Sexual Expression Research Articles

Right to attention to sexuality for people with mental disorders: bridges between health and social services

IntroductionThe expression of sexuality in the adult with mental disorders depends on the early incorporation of factors for promoting social inclusion. It is fundamental that sexual educators and advisors, in addition to working with the clients, also work with close family members. Intervention programs should establish objectives for developing a positive attitude towards sexuality in people with mental disorders and improving self-esteem (Katz G,Salud Publica Mex. 2008;50 Suppl 2:s239-54).ChallengeAchieving support for people with mental health problems and/or substance use disorder admitted to the Social Rehabilitation Process of a psychiatric hospital so that they develop their sexuality satisfactorily. The right to privacy must be taken into account.ObjectivesPromoting a healthy and satisfactory development of sexuality in people with severe mental disorders. Raising awareness among healthcare teams, families and legal representatives regarding the need and suitability for support. Introducing the concept of sexuality as a dignifying perspective. Promoting sexual education that avoids disadvantages and situations of abuse in the target group. Coordinating the continuity of the project with non-health social services after discharge.HypothesisPossibility of receiving support in the development of sexuality through training, information and improvement in the management of emotions/feelings in people who express the need or willingness to receive it, will contribute to overcoming limitations or difficulties.MethodsDetecting people who during 2021 wish to work on the objectives through the care team. Searching for community resources aimed at attending sexuality issues in people with mental health problems. Proposing the hospital a collaboration with a non-profit entity that develops a specialized program for attention to sexuality in disability. Coordination between Treatment team and Entity. Quantitative and qualitative assessment of one year of experience according to the parameters of the entity.Results2022People includedPercentage of people admittedto the Income Unit (65)Detection concern sex-affectivity 57,69%Verbalized concern34,61%Referral to the entity program23,07%ConclusionsAll patients included have a diagnosis of psychosis. Experience was very positive for the participants. Community intervention projects that lead to an education in healthy and respectful relationships in the field of sexuality and affectivity are necessary. This would allow to prevent behaviours and situations at risk of abuse as well as social and emotional instability.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Gay & Gray XI: Somewhere Over the Rainbow - Aging with Pride!

Having previously tackled topics such as LGBTQ military sexual trauma, revisiting aging populations and HIV, and the intersectional experience of black queer older adults, Gay & Gray this year will focus on the transitional process of aging itself. While seniors cope with life changes as they grow older, LGBTQ seniors face specific challenges that may be especially burdensome. Often, older LGBTQ adults “have to make a hard choice at the end of their lives: Go ‘back into the closet’ or accept inferior care and discrimination” (CBC). This predicament embodies “a fear of loss of autonomy, identity, and freedom of sexual expression,” and often results in compromise “in order to feel safe during a period in which they anticipate… being vulnerable and lacking in power” (Wilson, et al.).In this session, we will discuss powerful issues including the threat of isolation while aging, healthcare access, and moving to long-term housing through the lens of gender and sexual minorities. First, we will explore how older LGBTQ adults are often more isolated than their heterosexual counterparts, with higher rates of living alone, fewer sources of family and social supports, and greater stigma among their peers (SAGE “US Army Vet”, Progress Lifeline). We will also consider reasons why LGBTQ adults may be hesitant to disclose their sexual orientation and gender identity to healthcare providers, fearing inadequate care and even outright discrimination. Afterwards, we will discuss how LGBTQ adults’ transitions from independent living into assisted living and nursing homes are further complicated by concerns about experiencing physical and verbal harassment, as more and more LGBTQ individuals fear “being forced back into the closet” and “conceal… their true selves” in order to access services and avoid harassment (Wilson, et al.). Lastly, we will evaluate potential solutions to promote community and enhance access to safe housing for aging LGBTQ individuals.

데이터로 본 판소리의 性 인지 체계: 신재효本을 중심으로

This study analyzes the sexual cognitive system in pansori works using Shin Jae-hyo’s pansori texts as the research subject. To that end, I first extracted excerpts of sexual expressions from Shin Jae-hyo’s pansori texts such as Chunhyang-ga(NamChang), Simcheong-ga, Bak-Taryeong, Tobyol-ga, Jeokbyeok-ga, and Byeongangsoe-ga. Then, I input them on a sentence-by-sentence basis with metadata including the speaker (narrator), target of description, related characters, works, and excerpts. As a preliminary step for the quantitative analysis, I performed morphological analysis and preprocessing on the data entered in the text column. This made the language of the pansori texts suitable for digital analysis tools with the input of new information or stop words into the user dictionary.
 Three analyses were attempted using the data extracted from Shin Jae-hyo’s pansori texts. First, basic statistical analysis was conducted to visualize which work had the most occurrences of sexual expressions and to examine the frequency of speaker-description target pairs when sexual expressions were uttered and their targets. Second, Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) topic modeling was performed to extract topics from a large collection of documents. Third, I used co-occurrence word analysis to reveal the semantic network of words constituting sexual expressions.
 The findings revealed that the sexual cognitive system in pansori works is based on “deviation and return.” That is, while enjoying pansori, one can realize that forbidden desires are, indeed, common desires and can satisfy sexual fantasies. However, such desires should not persist beyond exceptional circumstances and should ultimately be concealed and transformed to abide byto societal norms. Listening to and reading pansori involves repeatedly deviating from and returning to sexuality as a theme that persists throughout the whole story.

Sociological Observations on Problems of Marital Adjustment

Men and women are the most important parts of our social and personal life. When men and women both are employed, it makes some adjustments related to issues of their married life. Marital adjustment is considered to be life lifelong process; although in the early days, one has to give serious consideration. Adjustment in marriage is a fundamental maturity of emotional maturity. Marriage gives the partners an opportunity for satisfaction of their needs for companionship, affection and sexual expression. Present observations are based on some social, psychological and economic aspects of married life. Urban/ metropolitan lifestyle is expensive and based on imitations of others makes life complex.

Sexual Violence Against Men in Civil Conflict

Sexual violence against men in conflict settings is neither a rare nor recent phenomenon, yet its absence in academic scholarship and humanitarian initiatives remains glaring. Despite the advances in our understanding of the determinants of wartime sexual violence against women, surprisingly little empirical research exists on sexual violence against men in conflict. Acts of sexual violence are commonly enacted against men in war, yet because they do not fit more narrow definitions of rape, accounts of these experiences are often misclassified as “torture.” Moreover, in many countries experiencing pervasive conflict-related sexual violence, there exist restrictive laws regarding sodomy and homosexuality, reducing the chances that males will report their experiences. Using originally coded data on sexual and gender identity laws and reported incidents of sexual violence in civil conflict, I find that laws that outline the protection of sexual and gender identity expression including the decriminalization of same-sex activity are significantly associated with reports of acts of sexual violence against men. The results speak to the gap in the literature on male sexual violence with tangible consequences for the distribution of humanitarian aid, availability of medical and psychological services for victims, and aims of peacekeeping missions.

Biblical discourses and the construction of genders and sexualities in contemporary South Africa: A decolonial analysis

The constructions of genders and sexualities in different global spaces continue to be influenced by Christian and imperial ideologies. In Africa, genders and sexualities were (mis)construed by colonial and missionary enterprises, and they continue to be defined according to Eurocentric terms and perceptions. This has produced ‘modern sexual repression’. The use of Biblical discourses to construct African genders and sexualities is one way that this repression is mirrored in South Africa. Because of this, African genders and sexualities are marginalised, treated as taboo and depicted as backward and uncivilised, thus, promoting hegemonic heteronormative and monogamous marriages. This article examined how Biblical discourses contributed to this narrative. It further advanced a call for transforming this dominant narrative by engaging theology, gender and sexuality studies and socio-political sciences from the premise of a multidisciplinary epoch. The decolonial motif, with a focus on delinking African genders and sexualities from the Western agenda of sexual repression, serves as the theoretical framework for this research. On the other hand, race, gender and sexuality serve as lenses used to better understand the phenomenon and to explore the use of biblical discourses in this context. Thus, the article makes use of a secondary research approach to carry out this task.Contribution: This article seeks to add to the body of knowledge that endeavours to change the way that biblical discourses are used in South Africa today to construct a narrative that represses non-normative genders and sexualities.

Selected Determinants Affecting the Quality of Sexual Life of Women Diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis

Introduction. Multiple sclerosis is a chronic disease of the central nervous system, resulting from immune system dysfunction and characterized by demyelination and neurodegeneration. An essential aspect of therapy, besides improving overall quality of life, is also the quality of sexual life of patients with multiple sclerosis. Aim. The aim of this study was to assess the quality of sexual life of female patients with multiple sclerosis. Material and Methods. The study was conducted among 100 female patients diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in the Neurology Department. Research tools included a questionnaire regarding patients’ demographic and clinical data, as well as the Sexual Quality of Life Questionnaire — Female (SQoL-F). Results. The level of sexual quality of life among female patients with multiple sclerosis in the neurology department was associated with the following domains: psychosexual feelings, sexual satisfaction, relationship satisfaction, worthlessness, and sexual repression. 44% of women rated their relationship with their partner as poor. Sexual activity was rated as poor in 43% of cases, and 32% experienced a deterioration in their sexual life before and after the onset of multiple sclerosis. Factors such as demographic characteristics (place of residence, employment status, marital status) and clinical factors (obesity and diabetes) influenced the assessment of sexual quality of life. Conclusions. The mean score for quality of life in the SQoL-F questionnaire was 69.02 with a standard deviation of SD=25.86 and a median of Me=75. Both socio-demographic and clinical factors influenced the assessment of the level of sexual quality of life among patients with multiple sclerosis. (JNNN 2024;13(1):23–28)

Changing norms of older men’s sexuality in the sexological discourse during Czechoslovak socialism: Dementia as an interpretative lens to make sense of sexual expressions in later life

This article examines the development of medical (primarily sexological) knowledge about older men’s sexuality during Czechoslovak socialism. Analysing medical and criminological journals, sexological textbooks and popular-science publications, and inspired by Ian Hacking’s theory of making up people (1995), we track how Czechoslovak experts created new kinds of older people. We show that the founder of Czechoslovak sexology, Josef Hynie, implemented the kind of older men with dementia with pathological sexuality into sexological discourse in 1940. In the following decades, medical experts omitted older men’s sexuality or debated it solely in the context of paedophilic delinquency, thus perpetuating Hynie’s ideas about the pathological sexuality of men with dementia until the second half of the 1970s. We explain how the classification was subsequently replaced by a new kind of healthy older men with active sexuality, which the sexologists made up hand in hand with incorporating new knowledge about sexual delinquents and changing ideas about active ageing. We argue that dementia served for the experts as a tool for defining what could be seen as normal or pathological ageing as well as normal or pathological ageing male sexuality. Finally, we highlight that the liberalisation of ageing male sexuality occurred in socialist Czechoslovakia at approximately the same time as in Western capitalist countries.

Toward diverse SOGIESC-transformative theorizing in nursing: A revisitation and expansion of Im and Meleis' guidelines for gender-sensitive theorizing.

Over two decades have passed since Im and Meleis proposed "gender-sensitive theories" as a category of nursing theories in 2001. Since then, the global conditions of women and minoritized identities across the various spectra of sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and sexual characteristics (SOGIESC) have changed. Moreover, feminist theorizing has evolved, prompting the need to update how nurses theorize and research the interactions of gender and health in their practice. This discursive essay aims to (1) provide a summary of Im and Meleis' characterization and guidelines in the development of gender-sensitive theories in nursing and present exemplars that use these guidelines; (2) assess the gender-sensitive nursing theory guidelines in terms of gender-responsiveness; and (3) expand the transformative potential of gender-sensitive theorizing in nursing by proposing Diverse SOGIESC-Transformative Theories. Diverse SOGIESC-Transformative Theories include three additional aspects to enhance the transformative potential of gender-responsive theorizing in nursing: inclusion of diverse SOGIESC, elaboration of intersectionality, and consideration of men and masculinities.

Biopsychosocial determinants of sexual health in older age: the role of health-related, relationship, and psychosexual factors.

Given the unprecedented aging of the population and the increased focus on overall well-being in older age, investigating the determining factors of sexual well-being in older adults becomes essential as it offers insights into promoting healthy aging and overall quality of life. By applying the biopsychosocial model of sexuality in older age, we aimed to identify the role of biomedical and psychosocial factors in predicting sexual well-being in partnered older adults (≥55years old). A total of 111 participants (mean[SD], 63.2 [5.96]) completed a self-report questionnaire assessing biopsychosocial dimensions. Bivariate correlational analyses and hierarchical multiple regression were conducted to investigate factors associated with sexual well-being. Health-related factors were entered into the first regression model. The second model included factors pertaining to relationship dimensions. Sexual beliefs were introduced in the third regression model. Self-rated health, psychological distress, subjective cognitive decline, sexual beliefs, duration of the relationship, relationship satisfaction, and sexual well-being were assessed. Findings from the hierarchical regression revealed that duration of relationship [t(104) = -3.07, P < .01], relationship satisfaction [t(104) = 8.49, P < .001], and age-related sexual beliefs [t(104) = -2.75, P < .01] were significant predictors of sexual well-being of partnered older adults [F(6, 104) = 22.77, P < .001, R2 = .57], after controlling for health-related factors. These findings suggest that relationship factors and sexual beliefs play a significant role in predicting sexual well-being of older adults, above and beyond health-related dimensions. Interventional approaches aimed at promoting sexual well-being in older age might benefit from incorporating exercises that demystify age-related sexual beliefs, by normalizing changes that occur with aging and fostering positive attitudes toward sexual expression in older age; particularly for older adults in long-term relationships, relationship satisfaction must also be considered as an important intervention target. Further investigation using longitudinal designs is required to examine the causal links between these factors and sexual well-being in older age. Findings from this study underscore the role of relationship dimensions and age-related sexual beliefs for the sexual well-being of partnered older adults.

Post-Trump masculinity in popular romance novels

As an almost exclusively female-dominated medium, the popular romance novel has, throughout its history, allowed women writers to “amplify their political voice” (Teo, 2016, p. 102), especially when they could not actively participate in politics. Commonly, writers fashion storylines that reflect and process concerns from the real world in a fictional context. Using the Regency Romance as an example and based on Jayashree Kamblé’s theory that romance novels have a shared DNA that evolves in response to social and cultural influences, this paper first defines the figure of the romance hero in the pre-Trump era to segue into analysing selected novels published by Tessa Dare in 2011 (A night to surrender) and Sarah MacLean in 2012 (A rogue by any other name). This figure is then compared and contrasted with the incarnations of the hero in these authors’ publications from 2017 (The day of the duchess by MacLean) and 2019 (The wallflower wager by Dare) to map how his phenotype has evolved to reflect a shift in cultural perceptions regarding sex and sexual power dynamics. As I intend to show, in the wake of the 2016 US presidential election and the “#MeToo” movement, the new hero’s phenotype differs specifically in the expression of gendered power and sexuality. He is less forceful than his predecessors and places heavy emphasis on the heroine’s enthusiastic consent and pleasure.

How online data informs forensic mental health evaluations of sexual behavior: An overview.

The Internet plays a pervasive role in modern life including the expression of human sexuality and sexual offending. A range of online sexual activities may be of interest in forensic mental health evaluations (FMHE), including those which are clearly illegal or those which are legal but functionally problematic. Online sexual offenses will clearly prompt forensic evaluators to consider the role of the Internet in these offending behaviors. The Internet may also be relevant in forensic evaluations of contact sexual offending including informing on history of mixed or cross-over offending, and Internet-facilitated contact offenses. A review of Internet-data may span several online domains, many of which provide the user with substantial anonymity and would likely not be available to the evaluator unless provided through the process of discovery. Early guidelines for the review of Internet-data in FMHEs have been proposed and support the Internet as a useful source of collateral data in the conduct of forensic evaluations of sexual behavior.

‘Send Nudes?’: Teens’ perspectives of education around sexting, an argument for a balanced approach

This paper explores teens’ perceptions of Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) around sexting (the exchange of sexually explicit imagery). Adopting a ‘sex-positive’ balanced approach to adolescents’ digital expressions of sexuality may be a more beneficial response than censure since fear-based narratives fail to recognise sexting as part of an array of sexual behaviours enacted by teens. Prohibition, rather than educating for safe sexting practices, fails to protect young people. This qualitative study uses thematic analysis of interviews with teens, and social constructionism, to interpret their perspectives thereby contributing teens’ perspectives to debates around adolescent sexting and RSE.

(046) Pattern of Sexual Activities among Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal Clinic

Abstract Introduction Sexuality is rarely discussed in many cultures even in clinical context. Sexual repression and abstinence are not uncommon among pregnant women due to several factors; some of which may be related to ignorance. The pattern of sexual activity in pregnancy with its associated changes and challenges remain poorly understood due to a complex interplay of bio-psycho-social factor. Objective This study demonstrates the pattern of sexual activities among pregnant women with associated changes resulting from pregnancy as well as perception and experiences of these women about sexual activities and function in pregnancy. Methods Pre-tested self-administered questionnaires were used to obtain data from women in second and third trimesters of uncomplicated pregnancies about their sexual activities before and during pregnancy as well as their perception about sexual activities in pregnancy. Results The study recruited 228 pregnant women aged 19 to 44years (Mean - 31.7years) with an average gestational age of 27.8weeks and most (93.8%) were singleton. Most of the respondents were married (97.4%) with tertiary level of education (87.9%). Majority (60.1%) were multiparous and most (96.5%) have commenced antenatal care. Majority (58.8%) reported only one lifetime sexual partner with mean age at coitarche of 23.6years. Only 1.3% have multiple sexual partners during the index pregnancy. Most (74.8%) had sexual activities at least once weekly prior pregnancy. During pregnancy however, only 48% had sexual activities at least once weekly, 25.3% had sexual activity less than once monthly, 5.8% had no sexual activity at all in pregnancy. Frequency of sexual activity in pregnancy was moderately associated with frequency before pregnancy (Pearson–0.428, p-0.000). Regarding changes in sexual activity and function associated with pregnancy; 53.5% reported a negative effect, 28.6% had improvement and 18% reported no change in frequency of sexual activities. Regarding sexual desire, 46.1% had reduction, 31.6% reported improvement and 22.3% reported no effect on their desire. For lubrication however, 39.5% had improvement, 31.2% reported reduction whereas 29.3% reported no change. Their overall satisfaction with their sexual function was reported as better in pregnancy m 43.7%, no change in 20.2% and reduction in 36.1%. Although 77.5% of respondents agreed that regular sexual activities can improve bonding with their partners, 64.3% of respondents were afraid of risk of injury to the baby, 58.8% were afraid of risk of infection, and 51.2% were afraid of bleeding in pregnancy and these fears were reported as reasons for their decision regarding sexual activities in pregnancy. Conclusions Marked reduction in frequency of sexual activities were reported in pregnancy; women who had infrequent intercourse prior pregnancy were more likely to have infrequent intercourse in pregnancy. Fear of injury to the baby, bleeding and infection were among the topmost reasons sexual activities were avoided in pregnancy. Education of pregnant women may reduce unnecessary abstinence and sexual repression in pregnancy and avoid its psychosocial consequences on these women and their partners. Disclosure No.

(145) Health Practitioner Attitudes and Values Towards Problematic Sexual Behaviours

Abstract Introduction Sexuality is expressed through an individual’s sexual behaviours. Distinguishing “problematic” or atypical sexual behaviours from “typical” sexual behaviours depends on sociocultural conceptions of the norm. Perceptions of problematic sexual behaviour evolve in response to societal change. These perceptions influence and reflect the attitudes and vales of health practitioners. The attitudes and values of health practitioners directly affects clients with problematic sexual behaviours. Therapy approaches are not value-free. Practitioners are influenced by sociocultural norms which create and reinforce stereotypes. These social forces are especially pronounced in the context of problematic sexual behaviours. The nosological classification of sexual “disorders” risks pathologizing normal variants of sexual behaviours. Despite this, research examining health practitioner attitudes and values toward problematic sexual behaviours is scant. Existing measures of attitudes either focus on a broad range of sexual behaviours or on sexual health overall. We therefore sought to understand the themes underlying health practitioner attitudes and values toward problematic sexual behaviours. Objective To assess the themes influencing health practitioner attitudes and values towards problematic sexual behaviours. Methods An inductive qualitative approach provided the framework using in-depth, semi-structured interviews. An interview schedule was based on deductive domains gleaned from a review research exploring health practitioner attitudes and values toward problematic sexual behaviour, and the research team’s experience of the field. A case vignette of a distressed person reporting a problematic sexual behaviour was created to trigger discussion. A diverse range of health practitioners working with people reporting problematic sexual behaviours was recruited. This included five medical doctors (general practice, psychiatry, sexual health) and two sexual health nurses. A coding matrix was generated based on a priori review of the literature and a posteriori review of the interviews. Thematic analysis of interview transcripts was performed using the software program NVivo. Results Five themes emerged from the interviews. Two deductive themes were identified: methods of inquiry about sexual behaviours; discrepancies in defining problematic sexual behaviours. Myriad frameworks underpin a practitioner’s exploration of sexual behaviour issues. Interviewees also could not operationalise a consistent definition of the “problem”. Three inductive themes emerged: managing judgement in consultations; reflections on practitioner knowledge; the tension between fantasies and problematic sexual behaviours. Interviewees referred to “non-judgemental care” as essential in addressing sexual behaviour problems. There was consistent reference to a “limited understanding” of problematic sexual behaviours. A need to differentiate thoughts (fantasies) from actions (behaviours) for risk stratification was apparent. Conclusions The attitudes and values of health practitioners are influenced by sociocultural conceptions of normative sexual expression. These attitudes and values affect practitioner responses to people with problematic sexual behaviours. To better understand this, we propose three recommendations: the development of tailored supports to assist practitioners in managing judgements; an educational module to build understanding of problematic sexual behaviours; the development of a survey instrument to investigate the attitudes and values of health practitioners more broadly in responding to problematic sexual behaviours. Disclosure No.

Before the Last Car

This article explores the early queer history of the Mexico City Metro (from its planning stages in the late 1960s—and especially the subway’s embeddedness in the political and sexual repression emblematized by the student massacres of 1968 and 1971—through its first decade of operation). Drawing evidence from a variety of sources—literary works, essays and chronicles, newspaper accounts, and popular music, as well as from biographies of the planners of the Metro—the article argues that, from its inception, the Metro was understood by the state and by sexual-political dissidents as a mechanism for political and sexual control. But as the Metro more efficiently connected upper-class neighborhoods with of barrios populares, the Metro gradually became a zone of queer rebellion.

Sexual dimorphic miRNA-mediated response of bovine elongated embryos to the maternal microenvironment.

A skewed male-to-female ratio in cattle is believed to be due to the biased embryo losses during pregnancy. The changes in biochemical secretion such as miRNAs by the embryo due to altered maternal environment could cause a sex biased selective implantation resulting in a skewed male to female ratio at birth. Nevertheless, it is still not clear whether the male and female embryos could modify their miRNA expression patterns differently in response to altered physiological developmental conditions. Therefore, this study was focused on identifying sex specific miRNA expression patterns induced in the embryo during the elongation period in response to the maternal environment. For this, in vitro produced day female and male embryos were transferred to Holsteins Frisian cows and heifers. The elongated female and male embryos were then recovered at day 13 of the gestation period. Total RNA including the miRNAs was isolated from each group of elongated embryo samples were subjected to the next generation miRNA sequencing. Sequence alignment, identification and quantification of miRNAs were done using the miRDeep2 software package and differential miRNA expression analyses were performed using the edgeR bioconductor package. The recovery rate of viable elongating embryos at day 13 of the gestation period was 26.6%. In cows, 2.8 more viable elongating male embryos were recovered than female embryos, while in heifers the sex ratio of the recovered elongating embryos was close to one (1.05). The miRNA analysis showed that 254 miRNAs were detected in both male and female elongated embryos developed either in cows or heifers, of which 14 miRNAs including bta-miR-10b, bta-miR-148a, bta-miR-26a, and bta-miR-30d were highly expressed. Moreover, the expression level of 32 miRNAs including bta-let-7c, bta-let-7b, bta-let-7g, bta-let-7d and bta-let-7e was significantly different between the male and female embryos developed in cows, but the expression level of only 4 miRNAs (bta-miR-10, bta-mR-100, bta-miR-155 and bta-miR-6119-5p) was different between the male and female embryos that were developed in heifers. Furthermore, 19 miRNAs including those involved in cellular energy homeostasis pathways were differentially expressed between the male embryos developed in cows and heifers, but no significantly differentially expressed miRNAs were detected between the female embryos of cows and heifers. Thus, this study revealed that the sex ratio skewed towards males in embryos developed in cows was accompanied by increased embryonic sexual dimorphic miRNA expression divergence in embryos developed in cows compared to those developed in heifers. Moreover, male embryos are more sensitive to respond to the maternal reproductive microenvironment by modulating their miRNA expression.

Utilization of the Intimacy and Sexuality Expression Preference tool in long-term care: a case study.

Sexual wellness plays a crucial role in an individual's quality of life, interpersonal relationships, and self-concept, particularly among older adults residing in residential aged care facilities, including those with dementia. However, there is currently a limited person-centered approach to understanding the unique preferences of each older person regarding their intimate and sexual behaviors. To address this gap, the Intimacy and Sexuality Expression Preference (ISEP) tool was developed to facilitate meaningful discussions between healthcare professionals or workers and older individuals about their intimacy and sexuality needs and preferences. This paper explores the use of the ISEP tool with residents in long-term aged care, including those with dementia via a user-centric case study. ISEP tool interviews were conducted with 14 residents in a single residential aged care facility in Queensland, Australia. The study presented valuable insights and contextual information from using the ISEP tool, including an example of a resident's response, which provided recommendations for better supporting the resident. This involves engaging in supportive conversations to facilitate the exploration, implementation, and assessment of practical and actionable strategies to meet intimacy and sexuality needs and preferences. The ISEP tool shows promise in improving care practices and addressing the intimacy and sexuality needs of older individuals in aged care facilities. However, it is important to acknowledge that the study was conducted in a single aged care facility with a small group of residents, potentially limiting the generalisability of the findings. Further large-scale studies are necessary to establish the tool's broader applicability across different care settings.

Shifting professional and personal identities of the cisgender scholar doing LGBT research

Background: Scholars researching the issues of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and other sexual and gender minorities (LGBT) are being denounced as performers of ‘dirty’ work and promotors of ‘immorality’. Such scholars face obstacles in the workplace, such as difficulties in obtaining ethical approval, scarcity of funding, bullying, denial of promotion and unacknowledged scholarship, among other struggles.Objectives: This article intends to highlight the unintended, unanticipated and often overlooked impact that certain LGBT research interests have on the professional and personal identities of the scholar.Method: This exploratory qualitative study uses a reflexive dialogical single case study approach to understand how Katlego (a pseudonym), a cisgender heterosexual researcher, is affected by his interest in LGBT studies. Continuous supervision notes that enable thoughtful reflexive practice in qualitative research shaped the basis of this article.Results: This article shows how Katlego’s LGBT research interest resulted in him being policed, his professional intentions questioned, his bodily expression scrutinised and personal conflict being blamed on his allegedly ‘disgraceful’ research interest. Furthermore, it demonstrates how the conflation of Katlego’s interest in LGBT research with pervasive negative assumptions of non-heteronormative sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions has resulted in a shift in his professional and personal identities.Conclusion: This article calls for awareness of the issues faced by all researchers interested in LGBT research and support strategies for navigating the professional identity, workplace environment and social ecologies within a frowned-upon research field. Failure to do so could compromise their career trajectory, well-being and safety in compulsory heterosexual environments.Contribution: This article illustrated how gender regimes position the researcher as an active creator of knowledge; therefore, the research process experiences can neither be made invisible nor neutralised. Researchers must overtly consider and prepare for situational and unanticipated ethical issues.

Comic Elements as a System of Queer Expression: A Close Analysis of Maia Kobabe's Gender Queer: A Memoir

The paper analyses the relationship between queer and comics, with a particular emphasis on Maia Kobabe's graphic memoir Gender Queer: A Memoir. It explores the narrative significance of comics and the convergence of queerness within the medium, framed within the theoretical frameworks of Scott McCloud, Richard Walsh, Ramzi Fawaz, and Darieck Scott. The primary objective of the study is to demonstrate how words and images interact to communicate Maia's gender and sexual identities in a way that defies accepted cultural norms. It analyses and exhibits the ability of the visual narrative to convey nuanced facets of queer identity, ranging from representations of physical discomfort during medical exams to the presentation of romantic fantasies defying binary gender norms. The paper concludes that Maia employs an effective tool to convey the subtleties of eir queer identity through the symbiotic relationship between words and pictures, based on a careful analysis of eir narrative. Beyond the confines of conventional language, a more comprehensive expression of gender and sexuality is made possible by the interaction of words and images.