ◽  
Piotr Rzymski

This paper reviews the associations between pornography use and sexual dysfunction based on evidence from observational studies. The existing data in this regard mostly derive from cross-sectional investigations and case reports. There is little if no evidence that pornography use may induce delayed ejaculation and erectile dysfunction, although longitudinal studies that control for confounding variables are required for a full assessment. The associations between pornography use and sexual desire may differ between women and men although the existing data is contradictory and causal relationships cannot be established. The strongest evidence is available for the relation of pornography use with decreased sexual satisfaction, although the results of prospective studies are inconsistent. The paper outlines future research prospects beneficial in understanding the nature of associations between pornography use and sexual dysfunctions in men and women.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 152-162 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi-Chia Wei ◽  
Li-Yuan Huang ◽  
Chih-Ken Chen ◽  
Chemin Lin ◽  
Yu-Chiau Shyu ◽  
...  

Background: Subjective cognitive decline (SCD) is one of the early warning signs of objective cognition impairment and dementia. Methods: This cross-sectional study screened SCD and studied multiple domains of mental health, lifestyle, and life quality of the community-dwelling people in the northern coastal region of Taiwan. Results: Among 426 valid AD8 questionnaires, a cutoff of score 2 divided subjects into 115 with SCD (SCD+) and 311 without SCD (SCD–). Analysis of age, sex, body compositions, and blood tests revealed an older age (60.7 ± 10.9 years) of the SCD+ group than the SCD– group (57.6 ± 12.0 years, p < 0.05). Further exclusion of subjects younger than 50 years eliminated age differences and left 100 with SCD (SCD+_50) and 229 without (SCD–_50). Multidomain comparisons of the SCD+_50 group over the SCD–_50 group were made: the Taiwanese Depression Questionnaire found a higher likelihood of depression; the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index revealed suboptimal sleep quality; the SF-36 showed inferior function of all 8 aspects of quality of life; the Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile documented a less health-seeking lifestyle of nutrition, self-actualization, and stress management. Conclusions: Aging increased the SCD risk. People with SCD had suboptimal performance in mental health and life quality in addition to subjective cognition problems.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Camille Hoagland ◽  
Joshua B. Grubbs

Purpose of the Review: Pornography use is a common recreational activity in most developed nations with unrestricted internet access. As public awareness of pornography’s popularity has grown, so have concerns about potentially deleterious effects of pornography. One domain of particular concern has been the impact of pornography use and online sexual behaviors on sexual well-being. Over recent years, a number of studies have examined how pornography use relates to sexual well-being. The present work seeks to review such literature, with a particular focus on the effects of pornography on sexual functioning and sexual satisfaction. To this end, a systematic review of recent research (within the past 5 years) was conducted. Recent Findings: A total of 44 articles were included in the systematic review. In some situations, pornography use is associated with greater sexual functioning and greater sexual satisfaction, and in other cases it seems to be associated with lower sexual functioning and lower sexual satisfaction. Specifically, mere pornography use itself was most often not associated with sexual functioning in either direction, but self-reported problematic use of pornography was consistently associated with more sexual functioning problems. Summary: Collectively, results suggest a nuanced understanding of the effects of pornography on sexual well-being, with the context of and perceptions about pornography use being extremely important in predicting whether or not pornography has negative effects.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Taylor Kohut ◽  
Kiersten A. Dobson ◽  
Rhonda N. Balzarini ◽  
Ronald D. Rogge ◽  
Amanda M. Shaw ◽  
...  

It is commonly assumed that exposure to pornography harms relationships because pornography changes the way that individuals think, feel, and behave in problematic ways. In the current research, we contribute to a small but growing body of work that challenges this assumption by carefully scrutinizing the relational context of pornography use. In contrast to dominant theoretical explanations in this field, we argue that at least some of the apparent negative “impacts” of pornography use on relationship quality may reflect partner dissimilarity in pornography use behavior rather than the consequences of exposure to such materials. Moreover, we further examine a particular type of pornography use – shared use with a partner – which previous evidence suggests may be positively associated with relationship quality. To this end, we sought to test whether dyadic patterns of pornography use, and related attributes, were associated with sexual and relationship satisfaction in two cross-sectional (N1 = 200; N3 = 207) and two longitudinal (N2 = 77; N4 = 277) samples of heterosexual couples. Across these samples, we found consistent evidence that partners who watch pornography together report higher relationship and sexual satisfaction than partners who do not, and notably, this association was not moderated by gender. Independent of this association, we also found evidence of a similarity-dissimilarity effect, such that the solitary pornography use of one partner was negatively associated with their own relationship and sexual satisfaction, but only in cases where their romantic partners used little or no pornography alone. Further consideration of several correlates of pornography use established comparable patterns of results for dissimilarity in attitudes toward pornography, erotophobia-erotophilia, sexual preferences, and sex drive. Importantly, only dissimilarity in sex drive statistically accounted for dissimilarity in solitary pornography use, suggesting that differences in sex drive may be implicated in the associations between pornography use and relationship quality. These findings demonstrate that links between pornography use and relationship health are partially a function of different dyadic patterns of pornography use within couples and do not always suggest relational harm.


2019 ◽  
pp. 155982761987047 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah A. Alahmary ◽  
Sakinah A. Alduhaylib ◽  
Hibah A. Alkawii ◽  
Mashail M. Olwani ◽  
Reem A. Shablan ◽  
...  

Eating foods high in added sugar has recently increased among people of all ages. This is expected to negatively affect health and life quality. This study was conducted to investigate the relationship between added sugar intake and sleep quality among university students. A total of 100 randomly selected female students (19-25 years old) from Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia, participated in the study after applying exclusion criteria. Sample size was calculated with expected correlation of −0.4 between sugar intake and sleep quality, a power of 90%, and a type 1 error of 5%. Participants completed the Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ), sleep quality questionnaire, and 24-hour dietary recall. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics 25, and the χ2 test was used for measuring the association between added sugar intake and sleep quality, where P <.05 was considered statistically significant. Results showed that only 17% of participants had good sleep. Data of the 24-hour dietary recall showed a significant association (P = .014) between consumption of added sugars and sleep quality. This is the first study to directly report on the effect of higher intake of added sugars on sleep quality. The study concluded that poor sleep quality was significantly related to higher added sugar intake.


2020 ◽  
Vol 54 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carl Froilan D. Leochico ◽  
Jose Alvin P. Mojica ◽  
Sharon D. Ignacio ◽  
Betty Dy-Mancao

Background. Sexuality remains to be a sensitive issue in the Philippines, but it encompasses real problems that stroke patients and their partners continue to face. Sexual dysfunction, an under-recognized complication poststroke, is caused by an interplay of physical, emotional, cognitive, and language impairments, in combination with psychosocial factors. Objectives. This study aimed to determine changes in sexual functioning (libido, coital frequency, sexual arousal, and sexual satisfaction) among stroke out-patients at the Philippine General Hospital and their sexual partners.Methods. This cross-sectional study involved patients (≥30 years old with 1 stroke episode), and their partners. Through individual interviews and questionnaires, data were gathered on general attitude toward sex, ability to address sexual issues with partner, fear of recurrence of stroke, unwillingness to participate in coitus, risk of depression, and level of happiness. Results. Twenty-nine patients and 23 partners participated. There was a statistically significant decrease in coital frequency post-stroke among patients (p<0.001) and partners (p<0.05). Majority reported lower level of libido, sexual arousal, and sexual satisfaction post-stroke. Participants unable to discuss sexual issues with partner were more likely to report sexual dissatisfaction (p<0.05). Those with higher scores on Zung’s depression scale were likely to be sexually dissatisfied (p<0.05). Level of happiness was moderately correlated with sexual satisfaction (r=0.51). Conclusion. Sexual life of couples affected by stroke is commonly overlooked. There was a decline in libido, coital frequency, arousal, and sexual satisfaction among stroke patients and partners at the Philippine General Hospital.


Author(s):  
Madita Hoy ◽  
Katharina van Stein ◽  
Bernhard Strauss ◽  
Katja Brenk-Franz

Abstract Introduction Societal assumptions and individual myths that define vaginal penetration as normal sexuality can affect the sexual pleasure of varied sexual activities. Although women orgasm much more easily through direct clitoral stimulation than through vaginal intercourse, many couples desire the latter. The purpose of this study is to investigate how orgasms from different types of stimulation with a partner affect sexual satisfaction and orgasm satisfaction in cisgender women. Also, the attitude of women to stimulate their clitoris themselves to reach orgasm during sex with their partner will be included. Methods Two independent surveys (N = 388 and N = 555) were conducted online in 2016 and 2020. Results Regression analyses showed that orgasm consistency through sexual intercourse had a stronger influence on orgasm satisfaction and sexual satisfaction than orgasm consistency through oral sex, stimulation by the partner’s hand, or self-stimulation. Positive thoughts and feelings about self-stimulation of the clitoris during sex with the partner showed only little effect, but in some cases, they were even negatively related to the reported satisfaction. Conclusions The results indicate that the common misconception about sexuality, that it is normal for women to experience orgasms during penile-vaginal intercourse, influences the subjective evaluation of one’s own sexuality. Orgasms from clitoral stimulation seem to have a second-class quality for some women, although there is no evidence that these orgasms feel like less pleasureable. Policy Implication Rigid assumptions about what normal sexuality should look like should be publicly addressed and discussed in sex education classes.


2011 ◽  
Vol 26 (S2) ◽  
pp. 1542-1542
Author(s):  
E.M. Díaz-Mesa ◽  
M.P. García-Portilla ◽  
S. Al-Halabí ◽  
P.A. Sáiz ◽  
J. Bobes

IntroductionHealthy sexual functioning is an important part of the human experience, but there is a lack of studies regarding sexuality and sexual behavior in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder (García-Portilla, 2010).AimTo determine the differences on the sexual dysfunction profile between patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.MethodNaturalistic, cross-sectional, multicentre, validation study. A total of 89 patients with schizophrenia (SQF) and 82 with bipolar disorder (BPD) were evaluated using the Changes in Sexual Functioning Questionnaire Short-Form (CSFQ-14).ResultsSample description (SQF vs BPD): Mean age (SD) were 39.2 (11.0) vs 46.7 (10.9) (p < 0.001), men were 58.8% vs 41.2% (χ2 = 4.0, df. = 1, p < 0.05), 61.8% vs 38.2% were single (χ2 = 12.8, df. = 1, p < 0.001). Mean (SD) scores on CSFQ-14 scales were (SQF vs BPD): Pleasure 2.2 (1.0) vs 2.6 (1.0) (t = -2.2, p < 0.05), Sexual desire/frequency 5.3 (2.0) vs 5.9 (2.0) (t = -2.0, p < 0.05), Sexual desire/interest 5.7 (2.6) vs 6.9 (3.0) (t = -2.5, p < 0.05), Arousal/excitement 8.6 (3.1) vs 8.9 (3.4), Orgasm/completion 7.9 (3.2) vs 8.8 (3.2), Desire 11.1 (3.9) vs 12.9 (4.4) (t = -2.7, p < 0.05), Arousal 8.6 (3.1) vs 8.9 (3.4), Orgasm 7.9 (3.2) vs 8.8 (3.2) and Total 39.5 (9.7) vs 42.2 (11.0).ConclusionsPatients with schizophrenia have more difficulty to get pleasure and more problems in the phase of desire (frequency and interest) than the patients with bipolar disorder.


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