Male Faces Research Articles

The challenges and needs of male victims of intimate partner violence in Nigeria: what victims and professionals say

ABSTRACT Historically, interventions have focused on female victims due to intimate partner violence (IPV) disproportionate occurrence. Consequently, male victims face significant challenges and unmet needs due to lack of tailored interventions. In under-resourced countries like Nigeria, where male victimization is under-researched and under-documented, the situation is even worse. Using the grounded theory methodology, this study examined the needs and challenges of male victims from the perspective of victims, and professionals who served as key informants. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews from 35 male victims aged ≥18 across 12 states in the southern region of Nigeria, and four professionals were interviewed based on their availability. Data were analysed using content analysis based on category development of the grounded theory method. The challenges and needs identified include balance in the law, need for mental health services, creating a safe space, communal involvement, and victims need to speak up. They were all discussed around an overarching theme of masculinity and societal stereotypes. Re-examination of the existing laws as they apply to male victims, enlightenment campaigns, establishment of tailored institutions or rebranding of existing institution, and creation of support groups were recommended.

Exploring pedestrian thermal risk exposure and its determinants among various types of walking trips: A gendered examination from a GPS-based study in Nanjing

Previous research has found that components of the natural and built environment play an important role in regulating ambient temperature. However, existing research regarding the association between these environmental characteristics and thermal exposure has focused mainly at the macro level, leaving this relationship at the individual level underexplored. It remains unknown how the environment functions differently in determining thermal exposure among various types of trips and how this mechanism differs by gender. Using GPS walking trajectory data collected in Nanjing, China, this study examines the extent to which male and female pedestrians experience different levels of thermal exposure, and how the thermal exposure determinants work differently between utilitarian and recreational trips. Descriptive analysis shows that men experience higher per-minute thermal exposure than women, and both male and female pedestrians face higher thermal exposure per minute during utilitarian walks compared to recreational walks. Generalized linear mixed model results indicate that green spaces significantly reduce thermal exposure for both male and female pedestrians during utilitarian walking trips, but this effect only works among women regarding recreational walking. We also identified a negative relationship between water bodies and thermal exposure during recreational walks, but this correlation only occurs among women. Our study suggests that the natural environment’s mitigating effect on thermal exposure differs by gender among different types of walking trips. Policymakers should consider these disparities to avoid exacerbating gender inequality in the arena of thermal exposure and health.

Face detection in contextual scenes.

Object and scene perception are intertwined. When objects are expected to appear within a particular scene, they are detected and categorised with greater speed and accuracy. This study examined whether such context effects also moderate the perception of social objects such as faces. Female and male faces were embedded in scenes with a stereotypical female or male context. Semantic congruency of these scene contexts influenced the categorisation of faces (Experiment 1). These effects were bi-directional, such that face sex also affected scene categorisation (Experiment 2), suggesting concurrent automatic processing of both levels. In contrast, the more elementary task of face detection was not affected by semantic scene congruency (Experiment 3), even when scenes were previewed prior to face presentation (Experiment 4). This pattern of results indicates that semantic scene context can affect categorisation of faces. However, the earlier perceptual stage of detection appears to be encapsulated from the cognitive processes that give rise to this contextual interference.

Influence of ethnicity on aesthetic preferences for lip characteristics in Caucasian male and female faces

BackgroundIn an era where globalization and social media significantly reshape beauty standards, it becomes imperative to delve into the subjectivity of beauty and attractiveness. The lips, a key element in facial aesthetics, not only contribute significantly to perceptions of attractiveness, but also have a profound impact on an individual's self-esteem. ObjectiveTo analyze the influence of ethnicity on aesthetic preferences for lip characteristics, among both male and female faces. Materials and MethodsStudy encompassed a sample of n=231 study participants (153 female, 78 male) with an average age of 23.2 ± 2.8 years, representing ethnicities such as African, Caucasian, Middle Eastern and South Asian. Participants were asked to rate a series of images showcasing various lip variants, providing insights into their aesthetic preferences. ResultsDemographic analysis revealed gender and ethnic variations in aesthetic preferences for all investigated lip parameters. Female participants were 2.42 times more likely than males to prefer no Cupid’s indentation on a female model (p=0.0019). ConclusionsThe study underscores the importance of understanding cultural influences on beauty standards and challenges the notion of a universal beauty ideal. The evolving role of social media trends, such as Cupid's bow indentation elimination, raises questions about the dynamic nature of aesthetic preferences among different ethnicities.

For Da Brothas: a call for fat, black male and masculine folx literature

PurposeThis study rigorously explores the intersectional challenges faced by black fat males, emphasizing the amalgamation of anti-fat bias, gender and sexuality and racial discrimination within educational contexts. The purpose of this study is to dissect the complex dynamics of this intersection, shedding light on the nuanced experiences of black men. Central to this exploration is the advocacy for creating inclusive educational sanctuaries, providing a safe space for these individuals to thrive, learn and engage in holistic personal development.Design/methodology/approachTo accomplish our objectives, this paper reviewed existing literature on anti-fatness, intersecting with issues of race, gender and sexuality. Drawing upon qualitative data, this study incorporated personal narratives and experiences to offer a comprehensive perspective. Our research methodology also involved an analysis of metrics like body mass index (BMI) and its impact on health-care practices and policies, particularly concerning the black community.FindingsThe research discerns that black fat males encounter multifaceted challenges in educational settings, often rooted in societal prejudices and systemic biases. It highlights the inadequacy of conventional metrics like BMI in capturing the complexity of these experiences. The study identifies the urgent need for safe school spaces, emphasizing the importance of inclusive language, varied seating arrangements and tailored educational content. These findings underscore the imperative for proactive measures in dismantling anti-fatness within academic institutions.Originality/valueThis research contributes significantly to the academic discourse by pioneering an in-depth exploration of the intersectional challenges black fat males face in education. This study offers a novel perspective by focusing on the unique amalgamation of anti-fat bias and racial discrimination. The proposal for educational sanctuaries tailored to the needs of this demographic represents an innovative solution, bridging gaps in the existing literature. Through its nuanced approach and advocacy for inclusivity, this study stands as an original and pioneering contribution to the field, urging educators and policymakers to reevaluate their practices and create equitable learning environments.

AI-generated faces show lower morphological diversity than real faces do

Some recent studies suggest that artificial intelligence can create realistic human faces subjectively unrecognizable from faces of real people. We have compared static facial photographs of 197 real men with a sample of 200 male faces generated by artificial intelligence to test whether they converge in basic morphological characteristic such as shape variation and bilateral asymmetry. Both datasets depicted standardized faces of European men with a neutral expression. Then we used geometric morphometrics to investigate their facial morphology and calculate the measures of shape variation and asymmetry. We found that the natural faces of real individuals were more variable in their facial shape than the artificially generated faces were. Moreover, the artificially synthesized faces showed lower levels of facial asymmetry than the control group. Despite the rapid development of generative adversarial networks, natural faces are thus still statistically distinguishable from the artificial ones by objective measurements. We recommend the researchers in face perception, that aim to use artificially generated faces as ecologically valid stimuli, to check whether their stimuli morphological variance is comparable with that of natural faces in a target population.

Mental Health Care Use among Adolescent Sexual Minority Males Before and During COVID-19.

Adolescent (cisgender) sexual minority males (ASMM) face multiple mental health disparities. Yet surprisingly little is known about use of mental health care among ASMM. The current study examined mental health care use among ASMM, both lifetime use and during the COVID-19 pandemic. ASMM (N=154, ages 14-17 years) enrolled in Spring 2020 for a pilot randomized controlled trial of an online sexual health intervention. Participants were assessed at baseline and 3-month follow-up. Participants reported lifetime (at baseline) and recent (at follow-up) mental health care use. Anxiety and depressive symptoms were assessed at both timepoints. Differences in care use by sociodemographics, healthcare access, and mental health symptoms were established. More than half of participants reported clinically significant anxiety and depressive symptoms at baseline and at follow-up. Of those youth, fifty-three percent reported lifetime mental health care use, while only 28% reported recent care at follow-up. Being out to an accepting guardian (aOR=4.0, 95% CI: 1.9-8.4), having a primary care physician (aOR=2.6, 95% CI: 1.0-6.7), and having clinically significant symptoms (aOR=3.1, 95% CI: 1.5-6.5) were each independently associated with a greater odds of having received lifetime mental health care. Findings indicate that many ASMM in the sample received mental health care in their lifetimes. However, more participants endorsed clinically significant anxiety/depressive symptoms than received care at both timepoints. This disparity was even more pronounced approximately five months into the COVID-19 pandemic. Research and practice efforts must reduce care barriers and augment facilitators for all ASMM, with particular urgency during COVID-19 and its aftermath.

No immediate attentional bias towards or choice bias for male secondary sexual characteristics in Bornean orang-utans (Pongo pygmaeus).

Primate faces provide information about a range of variant and invariant traits, including some that are relevant for mate choice. For example, faces of males may convey information about their health or genetic quality through symmetry or facial masculinity. Because perceiving and processing such information may have bearing on the reproductive success of an individual, cognitive systems are expected to be sensitive to facial cues of mate quality. However, few studies have investigated this topic in non-human primate species. Orang-utans are an interesting species to test mate-relevant cognitive biases, because they are characterised by male bimaturism: some adult males are fully developed and bear conspicuous flanges on the side of their face, while other males look relatively similar to females. Here, we describe two non-invasive computerised experiments with Bornean orang-utans (Pongo pygmaeus), testing (i) immediate attention towards large flanges and symmetrical faces using a dot-probe task (N = 3 individuals; 2F) and (ii) choice bias for pictures of flanged males over unflanged males using a preference test (N = 6 individuals; 4F). In contrast with our expectations, we found no immediate attentional bias towards either large flanges or symmetrical faces. In addition, individuals did not show a choice bias for stimuli of flanged males. We did find exploratory evidence for a colour bias and energy efficiency trade-offs in the preference task. We discuss our null results and exploratory results in the context of the evolutionary history of Bornean orang-utans, and provide suggestions for a more biocentric approach to the study oforang-utan cognition.

Male allocation to ejaculation and mating effort imposes different life history trade-offs.

When males compete, sexual selection favors reproductive traits that increase their mating or fertilization success (pre- and postcopulatory sexual selection). It is assumed that males face a trade-off between these 2 types of sexual traits because they both draw from the same pool of resources. Consequently, allocation into mate acquisition or ejaculation should create similar trade-offs with other key life history traits. Tests of these assumptions are exceedingly rare. Males only ejaculate after they mate, and the costs of ejaculation are therefore highly confounded with those of mating effort. Consequently, little is known about how each component of reproductive allocation affects a male's future performance. Here, we ran an experiment using a novel technique to distinguish the life history costs of mating effort and ejaculation for mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki). We compared manipulated males (mate without ejaculation), control males (mate and ejaculate), and naïve males (neither mate nor ejaculate) continuously housed with a female and 2 rival males. We assessed their growth, somatic maintenance, mating and fighting behavior, and sperm traits after 8 and 16 weeks. Past mating effort significantly lowered a male's future mating effort and growth, but not his sperm production, while past sperm release significantly lowered a male's future ejaculate quantity, but not his mating effort. Immune response was the only trait impacted by both past mating effort and past ejaculation. These findings challenge the assumption that male reproductive allocation draws from a common pool of resources to generate similar life history costs later in life. Instead, we provide clear evidence that allocation into traits under pre- and postcopulatory sexual selection have different trait-specific effects on subsequent male reproductive performance.

Emotion expression salience and racially biased weapon identification: A diffusion modeling approach.

Racial stereotypes are commonly activated by informational cues that are detectable in people's faces. Here, we used a sequential priming task to examine whether and how the salience of emotion (angry/scowling vs. happy/smiling expressions) or apparent race (Black vs. White) information in male face primes shapes racially biased weapon identification (gun vs. tool) decisions. In two experiments (Ntotal = 546) using two different manipulations of facial information salience, racial bias in weapon identification was weaker when the salience of emotion expression versus race was heightened. Using diffusion decision modeling, we tested competing accounts of the cognitive mechanism by which the salience of facial information moderates this behavioral effect. Consistent support emerged for an initial bias account, whereby the decision process began closer to the "gun" response upon seeing faces of Black versus White men, and this racially biased shift in the starting position was weaker when emotion versus race information was salient. We discuss these results vis-à-vis prior empirical and theoretical work on how facial information salience moderates racial bias in decision-making.

"The Crusade Against the Whisker" and the Birth of the Modern Radical Beard

This paper seeks to investigate the shift in style in the last decade of the nineteenth century, when it again became customary for men to shave their beards. In order to address this topic, the historiographies of facial hair, masculinity, and radical politics in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries in the United States demand attention. The convergence of these three areas of study will provide the basis for this examination into this shift in style, and the social meanings that may have been placed on beards and beardlessness during this period in American history.

The influence of face mask color on perceptions of African American and white men.

Despite their widespread use during the COVID-19 pandemic, face masks hinder abilities to interpret facial expressions. Yet, they can also reduce the appearance of characteristics that are used to categorize individuals into racial groups, such as Afrocentric features. The color of a face mask might also promote associations with certain types of behavior and professional occupations (e.g., blue surgical mask connoting physician stereotypes; black masks potentially being associated with criminality). This study assessed whether the presence and color of a face mask impacted perceptions of a target male of varying race. White participants (N = 250) were presented with an African American or White male adult face from the Chicago Face Database (of equal age and attractiveness) wearing a blue or black surgical mask, or no mask (Photoshopped onto the face) and rated the man on emotions (happy, sad, angry) as well as how trustworthy, threatening, and attractive the target appeared. Targets wearing a blue surgical mask were judged as more trustworthy and attractive than those wearing no mask (perhaps due to association with medical professions), but these judgements were not qualified by race, despite the African American target's selection based on Afrocentric features. The color black on a face mask did not exacerbate negative perceptions of targets, perhaps suggesting a decline effect in previously demonstrated associations between this color and criminal actions. Unlike previous research performed at the beginning of the Covid-19 Pandemic on cloth masks shown to potentially exacerbate racial biases, surgical masks (pleated and made of polymeric materials), appear to lessen potential stereotyping of Black relative to White men.

THE DIFFICULTY OF CONTEXTUAL PROBLEM SOLVING ON FLAT BUILDINGS MATERIAL BASED ON GENDER IN FIFTH GRADE STUDENTS

Problem solving difficulty is one of the difficulties experienced by students when choosing the correct strategy to obtain an answer. In general, problem solving problems are contextual in nature that are based on student reality. The difficulty of solving contextual problems, especially in flat building material, causes math subjects to be unpopular with students. In solving contextual problem solving problems, the ability of each student will be different which can be seen from gender differences, namely men and women. The goal of this study is to characterize the disparities in fifth-grade students at Gondang 1 State Elementary School as well as the challenges that male and female students face when attempting to solve contextual problems with flat shapes. Descriptive qualitative research is employed in this kind of study. Teachers and students in the fifth grade served as the research subjects. Semi-structured interviews, documentation, and observation were the methods of data collecting that were employed. Technique and source triangulation were employed in data validity methodologies. Data reduction, data visualization, and conclusion drafting are examples of data analysis approaches. The results showed that male students had difficulty developing a problem solving plan, difficulty counting, especially multiplication and division, difficulty checking or looking back at the results of the work and they were not accustomed to writing conclusions to the problems asked in the problem. Meanwhile, female students have difficulty operating multiplication and division, are less careful in checking back the results of work and are not accustomed to writing conclusions to the problems asked in the problem. The difference in the difficulty of solving contextual problems of flat building material between male and female students lies in the second stage, namely developing a problem-solving plan and the fourth stage, namely checking or looking back.

The cross-race effect is mitigated by own-gender bias but not minimal groups or university affiliation

ABSTRACT Two experiments tested whether the cross-race effect (CRE) was mitigated more effectively by the own-gender effect (OGE) than minimal group manipulations. In experiment one, White participants were randomly assigned to one of two colour teams. They studied 16 faces (divided as follows: Black female, White female, Black male, and White male) half which were visually identified as team members. Face gender, via the OGE, but not colour teams mitigated the CRE in female participants such that White male faces were more accurately recognized than Black male faces, while White and Black female faces were recognized equally well. Experiment two replicated experiment one and tested whether university affiliation was a promising CRE mitigator. Again, only face gender mitigated the CRE in female participants. These results suggest that at least in White female participants the CRE may be more effectively mitigated by the OGE compared to commonly used minimal group manipulations.

Migration, social stratification, and labor market attainment: An analysis of the ethnic penalty in 12 Western European countries

This article presents a comprehensive investigation into the socioeconomic integration of migrants across 12 Western European countries, considering their likelihood of employment and socioeconomic status. Using the data from the European Social Survey, the study employs linear regression and probit models to achieve two aims: (a) to quantify the penalty for male and female migrants in terms of employment and socioeconomic status attainment; (b) to assess how the ethnic penalty for men and women changes based on their education and social background of origin. Results reveal that male and female migrants face a penalty in most countries under consideration, albeit with varying degrees of magnitude and characteristics. Migrants in Southern European countries exhibit a trade-off between employment and socioeconomic status attainment, while those in Central-Northern Europe experience a double penalty on both outcomes. Moreover, it emerges that the ethnic penalty in labor market attainment is more heterogeneous across migrants with different educational levels than with different social classes of origin: migrants’ social background of origin affects to a lesser extent their labor market outcomes, if compared with their human capital. Migrants with high education and social origin suffer the largest penalty, due to hurdles in leveraging their educational qualifications and social position. This pattern is particularly evident in Southern Europe, where the socioeconomic integration of migrant workers is characterized by a leveling-down process, pushing them into the lowest strata of the occupational hierarchy regardless of their education and social background.

Microbiome and lipidomic analysis reveal the interplay between skin bacteria and lipids in a cohort study.

Human skin acts as a protective barrier between the body and the external environment. Skin microbiome and intercellular lipids in the stratum corneum (SC) are essential for maintaining skin barrier function. However, the interplay between skin bacteria and the lipids is not fully understood. In this study, we characterized the skin microbiome and SC lipid profiles from the forearm and face in a cohort of 57 healthy participants. 16S rRNA gene sequencing showed the skin microbial composition is significantly different between body locations and genders. Female forearm samples have the highest microbial diversity. The relative abundance of Staphylococcus hominis, Micrococcus luteus, Corynebacterium tuberculostearicum, Finegoldia magna, and Moraxellaceae sp. are significantly higher in the forearm than the face. The predictive functional analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequencing by Phylogenetic Investigation of Communities by Reconstruction of Unobserved States (PICRUSt2) and ANCOM-BC showed different bacterial metabolic pathway profiles between body locations or genders, and identified 271 differential pathways, including arginine and polyamine biosynthesis, chorismate biosynthesis pathways, which are more abundant in the female forearm, and sulfur oxidation pathway, which is more abundant in the male face. The SC lipid profiles differ between the body locations as well. Total free fatty acids (FFA), cholesterol sulfate and sphingosine are more abundant in the face. Dihydro-/6-hydroxy/phyto-ceramides are more abundant in the forearm. The correlation analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequencing and lipids revealed novel interplay between the bacteria and skin lipids. Shannon entropy and S. hominis negatively correlated with FFA, cholesterol sulfate and sphingosine; while positively correlated with dihydro-/6-hydroxy/phyto-ceramides. The correlation of predictive pathway profiles and lipids identified pathways involved in amino acids metabolism, carbohydrates degradation, aromatic compounds metabolism and fatty acid degradation metabolism are positively correlated with dihydro-/6-hydroxy/phyto-ceramides and negatively correlated with FFA, cholesterol sulfate and sphingosine. This study provides insights on the potential correlation between skin microbiome and lipids.

Re-evaluating the Role of Partnership-Related Perceptions in Women's Preferences for Men with Masculine Face Shapes.

Many researchers have proposed that women perceive men with masculine face shapes to be less suitable as parents and long-term partners than men with feminine face shapes, causing women to find masculine men more attractive for short-term than long-term relationships. However, recent work shows that results obtained using the type of experimentally manipulated stimuli that were employed in studies presenting evidence for these claims are not necessarily observed when natural (i.e., unmanipulated) face stimuli were used to suggest that the evidence for these claims may need to be revaluated. Consequently, we tested for possible relationships between ratings of natural male faces for parenting- and relationship-related traits and shape masculinity (Study 1) and also tested whether women's preferences for shape masculinity were stronger when natural male faces were rated for short-term relationships than when natural male faces were rated for long-term relationships (Studies 2 and 3). We saw no evidence for either of these predictions, instead finding that men with more attractive faces were perceived to be better parents and better long-term partners. Thus, our findings do not support the widely held view that masculine men are more attractive for short-term relationships because they are perceived to be unlikely to invest time and effort in their romantic partners and offspring.

Medication-Seeking Behaviors and Correlated Characteristics of Zolpidem Users in Taiwan-A Shared Patient Network Analysis.

Increasing insomnia signals a public health problem, alongside rising zolpidem use. This study investigates the factors behind the disproportionate rise in zolpidem prescriptions in Taiwan. It aims to identify the determinants of high-dose zolpidem users in Taiwan's Yilan County and employ an innovative approach to outline their medication-seeking patterns, using Taiwan's healthcare database. The associations between sociodemographic and clinical factors and low-dose and high-dose users were analyzed using multiple logistic regression. Social network analysis was employed to explore medication-seeking behavior among these user groups across different healthcare institutions. Of our 5290 participants, 22.82% are high-dose users. This study found that males face a 1.33-fold higher risk and that having chronic diseases is a major risk factor, contributing to a more than four-times higher risk (adjusted OR = 4.27, 95% CI 1.55-11.70) of being a high-dose user of zolpidem. A social network analysis showed a higher density (0.52) for high-dose users, revealing their frequent visits, for zolpidem, to different healthcare institutions. Psychiatrists have a central role in both low-dose and high-dose user networks, with a greater influence on low-dose users (64.4) than high-dose users (32.2). In sum, patients seeking high doses of zolpidem are driven by personal factors. Future efforts should include regulated dispensing, public health education, and specialized training for healthcare professionals on drug addiction.

Cross-cultural perception of strength, attractiveness, aggressiveness and helpfulness of Maasai male faces calibrated to handgrip strength

Previous research has demonstrated that Maasai and Europeans tend to align in their ratings of the physical strength and aggressiveness of Maasai male faces, calibrated to hand grip strength (HGS). However, perceptions of attractiveness of these faces differed among populations. In this study, three morphs of young Maasai men created by means of geometric morphometrics, and depicting the average sample and two extrema (± 4 SD of HGS), were assessed by men and women from Tanzania, Czech Republic, Russia, Pakistan, China, and Mexico (total sample = 1540). The aim of this study was to test cross-cultural differences in the perception of young Maasai men’s composites calibrated to HGS, focusing on four traits: physical strength, attractiveness, aggressiveness, and helpfulness. Individuals from all six cultures were able to distinguish between low, medium, and high HGS portraits. Across all study populations, portrait of Maasai men with lower HGS was perceived as less attractive, more aggressive, and less helpful. This suggests that people from diverse populations share similar perceptions of physical strength based on facial shape, as well as attribute similar social qualities like aggressiveness and helpfulness to these facial images. Participants from all samples rated the composite image of weak Maasai men as the least attractive.

(229) Late Life Male Virgins: Exploring the Psycho-Social-Sexual Consequences of Sexual Inexperience in Cisgender American Males Seeking Sex Therapy

Abstract Introduction Reports on past studies about male sexuality, as it compares to women’s, indicate that men have higher sex drives, more positive attitudes toward casual or uncommitted sexual encounters, being more eager to engage in a variety of sexual activities, having more positive emotional responses to intercourse and having higher value regarding sexual experience and activity than women. Although the literature and cultural norms have perpetuated the myth of the sexual male, there is a dearth of literature regarding male virginity, specifically, late life male virginity, and its impacts on psycho-social-sexual health. Objective To investigate the experiences of later in life male virgins and the effects of their sexual status on their psycho-social-sexual health. To provide new insight into late life male virgins' assumptions, feelings, and gender role expectations and their perceptions on how those impact their attainability of sexual interactions and romantic relationships. To increase awareness among clinicians regarding the need for targeted interventions for late life male virgins in clinical practice. Methods This exploratory qualitative research was based on the case studies of five cisgender heterosexual men in the United States of America, who were late life virgins at the time of the study (defined as men 45 years and older, with no previous sexual experiences or interactions with the opposite sex) who sought Sex Therapy and Surrogate Partner Therapy to assist in their objective to acquire social and sexual skills with the goal of having their sexual debut. Results The common themes that stemmed from the case studies revealed that: 1) although the men in the study were able to achieve academic and professional status, they felt flawed and out of the norm due to their virginity status; 2) all the men hid their sexual inexperience from peers and family due to shame and fear of negative consequences to their reputation and even professional loss; and 3) made evident the challenges these men face while navigating social and sexual experiences later in life; 4) underscored the damaging effects of myths, stereotypes and societal expectations around male sexuality; and 5) highlighted the lack of information, education and therapeutic tools that could help guide late life male virgins in their pursuit to exercise their sexuality. Conclusions The study provides a greater understanding of the challenges and issues late life male virgins face in their quest to reach their sexual debut and live satisfactory sex lives that meet their particular needs. The themes offer guidance for the development and implementation of sex therapy interventions that will help this specific cohort, as well as directions for future research. Disclosure No.