Explaining utilization of HIV prevention and testing services among university students in Mozambique: results from a mixed methods study

Background In Mozambique, HIV infection disproportionately affects young adults, particularly women. Despite awareness and knowledge of HIV transmission, many university students have not received HIV testing and continue to engage in high-risk sexual behaviors, including inconsistent condom use. Further understanding of patterns of engagement with HIV prevention and testing is key to reducing HIV transmission in this at-risk population. Methods This study used a sequential mixed methods approach to examine patterns of engagement and perceptions of HIV prevention and testing services among higher education students in Mozambique. Survey data were collected from a representative sample of 501 students from Universidade Eduardo Mondlane (UEM) in Maputo, Mozambique to assess the primary outcomes of 1) HIV testing within the last 12 months; and 2) condom use during last sexual encounter. We employed univariate and multivariate regression models. The survey was followed by qualitative interviews with 70 survey participants which were analyzed using an inductive, content-focused analysis to further explain and contextualize survey findings. Results Over 85% of students reported to be sexually active, among these 74% reported condom use during their last sexual encounter, and 64.2% reported an HIV test within the past 12 months. Females were more likely to have had HIV testing in the past 12 months in comparison to their male peers (aOR 1.82, 95% CI 1.11, 2.99), but were half as likely to have used a condom with their last sexual encounter (aOR 0.52, 95% CI 0.33, 0.83), when controlling for other factors. Qualitative data suggests that these discrepancies may be explained by differential perceptions in risk and trust/mistrust, with women being more concerned about infidelity by their male partner(s) and assuming more responsibility for knowing their own serostatus. Women were also subject to negative stereotypes for possessing condoms in comparison to men, which could explain lower propensity for use. Conclusion Given gendered differences in uptake of condom use and HIV testing, and perceived HIV risk, interventions tailored specifically to male and female students may impact engagement with HIV prevention and testing and empower informed choices about sexual behaviors.

Strip-teasing COVID-19 porn: A promising silhouette of a community, or the dark alley of a platformized industry?

Government’s domestic lockdown measures aimed at preventing the spread of COVID-19 during 2020 altered the patterns of media consumption, and massively boosted the traffic on video-streaming services including porn sites. This research explores the impact of COVID-19 on PornHub in three ways: video content, conditions of production, and related users’ activity. The analysis of a sample of 286 videos within a cluster of thematically relevant tags shows that what appears to be an emerging genre of COVID-19 porn is only a reshuffle of previously consolidated genres scaffolding its symbolic background. The analysis also shows that among the explicit sexual practices, some videos include pedagogical and humoristic insights. These apparently off-topic videos show societal and awareness-raising purposes. This article argues that the capacities of the PornHub interface enable social interactions that transcend the strictly sexual encounter, thus showing a form of social community of practice.

506Mathematical modelling of the transmission of Neisseria gonorrhoeae in men who have sex with men

Background There is controversy about what sexual practices or secretions (e.g. saliva) transmit Neisseria gonorrhoeae in men who have sex with men (MSM). To date, no studies have modelled potential transmission when one sexual practice follows another in the same sexual encounter or the role of sexual secretions in transmission. Methods We developed eight compartmental models to examine three additional transmission routes: (1) oral sex followed by anal sex (or vice versa); (2) using saliva as a lubricant for penile-anal sex, and (3) oral sex followed by oral-anal sex (rimming) or vice versa. For comparison, we used a baseline model that did not include any of these three transmission routes. The seven other models added one of the additional transmission routes or combinations of the three of them to the baseline model. Results The baseline model could replicate infection at the single anatomical site but underestimated infection at more than one anatomical site (‘multi-site infection’). When we added the three transmission routes to the baseline model, oral sex followed by anal sex or vice versa could replicate the prevalence of multi-site infection. The other two transmission routes alone or together could not replicate multi-site infection without the inclusion of oral sex followed by anal sex. Conclusions Our model suggests sexual practices that involve oral followed by anal sex (or vice versa) may be important for explaining the high proportion of multi-site infection. Key messages For Neisseria gonorrhoeae transmission, additional transmission routes are necessary to replicate multi-site infection.

Introduction

This chapter introduces this book’s investigation into the question of which normative principle governs the scope of consent. The scope of someone’s consent is the range of actions that they permit by giving consent. The ultimate conclusion of this book is that the scope of consent is determined by certain evidence that bears on the appropriate interpretation of the consent. To reach this conclusion, this book’s investigation involves taking a stance on what constitutes consent. By appealing to the idea that someone can justify their behaviour by appealing to another person’s consent, this book defends the view that consent consists in behaviour that expresses a consent-giver’s will for how a consent-receiver behaves. Discovering the principle for consent scope’s is important for a variety of practical applications, including sexual deception: by engaging in deception, a perpetrator can unwittingly manipulate their victim into taking part in a sexual encounter that lies outside the scope of their consent.

Orexin neuron activity in mating mice - a pilot study

Mating behaviours affect hypothalamic orexin/hypocretin neurons and vice versa. However, activity of orexin neurons has not been recorded during mating before. We report an anecdotal dataset of freely-moving miniature microscope recordings of orexin neuron activity during mating behaviours, as well as an oral sexual encounter previously undocumented in mice. Across the orexin neuron population in the male, firing rates were maximally diverse during ejaculation, similarly diverse though weaker during intromission, and inverse to this during anterior thrusting. In the female mouse, orexin neurons tended to decrease firing during intromission after a transient increase. We provide this brief dataset for re-use, to enable further studies of these rare behaviours with challenging surgical preparations.

BAD BLOOD: THE CONDITIONS OF THE BLOOD BAN

In Canada, men who have sex with men (MSM) are not able to donate blood until three months after their last sexual encounter in order to protect the national blood supply from HIV. This policy has been regarded as highly homophobic and prejudicial as it unjustly discriminates against a specific population. The context that first called for the Blood Ban some 40 years ago no longer exists. As such, in this paper, I determine and critically analyze the conditions that have allowed the Blood Ban to not only survive, but thrive in Canada. The first condition is Canada’s history of homophobia and stigma towards HIV/AIDS. The Blood Ban was first introduced when HIV/AIDS was thought to be exclusive to the MSM community. Homophobia allowed the world to wrongfully stigmatize MSM as disease-ridden and impure and thus further perpetuated MSM discrimination and the Blood ban. The second condition is fear of possible HIV transmissions to the general public. In Canadian Blood Services (CBS) history, there have been some instances of HIV transmission occurring via blood donation. As a way to mitigate any more scandals and calm public outrage, CBS has kept the outdated Blood Ban in place. The last condition is the delegitimization of citizenship for MSM who wish to be altruistic. Altruism allows individuals to be good citizens and should be considered a right. By denying MSM to donate blood, their right to be altruistic and thus act as a good citizen is taken away and their citizenship is infringed upon. These three conditions are nuanced and act independently and in cooperation with each other to perpetuate the existence, survival, and longevity of the Blood Ban.