1,721,148 research outputs found
How do men and women define sexual desire and sexual arousal?
No full textThe purpose of this study was to understand how men and women define sexual desire and sexual arousal and how they distinguish between the two. The authors conducted 32 semi-structured interviews with individuals in South East England, using a purposive sampling strategy to maximize the variation in experience of sexual function across the group. The authors identified three criteria that participants used to define and distinguish between desire and arousal: the sequence in which they occurred; whether the mind or the body (or both) were engaged; and the extent to which feelings of desire or arousal were responsive (in response to person or stimulus) and motivational (oriented toward a goal). Most participants attempted to distinguish between desire and arousal when prompted, but often with difficulty. Participants commonly felt that desire preceded arousal; some felt that desire was "mind" and arousal "body"; and many felt that both desire and arousal were responsive and motivational. However, the authors identified numerous times when these distinctions were reversed or the differences between terms were blurred. The results support recent proposals to merge the two diagnostic categories of female sexual arousal disorder and hyposexual desire disorder into a single diagnostic category
Developing a measure of unplanned pregnancy
Get PDFThe incidence of unplanned pregnancy has long been used as an indicator of sexual and
reproductive health. However, because of dramatic social and demographic changes,
existing measures have become outdated and no satisfactory contemporary measure of this
status exists.
The aim of this study was to develop a measure of unplanned pregnancy which is valid,
reliable and appropriate in the context of contemporary demographic trends and social
mores, and can be used to establish population estimates of unplanned pregnancy. To
achieve this, a two-stage study design was employed: firstly, qualitative (inductive)
methods in order to delineate the construct of pregnancy planning/intention, and secondly
quantitative/psychometric methods to establish the means of measurement. At the
qualitative stage, 67 depth interviews were carried out with pregnant (continuing pregnancy
and abortion) and postnatal women. A conceptual model of pregnancy planning/intention
was developed from these data and used as the basis for item development in the
quantitative stage. Standard psychometric techniques were then employed to construct the
measure and test its reliability and validity (the qualitative findings informing judgements
about content and construct validity). Over 1000 women participated in the psychometric
field testing.
The result of the study is a six-item measure of unplanned pregnancy - the first
psychometric measure of this construct. Psychometric testing demonstrated the measure's
high reliability (Cronbach's alpha>0.90; test-retest reliability >0.90) and high face, content,
and construct validity. Women may occupy a range of positions in relation to pregnancy
planning, and these are represented in the measure by the spectrum of scores (zero to 12).
These scores provide a more sophisticated level of information about pregnancy planning
than was previously available. The measure is suitable for use with any pregnancy
regardless of outcome (i. e. birth, abortion, miscarriage) and is highly acceptable to women
December 2013 podcast - Sex, HIV and flu.
No full textProfessor Kaye Wellings talks about the latest Natsal survey, which shows how our sexual habits are changing. Professor Tim Rhodes talks to a participant in a syringe exchange programme. Dr Alma Adler talks about the latest FluSurvey, and how to take part
Kaye Wellings - changes in sexual health and behaviour
No full textKaye Wellings discusses findings from the latest Natsal survey, which explores changing sexual attitudes and lifestyles
National survey of sexual lifestyles and chlamydia trachomatis infection in Slovenia
Get PDFA total of 849 men and 903 women participated in the first national general population
probability sample survey of sexual behaviour and Chlamydia trachomatis infection in Slovenia.
A combination of face-to-face interviews and anonymous self completion of questionnaires was
used. Survey response rate was 67.0% and urine specimens were obtained from 82.7% of
respondents.
The median age at first heterosexual Intercourse declined from 18 to 17 years among men born
during the late sixties and among women born during the late seventies. A substantial proportion
of those who experienced early first heterosexual intercourse regretted this especially women,
and a substantial proportion of these women had been persuaded or forced. Condom use
increased during the late eighties and nineties which coincided with heightened AIDS
awareness. Receipt of information on sexual matters from school lessons was associated with
decreased risk of early first heterosexual intercourse among women and increased likelihood of
condom use among men. There was great variability in the numbers of heterosexual partners
between individuals of different ages, between men and women, and according to marital status.
Men of all ages and any marital status reported higher numbers than women. Mean numbers of
lifetime heterosexual partners for men and women were 8.3 and 5.6. Annual rates of acquisition
of new heterosexual partners were 22.7% for men and 9.5% for women. Reported frequency of
heterosexual intercourse showed high levels of consistency between men and women.
Experience of vaginal intercourse was nearly universal. The great majority also reported oral
heterosexual intercourse. Anal intercourse was reported by 31.6% of men and 22.3% of women.
Having been forced into heterosexual sex was reported by 12.0% of women. At least one
homosexual partner during the past five years was reported by 0.6% of men and 0.4% of
women. Among 18 to 24 year olds 0.6% of men and 0.4% of women reported having injected
illicit drugs during the past five years. All men who had sex with men also reported sex with
women and all injecting drug users heterosexual sex with non-users. The prevalence of
Chlamydia trachomatis infection among 18 to 24 year old sexually experienced individuals was
4.7%.
Sexual and reproductive health and life skills education programmes should be implemented in
primary schools. An expert advisory group to the Ministry of Health should prepare
recommendations for prevention and control of Chlamydia trachomatis infection
Decriminalising Abortion in the UK
Get PDF"Available Open Access under CC-BY-NC licence.
The public and parliamentary debate about UK abortion law is often diverted away from key moral and political questions by disputes regarding basic questions of fact. And all too often, claims of scientific ‘fact’ are ideologically driven.
With each chapter written by leading experts in the fields of medicine, law, reproductive health and social science, this book offers a concise and authoritative account of the evidence regarding the likely impact of decriminalisation.
Examining specific yet diverse regional and local contexts across Europe, this book uses original research to evaluate differences in scope, approach, orientation, and objectives. It examines the embedding of LLL policies into the regional economy, the labour market, education and training systems and the individual life projects of young people, with a focus on those in situations of near social exclusion.
‘Sexual Competence’ at first intercourse: a critical assessment of a public health concept
Get PDFBackground: The timing of first sexual intercourse has long been of public health concern and a predominant focus of research into the sexual behaviour of young people. The onset of sexual activity has most commonly been defined in terms of chronological age – with particular attention to ‘early’ sex. Arguments for a more nuanced concept of timing have been made on the grounds that age fails capture individual differences and the context of the encounter. The concept of ‘sexual competence’ was most notably first operationalised by Wellings et al. (2001) using self-reports of four variables. Participants were classified as ‘sexually competent’ at first heterosexual intercourse if they reported the following four conditions: contraceptive protection, autonomy of decision (not due to external influences such as alcohol or peer pressure), consensuality (equal willingness of both partners), and acceptable timing (that it occurred at the ‘right time’).
Methods: Using data from the Third National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (Natsal-3), this study used a range of methods (confirmatory factor analysis, latent class analysis, and multivariable logistic regression) to conduct a quantitative examination of the properties of, and factors associated with, the measure of sexual competence at first intercourse. Supplementary analyses using two other datasets (Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, and Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study) were also carried out in order to examine specific research questions that emerged. Finally, in-depth interviews were conducted with a subsample of Natsal-3 respondents to explore how they formulated their answers to the survey questions used to construct the measure of sexual competence.
Findings: Statistical analyses found evidence that the four components of the sexual competence measure tap into a single underlying construct, and that the measure is associated with a range factors in the directions expected. For example, sexual non-competence at first intercourse was associated with several adverse sexual health outcomes, including sexually transmitted infections, unplanned pregnancy, and low sexual function. The qualitative component of this research found that responses to the four survey questions were formulated with reference to characteristics of the self, the partner, and the relationship, as well as what happened after the event of first intercourse.
Conclusions: For a rather simply constructed operationalisation of a complex concept, the measure of sexual competence at first intercourse performs well empirically. The findings presented support the concept’s further integration into public health research and practice, and add to the evidence base supporting emphasis on enabling young people to protect the physical, social, and emotional aspects of their sexual health, from the onset of sexual activity
Prevalence of masturbation and associated factors in a British national probability survey
No full textA stratified probability sample survey of the British general population, aged 16 to 44 years, was conducted from 1999 to 2001 (N = 11,161) using face-to-face interviewing and computer-assisted self-interviewing. We used these data to estimate the population prevalence of masturbation, and to identify sociodemographic, sexual behavioral, and attitudinal factors associated with reporting this behavior. Seventy-three percent of men and 36.8% of women reported masturbating in the 4 weeks prior to interview (95% confidence interval 71.5%-74.4% and 35.4%-38.2%, respectively). A number of sociodemographic and behavioral factors were associated with reporting masturbation. Among both men and women, reporting masturbation increased with higher levels of education and social class and was more common among those reporting sexual function problems. For women, masturbation was more likely among those who reported more frequent vaginal sex in the last four weeks, a greater repertoire of sexual activity (such as reporting oral and anal sex), and more sexual partners in the last year. In contrast, the prevalence of masturbation was lower among men reporting more frequent vaginal sex. Both men and women reporting same-sex partner(s) were significantly more likely to report masturbation. Masturbation is a common sexual practice with significant variations in reporting between men and women
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