Women's Sexual Behavior Research Articles

Gender context of sexual violence and HIV sexual risk behaviors among married women in Iringa Region, Tanzania

Background There is a dearth of empirical research illuminating possible connections between gender imbalances and sexual violence among married women in Tanzania. There is a need to generate in-depth information on the connectivity between gender imbalances (asymmetrical resource ownership, sexual decision making, roles, and norms) and sexual violence plus associated HIV risky sexual behavior among married women. Design This paper is based on a qualitative case study that involved use of focus group discussions (FGDs). A thematic analysis approach was used in analyzing the study findings. Results The study findings are presented under the three structures of gender and power theory. On sexual division of labor, our study found that economic powerlessness exposes women to sexual violence. On sexual division of power, our study found that perception of the man as a more powerful partner in marriage is enhanced by the biased marriage arrangement and alcohol consumption. On cathexis, this study has revealed that because of societal norms and expectations regarding women's sexual behavior characterized by their sexual and emotional attachments to men, women find it hard to leave sexually abusive marriages. That is, because of societal expectations of obedience and compelled tolerance many married women do suffer in silence. They find themselves trapped in marriages that increase their risk of acquiring HIV. Conclusions This study suggests that married women experience a sexual risk of acquiring HIV that results from non-consensual sex. That non-consensual sex is a function of gender imbalances – ranging from women's economic dependence on their husbands or partners to socioculturally rooted norms and expectations regarding women's sexual behavior. The HIV risk is especially heightened because masculine sexual norms encourage men [husbands/partners] to engage in unprotected intra- and extramarital sex. It is recommended that the Tanzania Commission for AIDS (TACAIDS) should address the gender dimensions of sexual violence in marriage.

Sexual Behaviors Among Iranian Women With Cervical Cancer

In developing countries, cervical cancer is the first or second most common cancer in the female reproductive system. This study, a retrospective case-control analytic study, investigated the relationship between the incidence of cervical cancer and Iranian women's sexual behaviors. A total of 128 cervical cancer patients were matched with 128 control group members for patient age, maternal age at the first birth, number of childbirths, miscarriage and abortion history, and socio-economic status. Statistical measures (t-test, chi-square test, and the Pearson Correlation Coefficient) were used for analyzing the data. The study results show that marital status, more-than-one marriage, marriage before age 16, and sexual intercourse more than twice a week increase the chances of cervical cancer. Sexual intercourse during menstrual periods did not show a significant relationship with cervical cancer. The study affirms that sexual factors increase the risk of cervical cancer. As this condition is largely preventable, identifying at-risk people and implementing preventive measures will likely help decrease the incidence of cervical cancer.

Application of a Body Map Tool to Enhance Discussion of Sexual Behaviour in Women: Experiences from MTN 003D

AIDS Research and Human RetrovirusesVol. 30, No. S1 Microbicides: Male Partner Engagement and Sexual BehaviorsApplication of a Body Map Tool to Enhance Discussion of Sexual Behaviour in Women: Experiences from MTN 003DSarita Naidoo, Kubashni Woeber, Otilia Munaiwa, Juliane Etima, Zoe Duby, Miriam Hartmann, Elizabeth Montgomery, Barbara Mensch, Ariane van der Straten, and the MTN 003D TeamSarita NaidooSouth African Medical Research Council, HIV Prevention Research Unit, Durban, South AfricaSearch for more papers by this author, Kubashni WoeberSouth African Medical Research Council, HIV Prevention Research Unit, Durban, South AfricaSearch for more papers by this author, Otilia MunaiwaUZ-UCSF Collaborative Research Programme, Harare, ZimbabweSearch for more papers by this author, Juliane EtimaMU-JHU Research Collaboration, Kampala, UgandaSearch for more papers by this author, Zoe DubyDesmond Tutu HIV Foundation, IIDMM University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South AfricaSearch for more papers by this author, Miriam HartmannRTI International, San Francisco, CA, United StatesSearch for more papers by this author, Elizabeth MontgomeryRTI International, San Francisco, CA, United StatesSearch for more papers by this author, Barbara MenschPopulation Council, New York, NY, United StatesSearch for more papers by this author, Ariane van der StratenRTI International, San Francisco, CA, United StatesSearch for more papers by this author, and the MTN 003D TeamSearch for more papers by this authorPublished Online:30 Oct 2014https://doi.org/10.1089/aid.2014.5009a.abstractAboutSectionsView articleView Full TextPDF/EPUB ToolsPermissionsDownload CitationsTrack CitationsAdd to favorites Back To Publication ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditEmail View article"Application of a Body Map Tool to Enhance Discussion of Sexual Behaviour in Women: Experiences from MTN 003D." AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses, 30(S1), p. A11FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsCited ByDisclosure of pharmacokinetic drug results to understand nonadherenceAIDS, Vol. 29, No. 16 Volume 30Issue S1Oct 2014 InformationCopyright 2014, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.To cite this article:Sarita Naidoo, Kubashni Woeber, Otilia Munaiwa, Juliane Etima, Zoe Duby, Miriam Hartmann, Elizabeth Montgomery, Barbara Mensch, Ariane van der Straten, and the MTN 003D Team.Application of a Body Map Tool to Enhance Discussion of Sexual Behaviour in Women: Experiences from MTN 003D.AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses.Oct 2014.A11-A11.http://doi.org/10.1089/aid.2014.5009a.abstractPublished in Volume: 30 Issue S1: October 30, 2014PDF download

The use of biomarkers of semen exposure in sexual and reproductive health studies.

Biomarkers of semen exposure have been used in studies investigating the safety and efficacy of barrier methods of contraception. They have been used as objective indicators of semen exposure when studying sexual behaviors and in human immunodeficiency virus/sexually transmitted infection research interventions where participants are advised to avoid unprotected sex. Semen biomarkers have also been used to assess or validate self-reported sexual behaviors or condom use in reproductive health settings. Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and Y chromosome DNA (Yc-DNA) have each been evaluated in the past as semen biomarkers and are the most widely used in the field. While both are considered reliable for evaluating exposure to semen, each has unique characteristics. In this report, we summarize the literature and provide some considerations for reproductive health researchers who are interested in using PSA or Yc-DNA as semen biomarkers. We also synthesize our previous published work on the optimal conditions of collecting and storing specimens and assay performance in the presence of other vaginal products that may influence various assays. Semen biomarkers are innovative and promising tools to further study and better understand women's reproductive and sexual health and behavior. More research is needed to better understand the strengths, limitations, and optimal performance conditions of specific assays in vivo.

Developing a valid and reliable instrument to predict the protective sexual behaviors in women at risk of human immunodeficiency virus.

Background:One much needed tool to assist with the monitoring and evaluation of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) prevention programs is to provide a valid instrument to measure protective sexual behavior and related factors.Objectives:The current study aimed to design a valid and reliable instrument to predict the protective sexual behaviors of women at risk of HIV in Iran.Patients and Methods:The current study was a sequential mixed cross-sectional and methodological research. Initially, via a qualitative research, constructs and factors associated with sexual protective behavior of women at risk were identified through 25 in-depth interviews. The questionnaire on predictors of protective sexual behaviors in women at risk of HIV (PSPB) was designed based on a qualitative study, and then its qualitative validity, content, and construct validity were evaluated. Exploratory factor analysis was performed and 200 women at risk participated.Results:Seven concepts emerged after exploratory factor analysis of the 48 items. The content validity ratio (CVR) of the questionnaire constructs were 0.55 to 0.76, and content validity index (CVI) structure was 0.86 to 0.95. Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the entire questionnaire was 0.78, and correlation coefficient of the test-retest reliability for the constructs was from 0.73 to 0.89.Conclusions:The current study proved the capability of the predictors of sexual protective behavior in women at risk for HIV questionnaire as a valid and reliable instrument for the Iranian community.

Measuring Iranian women's sexual behaviors: Expert opinion.

The cultural compatibility of sexually related instruments is problematic because the contexts from which the concepts and meanings were extracted may be significantly different from related contexts in a different society. This paper describes the instruments that have been used to assess sexual behaviors, primarily in Western contexts. Then, based on the instruments' working definition of 'sexual behavior' and their theoretical frameworks, we will (1) discuss the applicability or cultural compatibility of existing instruments targeting women's sexual behaviors within an Iranian context, and (2) suggest criteria for sexually related tools applicable in Iranian settings. Iranian women's sexual scripts may compromise the existing instruments' compatibility. Suggested criteria are as follows: understanding, language of sexuality, ethics and morality. Therefore, developing a culturally comprehensive measure that can adequately examine Iranian women's sexual behaviors is needed.

Phenomenology of young women's sexual risk-taking in tourism

Tourist experiences have been conceptualized as heterotopias, and liminoid contra-normative settings offering a license for thrills, situational disinhibition, and sexual experimentation. The purpose of this study was to explore the links between tourism and young women's sexual behavior, focusing on their perceptions of sexual risk-taking in tourism and its consequences. Transcendental phenomenology was implemented to grasp the uniqueness of the individual experiences and assess the universal meanings of the phenomenon, proceeding through the stages of epoché, phenomenological reduction, imaginative variation, and synthesis. The findings of fifteen in-depth interviews reveal that women's sexual risk-taking in tourism is a complex and multidimensional phenomenon involving physical, sexual health, social, emotional, mental/self-perceptional, cultural, and legal aspects. Clarifying the dimensions of sexual risk-taking in tourism and its consequences benefits the literature in terms of shedding light on an under-researched topic and provides information for health education/intervention programs aimed at addressing sexual risk behaviors in tourism.

Sex, desire and pleasure: considering the experiences of older Australian women

Older age is often associated with asexuality. That is, older individuals are not viewed as desiring of sex, nor as sexually desirable to others. Broader social and cultural norms that downplay women's sexual desire and agency further compound these phenomena. Whether this popular image accurately reflects older women's sexual desires, behaviour and capacity to experience pleasure is unclear. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with 43 partnered Australian women aged 55–81, this article considers women's sexual experiences and desires in older age. The findings of our research confirm that older women's experiences of sex and sexual desire are diverse and fluid. Some of the factors that influenced participants’ sexual behaviour and desire will be considered in this article, as will their understandings of what “counts” as sexual satisfaction and “successful sex”. The factors affecting sexual behaviour and desire also influence the way in which women are able to negotiate sexual interaction with their partners. Participants expressed a need for education and resources in order to gain greater control and to make autonomous choices over their sexual experiences, desire and ability to give and receive pleasure. The implications of these findings for practitioners are also considered.

Becoming Down Low: A Review of the Literature on Black Men Who Have Sex With Men and Women

The popular media has reinforced stereotypes of the down-low identity and Black men who have sex with men (BMSM) and women as being synonymous and directly responsible for the increased HIV infection rates among Black women in the United States. This review of literature found that the down-low identity was most often classified with the other MSM activities. HIV/AIDS were also closely associated with the down-low identity in much of the literature, either directly or indirectly. Results from this systematic literature, however, failed to support claims that risky sexual behaviors were directly associated with the down-low identity. None of the literature reviewed considered BMSM and women's gender expression within a bisexual context. Instead, this literature review generated new questions pertaining to the reductive manner in which Western societies organize BMSM and women's sexual identities, behaviors, and expressions.

Body Size and Sexual Behavior in a Community-Based Sample of Women

ABSTRACT. Women's body size is closely related to their social and sexual experiences. Clinical research has found that women's lifetime sexual behaviors may vary based on body mass index (BMI). Objectives: This study examined the relationship between BMI and recent solo and partnered sexual repertoire in a community-based, non-clinical sample of women. Methods: Two hundred thirty-eight sexually active women completed an online survey measuring age, sexual relationship status, BMI, gender of sexual partners, and engagement in sexual behaviors in the previous 4 weeks. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine whether BMI predicted engagement in behaviors after controlling for age and sexual relationship variables. Results: Participant age ranged from 18 to 56 years (M = 30.4, SD = 7.8). Participants were predominantly in exclusive sexual relationships (62.9%, n = 146) with men (82.8%, n = 197). Mean BMI for the sample was 29.33 (SD = 9.28). Participation in self-masturbation, masturbating a partner, performing oral sex on a partner, receiving oral sex from a partner, and penile–vaginal intercourse were not predicted by BMI after controlling for age and partner variables. Conclusions: BMI did not impact sexual repertoire during the previous 4 weeks, with the exception of an increased odds ratio for penile–anal intercourse (OR = 1.06; 95% CI [1.02, 1.10]). Researchers and practitioners working with women should not assume limitations on women's sexual repertoires because of larger body size.

Vaccination Decision-Making and HPV Knowledge: How Informed and Engaged Are Young Adult HPV Vaccine Recipients in Australia?

Objectives. To date, there has been limited research on the decision-making process of HPV vaccine recipients. This study aimed to explore HPV-related knowledge, vaccination decision-making, and post vaccination attitudes about sexual behaviour in women who participated in the Australian school- and population-based HPV vaccine program. Materials and Methods. 102 female university students who had received the HPV vaccine (<27 years) completed scales on knowledge, vaccination decision-making, and post vaccination sexual attitudes. Results. HPV-related knowledge was low (M=57%), and women felt moderately involved in the vaccination decision (M=62%). Most women had not changed their sexual attitudes as a consequence of vaccination; however, some reported that since vaccination they feel less concerned about sexual health (19%). There were no significant differences between school- and population-based recipients on HPV knowledge (P=.559) or post vaccination sexual attitudes (P=.709). School-based recipients were significantly less autonomous in their decision-making (P=.001). Conclusion. Poor knowledge indicates a need for provision of information about HPV and post vaccination sexual health. Additionally, policy makers and health professionals may benefit from reiterating the importance of continued sexual health practices to HPV vaccine recipients. Future research should assess whether young women need to be more involved in the informed decision-making process for HPV vaccination.

Does daddy know best? Exploring the relationship between paternal sexual communication and safe sex practices among African-American women

Parental sexual risk communication may influence women's sexual decision-making and safe sexual behaviours. While many studies have focused specifically on the influence of communication from mothers, some authors have argued for the importance of examining father–daughter sexual risk communication as well. However, few studies have empirically examined this relationship among African-American women. The present study sought to expand the literature by examining the relationship between various sexual risk messages received from paternal caregivers and the safe sexual practices of a sample of 171 African-American women from the Midwest USA. Results suggested that receiving messages from paternal caregivers cautioning participants about the intentions of men in romantic relationships was related to an increased likelihood of participants asking intimate partners about their sexual history. However, these messages were inversely related to safer condom practices. Implications for future research and clinical practice are discussed.

Consequences of Different Hysterectomy Techniques in Sexual Behavior―A Systematic Review

We conducted a systematic review of the literature to determine the influence of different hysterectomy techniques in the sexual behavior of women who underwent. We searched CENTRAL (The Cochrane Library), PubMed, SCOPUS, CINAHL and LILACS for studies between the years 1998 and 2010 that prospectively examined the sexuality after hysterectomy. Those that were not randomized controlled clinical trials were excluded. It was not available electronically, it was not related with the outcomes determined, it was not research, but publications before 1998 and study which women realized chemotherapy and radiotherapy. From the 455 identified studies, 9 met inclusion criteria. There was variability in how hysterectomies influence in the sexual behavior. Most of studies considered women who underwent vaginal hysterectomy had fewer changes in sexual behavior. Sexual desire, intercourse frequency and orgasm are the sexual aspects reported by women as more changes experimented after surgery. Findings from this study have implications for healthcare providers and policymakers. Each woman needs an individualized care plan that fits within the context of her life, and there are basic interventions that every woman who underwent hysterectomy should receive. This review draws attention to the need for different care plans for women who underwent different hysterectomy techniques.

The Antidepressants Fluoxetine and Bupropion Differentially Affect Proceptive Behavior in the Naturally Cycling Female Rat

Fluoxetine, like other selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, inhibits women's sexual desire and female rats' sexual behavior. Bupropion produces pro-sexual effects in women with and without depression, and yohimbine increases men's and male rats' sexual motivation, but their effects on female rats' proceptivity are unknown. To investigate the effects of fluoxetine, bupropion, and yohimbine on proceptivity and receptivity in the naturally cycling female rat. We studied the effect of chronic (minimum 14 days) fluoxetine (1.25 mg/kg, subcutaneous) and bupropion (5 mg/kg, intraperitoneal) and acute yohimbine (1 mg/kg, intraperitoneal) on sexual behavior of female rats selected in natural proestrus during an ejaculatory series. We also analyzed the effects of these treatments on locomotor activity. The main outcome measures were frequencies of hops/darts and ear wiggling, lordosis quotient and intensity, and locomotor activity. Fluoxetine inhibited ear wiggling and hopping/darting, while bupropion stimulated hopping/darting. These treatments did not modify the lordosis quotient and its intensity. Yohimbine did not change any aspect of female sexual behavior. At the doses and treatments used, fluoxetine and bupropion did not alter locomotor activity or disturb the length of the estrous cycle; however, yohimbine inhibited locomotor activity. The motivational components of female sexual behavior are more sensitive than the receptive components to the inhibitory actions of fluoxetine. Bupropion selectively stimulated hopping/darting, while yohimbine lacked an action on female sexual behavior.

Animal models of female sexual dysfunction: Basic considerations on drugs, arousal, motivation and behavior

Female sexual dysfunctions are a heterogeneous group of symptoms with unknown but probably varying etiology. Social factors may contribute both to the prevalence and to the origin of these dysfunctions. The present review focuses on female hypoactive sexual desire disorder, sexual arousal disorder and orgasmic disorder. These disorders are generally the most common, according to epidemiological studies, and they can all be considered as disorders of motivation. An incentive motivational model of sexual behavior, applicable to humans as well as to non-human animals, is described and the dysfunctions placed into the context of this model. It is shown that endocrine alterations as well as observable alterations in neurotransmitter activity are unlikely causes of the disorders. A potential role of learning is stressed. Nevertheless, the role of some transmitters in female rodent sexual behavior is analyzed, and compared to data from women, whenever such data are available. The conclusion is that there is no direct coincidence between effects on rodent copulatory behavior and sexual behavior in women. Based on these and other considerations, it is suggested that sexual approach behaviors rather than copulatory reflexes in rodents might be of some relevance for human sexual behavior, and perhaps even for predicting the effects of interventions, perhaps even the effects of drugs. Female copulatory behaviors, including the proceptive behaviors, are less appropriate. The common sexual dysfunctions in women are not problems with the performance of copulatory acts, but with the desire for such acts, by feeling aroused by such acts and experiencing the pleasure expected to be caused by such acts. Finally, it is questioned whether female sexual dysfunctions are appropriate targets for pharmacological treatment.

Body appreciation, sexual relationship status, and protective sexual behaviors in women

The relationship between body appreciation and sexual risk reduction behavior in women is under-explored. This cross-sectional study examined the relationships between body appreciation, male condom use, and sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing among a community-based sample of women (n=285). Logistic regression results revealed that after controlling for age, BMI, and sexual orientation, having more than one sexual partner moderated body appreciation and current male condom use (OR=4.21, p<.01, CI=1.510–11.726). Body appreciation was not a significant predictor of STI testing in the previous 12 months. This suggests that women with higher body appreciation may be more likely to engage in some protective sexual health behaviors. Interventions that seek to improve body appreciation instead of body size change such as weight loss or gain may encourage certain protective sexual behaviors in women.

Internet Pornography and U.S. Women's Sexual Behavior: Results From a National Sample

Representative studies on Internet pornography exposure and women's sexual behavior are needed. National data were utilized to explore the association between 1,077 U.S. women's exposure to Internet pornography and number of sexual partners. Internet pornography exposure and number of sexual partners were positively correlated. This association remained after controlling for age, marital status, ethnicity, education, and religiosity. However, the association was moderated in theoretically predictable ways by women's confidence in media and perceived life dullness.

United States Women and Pornography Through Four Decades: Exposure, Attitudes, Behaviors, Individual Differences

Responding to a call for research on pornography and women's sexuality made by Weinberg, Williams, Kleiner, and Irizarry (2010), this study assessed pornography consumption, predictors, and correlates using nationally representative data gathered from U.S. women between 1973 and 2010 (N = 18,225). Women who were younger, less religious, and non-White were more likely to consume pornography. Women who consumed pornography had more positive attitudes toward extramarital sex, adult premarital sex, and teenage sex. Women who consumed pornography also had more sexual partners in the prior year, prior 5 years, and were more likely to have engaged in extramarital sex and paid sex. Consistent with Wright's (2011a) acquisition, activation, application model of mass media sexual socialization and the theorizing of Linz and Malamuth (1993), liberal-conservative ideology moderated the association between pornography exposure and sexual behavior. Specifically, the positive association between pornography exposure and women's recent sexual behavior was strongest for the most liberal women and weakest for the most conservative women. Cultural commentators and some academics argue that technological advances have resulted in a steady increase in the percentage of individuals who consume pornography. Little support was found for this assertion among U.S. women.

Hospitality accommodations and women's consensual sex

The purpose of this exploratory study was to clarify Israeli women's sexual behaviors in different tourist experiences, while relating to the variety of the hospitality accommodations. Constructivist grounded theory was implemented drawing upon 21 in-depth interviews. Sex was described as important part of women's satisfaction with their tourist experiences, sometimes even as a major motivation to go on vacation. Participants expected the role of sex to be acknowledged by the hospitality industry. Women's perceptions with respect to the social atmosphere, sense of detachment, privacy, and anonymity affected their sexual behavior. Recommendations to address women's expectations are offered.

Born Both Ways: The Alloparenting Hypothesis for Sexual Fluidity in Women

Given the primacy of reproduction, same-sex sexual behavior poses an evolutionary puzzle. Why would selection fashion motivational mechanisms to engage in sexual behaviors with members of the same sex? We propose the alloparenting hypothesis, which posits that sexual fluidity in women is a contingent adaptation that increased ancestral women's ability to form pair bonds with female alloparents who helped them rear children to reproductive age. Ancestral women recurrently faced the adaptive problems of securing resources and care for their offspring, but were frequently confronted with either a dearth of paternal resources due to their mates' death, an absence of paternal investment due to rape, or a divestment of paternal resources due to their mates' extra-pair mating efforts. A fluid sexuality would have helped ancestral women secure resources and care for their offspring by promoting the acquisition of allomothering investment from unrelated women. Under this view, most heterosexual women are born with the capacity to form romantic bonds with both sexes. Sexual fluidity is a conditional reproductive strategy with pursuit of men as the default strategy and same-sex sexual responsiveness triggered when inadequate paternal investment occurs or when women with alloparenting capabilities are encountered. Discussion focuses on (a) evidence for alloparenting and sexual fluidity in humans and other primates; (b) alternative explanations for sexual fluidity in women; and(c) fourteen circumstances predicted to promote same-sex sexual behavior in women.