Sexual Interactions Research Articles

IDENTIFYING ACUTE PRECIPITANTS AND CONSEQUENCES OF RACIAL/ETHNIC CONFLICTS IN RESIDENT-TO-RESIDENT AGGRESSION

Abstract Resident-to-resident aggression (RRA) includes negative and aggressive physical, sexual, or verbal interactions between long-term care residents that in a community setting would likely be construed as unwelcome and have high potential to cause physical or psychological distress in the recipient. Though not explored in detail, previous research has shown that ethnic stereotyping may contribute to RRA. Our goal was to examine, for the first time, acute precipitants and consequences of RRA involving racial and ethnic conflicts. The parent study included comprehensive quantitative and qualitative information of 2,011 residents in 10 randomly-selected New York State nursing homes. Our qualitative analyses used an events perspective, focusing on how aggressive situations unfolded. We identified 51 single or repeated incidents of racial and ethnic conflicts during the study observation period. At the facility level, racial and ethnic conflicts were most commonly triggered by congested living spaces. At the relational level, racial and ethnic conflicts were frequently preceded by negative reactions to residents with cognitive impairment. At the individual level, racial and ethnic conflicts were found to be preceded by residents’ unmet or unrecognized needs. Unresolved racial and ethnic conflict commonly resulted in aggression escalation and spillover. Our results indicated racial and ethnic conflicts occurred commonly and repeatedly. Such behavior appeared tolerated and normalized, with limited institutional response. As the long-term care population becomes increasingly diverse, recognizing and addressing potential racial and ethnic conflicts becomes more pressing. Targeting racial and ethnic conflicts in RRA for intervention may also improve interactions between residents and frontline workers.

On lustful deities and the ontological turn in the archaeology of ancient Egypt

Building on the ongoing debates surrounding the archaeological application of New Materialism, posthumanism, speculative realism, object-oriented ontology, and the anthropological ontological turn, this paper examines sexual interactions between deities and humans, as well as among deities represented as statues in ancient Egypt. Acknowledging the existence of such sexual encounters and providing detailed descriptions of the involved entities alone does not fully recognize the underlying gender and class structures. This paper argues that these analysed sexual encounters were shaped by gender and class-based power asymmetries, revealing that the ancient Egyptians and contemporary perspectives are not as distinct as they might seem.

Alcohol reduces choosiness and relaxes mate preferences in female Drosophila simulans

Abstract Alcohol can alter sexual behaviour. However, our understanding of alcohol’s effects on sexual interactions is limited because males are usually the focus of nonhuman studies. Alcohol could in theory alter female mate-choice and, in turn, affect sexual selection, a major mechanism of evolution. Here we tested whether alcohol exposure affected female mate-preference, choosiness, and copulation duration in the fly Drosophila simulans, while simultaneously testing for genetic variation in these effects. We found that alcohol exposure did not affect copulation duration, but did weaken mate-preference, as females copulated with a broader range of males after exposure, and it tended to reduce female choosiness as females mated more quickly. Although female genotype significantly affected copulation duration and choosiness, the effects of alcohol appeared to be reasonably consistent across genotypes, but this depended on the analysis employed. Nonetheless, alcohol reduced female choosiness and weakened mate-preference, and may therefore reduce the strength of sexual selection. Testing whether these changes impact female fitness is now required.

Determinan Yang Memengaruhi Sikap Mengenai Kekerasan Seksual Pada Remaja Di SMA Kosgoro Kota Bogor Tahun 2023

Unwanted sex-related behavior, such as demands for sex and other physical and verbal sexual abuse, is known as sexual violence or harassment. These actions certainly have a significant and broad impact on people's lives, especially children and teenagers. The impact of sexual violence can last long after the experience ends and is closely related to the life circumstances of children and adolescents both during and after sexual interactions. Finding factors that influence the prevalence of sexual violence among adolescents is the aim of this research. In this study, 390 samples were randomly sampled using a cross-sectional strategy. Chi square was used in univariate and bivariate analysis. The analysis findings show that gender, age, knowledge, peers, and information media are the variables that have the strongest relationship with adolescent violence (p value <0.05). Sexual violence against teenagers is taught in schools, and as a preventive measure, local governments should expand their services for victims of sexual harassment.

Pregnancy care for maternal and fetal wellbeing: an ethnography study

Background/Aims In Indonesia, cultural beliefs affect holistic healthcare practices. The aim of this study was to identify the effects of cultural beliefs on maternity care and fetal wellbeing. Methods This study used an ethnographic-qualitative design and was conducted in a community setting in West Java, Indonesia. A total of 16 participants of Sundanese culture were recruited based on information from local health workers and community leaders. Questionnaires, semi-structured interviews and observation sheets were used to collect data on cultural beliefs that impacted pregnant women. Data were analysed using an editing analysis style. Results The seven themes were: dietary practices and restrictions during pregnancy, hygiene practices, managing sleep and drowsiness, sexual intimacy and interactions, cultural beliefs and religious devotion, family participation and challenges monitoring fetal wellbeing. Conclusions To ensure quality pregnancy and fetal care, and facilitate provision of basic needs and parental empowerment, healthcare workers must consider women's cultural beliefs.

Online grooming among Portuguese adolescents and the COVID-19 lockdown: Relationship with other types of victimization

Background: Online grooming is the sexual solicitations and interactions between an adult and a minor, aiming to sexually abuse or obtain sexual material for the sexual satisfaction of themselves or others. Experiencing victimization during childhood or adolescence increases the probability of exposure to other types of victimization. Objectives: This study analyses the relationship between grooming, other types of juvenile victimization, and consensual sexting. We compare victims and non-victims of online grooming concerning sexting, sextortion, juvenile victimization, and online parental control. We also aim to identify the prevalence of online grooming in the present sample during and after the COVID-19 pandemic confinement and the impact of other types of juvenile victimization on grooming. Participants: The sample comprised 106 Portuguese adolescents (57 boys and 49 girls) aged 12 to 15. Method: Participants answered the sociodemographic questionnaire that contemplates online parental control and sextortion items, the Questionnaire for Online Sexual Solicitations and Interactions with Adults, the Sexting Questionnaire, and the Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire. Results: The results showed a positive correlation between online grooming, juvenile victimization, and sexting, as well as statistically significant differences between victims and non-victims of online grooming. Victims showed higher levels of sexting, sextortion, and other juvenile victimization. It also revealed higher levels of sexting and online grooming during and after the COVID-19 lockdown. Predictive validity showed that peer/sibling victimization and sexual victimization predicted online grooming. Conclusions: This study promotes a better understanding of online grooming by exploring the association between different types of victimization.

Young Love “Locked Down”: Adolescent and Young Adult Perspectives on Sexting During the Covid-19 Pandemic in England

There were limited opportunities for in-person social, intimate, and sexual interactions in England during 2020–2021, due to restrictions imposed by the UK government in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. While previous studies examined the effects of lockdown on intimate relationships, there is less qualitative research regarding young people’s perspectives on and experiences of digitally mediated intimacy (sexting) during the period. This paper discusses findings from focus groups with 80 adolescents and interviews with 38 young adults that explored the topic. Analysis identified a normalization of non-consensual distribution of intimate images within adolescent peer culture and a reluctance to report or intervene in response to incidents of non-consensual distribution that are witnessed or experienced. The adolescent girls and young adult women also described other forms of unwanted and invasive image-sharing and requests for images. Young adults held various perspectives on sexting during lockdown, with some describing sexting as unfulfilling and/or “risky” and others sharing experiences of using sexting to generate intimacy and, among some, engaging in unwanted sexting with partners. By considering both adolescent and young adult perspectives obtained through focus groups and interviews, the study highlighted how group-level norms and meanings surrounding the risks and rewards of sexting may be reproduced or reworked as individuals transition from adolescence to young adulthood. The study underscores the need to support adolescents and young adults in cultivating healthy digital sexual cultures and interpersonal relationships.

Sexual selection buffers the negative consequences of population fragmentation on adaptive plastic responses to increasing temperatures.

Whether sexual selection facilitates or hampers the ability to plastically respond to novel environments might depend on population structure, via its effects on sexual interactions and associated fitness payoffs. Using experimentally evolved lines of the seed beetle Callosobruchus maculatus, we tested whether individuals evolving under different sexual selection (monogamy vs. polygamy) and population spatial structure (metapopulation vs. undivided populations) treatments differed in their response across developmental thermal conditions (control, hot, or stressful) in a range of fitness and fitness-associated traits. We found that individuals from subdivided populations had lower lifetime reproductive success at hot temperatures, but only in lines evolving under relaxed sexual selection, revealing a complex interaction between sexual selection, population structure, and thermal environmental stress on fitness. We also found an effect of population structure on several traits, including fertility and adult emergence success, under exposure to high thermal conditions. Finally, we found a strong negative effect of hot and stressful temperatures on fitness and associated traits. Our results show that population structure can exacerbate the impact of a warming climate, potentially leading to declines in population viability, but that sexual selection can buffer the negative influence of population subdivision on adaptation to warm temperatures.

REVIEW ON SHAKEN AND STIRRED: A CONTENT ANALYSIS OF WOMEN’S PORTRAYALS IN JAMES BOND FILMS

This study aims to explore three basic terms--genre, mode of mass communication, and culture, and their application in research by reviewing the paper Shaken and Stirred: A Content Analysis of Womens Portrayals in James Bond Films. The study finds that Bond girls are portrayed to be well-shaped, slim and enchanting beauty with predictable sexual interactions or a waiting-to-be-rescued fate in Bond movies. With the mere transmission mode of communication, audiences are believed to be influenced by such portrayal and thus change their behavior. Generally, Bond girls are a cultural reflection of male-dominated society with an objectification of women. KEYWORDS: Review, Genre, Mode of mass communication, Culture

Effcetiveness of CBT and Sex Therapy on Marital Adjustment and Sexual Function among Patient with Premature Ejaculation

The satisfaction of a good sexual interaction between spouses is one of the most crucial elements in a happy marriage. The research’s purpose was to ascertain the effectiveness combination of CBT and sex therapy (Master & Johnson, 1970) on marital adjustment (MA) and Sexual Function (SF) among patient with Premature ejaculation (PE). good loving attitude toward each other in relationships, and decreases interpersonal discontent. In this view, Author proposed a combination therapy of sex therapy and CBT for sexual dysfunction, such as PE. The tools used were Brief Sexual Function Inventory (self devised) and Marital adjustment scale (MAS) (Locke & Wallace, 1959). Statistical tools used were Descriptive Statistics, Paired sample t test, Analysis of Variance and Post-Hoc Tukey HSD. The pre-intervention mean score of 4 groups was insignificant on MAS and SES. The results of the paired samples t-test were used to assess pre and posttest scores for all the 3 interventions groups. The post-intervention means score of all 4 groups was significantly different over MAS and SF. The post hoc analysis revealed that the mean score differences were most significant in combined therapy of ST and CBT as compared to ST and CBT individually. This paper utilizes psychological therapy and sex therapy can have larger implication on maintaining sexual intimacy among couples and in turn having a long-lasting effect on marital adjustment.

Consent in Modern Criminal Law

This article considers the law, of New Zealand and England and Wales, relating to determinations whether P consented in various kinds of interaction with D. (The interactions considered are between persons old enough to validly consent to the conduct at issue and who are capable of evaluating and reflecting upon the consequences of their actions.) In the context of sexual interactions, the law in both jurisdictions is in a process of fitful change—from a regime in which consent could be vitiated only by threatened or actual force, impersonation, or radical misunderstanding, towards a position where the question of consent is less categorical and at large. A contrast is drawn between sexual and other interactions, including offences against the person and, especially, commercial misconduct. In the former cases, the central concern is justice between the parties. By contrast, in delineating the boundaries of what amounts to lawful commerce, it is permissible to consider what a ruling about consent may entail for the commercial system as a whole: something that can lead to a very thin conception of what makes for valid consent. The most general lesson that goes with this argument is that consent in law is not a pre-legal phenomenon.

Biofilm formation initiating rotifer-specific biopolymer and its predicted components

The rotifer-specific biopolymer, namely Rotimer, is a recently discovered group of the biomolecule family. Rotimer has an active role in the biofilm formation initiated by rotifers (e.g., Euchlanis dilatata or Adineta vaga) or in the female-male sexual interaction of monogononts. To understand the Ca2+- and polarity-dependent formation of this multifunctional viscoelastic material, it is essential to explore its molecular composition. The investigation of the rotifer-enhanced biofilm and Rotimer-inductor conglomerate (RIC) formation yielded several protein candidates to predict the Rotimer-specific main components. The exudate of E. dilatata males was primarily applied from different biopolimer-containing samples (biofilm or RIC). The advantage of males over females lies in their degenerated digestive system and simple anatomy. Thus, their exudate is less contaminated with food and endosymbiont elements. The sequenced and annotated genome and transcriptome of this species opened the way for identifying Rotimer proteins by mass spectrometry. The predicted rotifer-biopolymer forming components are SCO-spondins and 14–3-3 protein. The characteristics of Rotimer are similar to Reissner's fiber, which is found in the central nervous system of vertebrates and is mainly formed from SCO-spondins. This molecular information serves as a starting point for its interdisciplinary investigation and application in biotechnology, biomedicine, or neurodegeneration-related drug development.

Being friendly: paced mating for the study of physiological, behavioral, and neuroplastic changes induced by sexual behavior in females.

Paced mating in rats is an experimental condition that allows the evaluation of sexual behavior in a way that closely resembles what occurs in seminatural and natural conditions enabling the female to control the rate of the sexual interaction. In conventional non-paced mating tests, females cannot escape from male approaches, which may lead to an unrewarding overstimulation. Paced mating is an alternative laboratory procedure that improves animal welfare and has a higher ethological relevance. The use of this procedure contributed to the identification of physiological and behavioral factors that favor reproduction. Paced mating includes motivational and behavioral components differentiating quantitative and qualitative characteristics that are critical for the induction of the rewarding properties of mating. These positive consequences ensure that the behavior will be repeated, favoring the species' survival. Sexual reward is an immediate consequence of paced mating, mediated mainly by the endogenous opioid system. Paced mating also induces long-lasting neuroplastic changes, including gene expression, synthesis of proteins, and neurogenesis in sex-relevant brain areas. The interest in paced mating is growing since the complexity of its elements and consequences at different levels in a laboratory setting resembles what occurs in natural conditions. In this review, we analyze the classic studies and recent publications demonstrating the advantages of using paced mating to evaluate different aspects of sexual behavior in females.

Sexual Incentive Motivation and Sexual Behavior: The Role of Consent.

The generalized social concern with sexual harassment and nonconsensual sex makes it imperative to incorporate notions of consent in any analysis of human sexual interactions. Such interactions follow an ordered sequence of events, starting with the perception of a sexual incentive, followed by an approach to it, genital interaction, and eventually orgasm. Consent from the partner is needed at every stage. At some points in this chain of events, the individuals involved make cognitive evaluations of the context and predictions of the likelihood for obtaining consent for proceeding to the next phase. Processes such as communication of consent or lack thereof, sexual decision making, and interpretation of cues emitted by the partner are decisive. Increased sexual motivation may influence these processes. However, available data make it possible to ascertain that enhanced motivation has no, or at most minor, effects, thereby invalidating the old assumption that heightened sexual motivation leads to impaired control.

Frequency‐dependent community dynamics driven by sexual interactions

AbstractResearch in community ecology has tended to focus on trophic interactions (e.g., predation, resource competition) as driving forces of community dynamics, and sexual interactions have often been overlooked. Here we discuss how sexual interactions can affect community dynamics, especially focusing on frequency‐dependent dynamics of horizontal communities (i.e., communities of competing species in a single ecological guild). By combining mechanistic and phenomenological models of competition, we place sexual reproduction into the framework of modern coexistence theory. First, we review how population dynamics of two species competing for two resources can be represented by the Lotka–Volterra competition model as well as frequency dynamics, and how niche differentiation and overlap produce negative and positive frequency‐dependence (i.e., stable coexistence and priority effect), respectively. Then, we explore two situations where sexual interactions change the frequency‐dependence in community dynamics: (1) reproductive interference, that is, negative interspecific interactions due to incomplete species recognition in mating trials, can promote positive frequency‐dependence and (2) density‐dependent intraspecific adaptation load, that is, reduced population growth rates due to adaptation to intraspecific sexual (or social) interactions, produces negative frequency‐dependence. We show how reproductive interference and density‐dependent intraspecific adaptation load can decrease and increase niche differences in the framework of modern coexistence theory, respectively. Finally, we discuss future empirical and theoretical approaches for studying how sexual interactions and related phenomena (e.g., reproductive interference, intraspecific adaptation load, and sexual dimorphism) driven by sexual selection and conflict can affect community dynamics.

Understanding the impact of sociosexual interactions on sleep using Drosophila melanogaster as a model organism.

Sleep is conserved across species, and it is believed that a fixed amount of sleep is needed for normal neurobiological functions. Sleep rebound follows sleep deprivation; however, continuous sleep deprivation for longer durations is believed to be detrimental to the animal's wellbeing. Under some physiologically demanding situations, such as migration in birds, the birth of new offspring in cetaceans, and sexual interactions in pectoral sandpipers, animals are known to forgo sleep. The mechanisms by which animals forgo sleep without having any obvious negative impact on the proper functioning of their neurobiological processes are yet unknown. Therefore, a simple assay is needed to study how animals forgo sleep. The assay should be ecologically relevant so it can offer insights into the physiology of the organisms. Equally important is that the organism should be genetically amenable, which helps in understanding the cellular and molecular processes that govern such behaviors. This paper presents a simple method of sociosexual interaction to understand the process by which animals forgo sleep. In the case of Drosophila melanogaster, when males and females are in proximity, they are highly active and lose a significant amount of sleep. In addition, there is no sleep rebound afterward, and instead, males engaged in sexual interactions continue to show normal sleep. Thus, sexual drive in the fruit flies is a robust assay to understand the underlying mechanism by which animals forgo sleep.

Sexual Dysfunctions and High-Risk Sexual Behaviors in Women with Severe Psychiatric Disorders

Background: Sexual Dysfunctions (SDs) and High-Risk Sexual Behaviors (HRSBs) are highly prevalent and substantial issues among patients with severe psychiatric disorders. However, studies exploring them are still infrequent. This study was conducted to evaluate SDs and HRSBs in women with severe psychiatric disorders.
 Methods: Female inpatients and outpatients of the Iran Psychiatry Hospital were selected if they were 18-60 years old, able to read, and diagnosed with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, or type one Bipolar Disorder (B1D). After the initial interviews, the outcomes were assessed using the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS), and Sexual Risk Survey (SRS) questionnaires.
 Results: The mean (standard deviation) age of the 159 patients was 36.9 (10.1). B1D, schizophrenia, and schizoaffective disorder were diagnosed in 98, 53, and eight patients, respectively. FSFI evaluations demonstrated that several SDs, including pain and decreased sexual desire, are highly prevalent in them. Based on the results of YRBSS and SRS evaluations, the most predominant HRSBs were sexual behaviors without leading to complete intercourse, having sex without a barrier or effective contraception, using alcohol and drugs before sex, and impulsive sexual intercourse with inadequately known partners.
 Conclusion: All evaluated SDs had a high prevalence attributable to the pathophysiology of severe psychiatric disorders and related medications. HRSBs were also widespread due to impaired judgment, poor knowledge, or sexual characteristics of the disorders. These results support the need for further educating these patients concerning safe sexual behaviors and interactions of contraceptive medications with specific psychiatric medicines, including carbamazepine and sodium valproate.

Solicitation and Sexualized Interactions of Minors with Adults: Prevalence, Overlap with Other Forms of Cybervictimization, and Relationship with Quality of Life.

Sexual solicitation and sexualized interaction with minors by adults constitute one of the most pernicious risks of the Internet. Little is known about the age range in which this phenomenon is most prevalent or the relationship and overlap of this problem with other risks, such as peer-to-peer cybervictimization and cyber dating abuse. Additionally, little empirical evidence exists on whether the overlap between these types of online victimization affects health-related quality of life (HRQoL). This study aimed to: 1) analyze the prevalence of sexual solicitation and interaction according to sex and stage of adolescence; 2) relate this problem to other forms of online victimization (cybervictimization and cyber dating abuse); 3) analyze the overlap between these forms of online victimization and differences in HRQoL scores. A cross-sectional and analytical study with 3,578 adolescents (52.7% girls) aged between 10-15 years was carried out. Of the adolescents in the study sample, 12.6% (n = 448) had received sexual requests and 6.4% (n = 230) had interacted sexually with adults. Sexual solicitation was most common among girls in middle adolescence. Of the participants, 33.9% (n = 1,216) had been involved in some form of online victimization. Peer cybervictimization and cyber dating abuse were positively and significantly correlated with sexualized solicitation/interactions with adults. Victims with the overlapping of all three types of online victimization (2.7%, n = 98) presented the lowest HQRoL scores (p < .001).

From distal to proximal to interactive: behavioral and brain synchrony during attraction, courtship, and sexual interaction-implications for clinical assessments of relationship style and quality.

Synchronous behaviors between individuals are nonverbal signs of closeness and common purpose. In the flow from initial attraction to intimate sexual interaction, attention and synchrony move from distal to proximal to interactive and are mediated by sensitized activation of neural systems for sexual motivation, arousal, and desire and those that recognize and mimic common facial and body movements between individuals. When reinforced by sexual pleasure and other relationship rewards, this results in the strengthening of attraction and bonding and the display of more common motor patterns. As relationships falter, nonverbal behaviors likely become asynchronous. To define behavioral, romantic, and sexual synchrony during phases of attraction and how their disruption can be observed and utilized by clinicians to assess individual relationship styles and quality. We review the literature on behavioral and attentional synchrony in humans and animals in an effort to understand experiential and innate mechanisms of synchrony and asynchrony and how they develop, as well as implications for attraction, relationship initiation, maintenance of romantic and sexual closeness, and relationship disintegration. Evidence is presented that behavioral synchrony and the neural mechanisms that underlie it are vital to relationship formation and satisfaction. Behavioral synchrony helps to create feelings of sexual and romantic synergy, cohesion, and arousal among individuals. Asynchrony is aversive and can spark feelings of discontent, aversion, and jealousy. Thus, observing patterns of nonverbal sexual and romantic synchrony between individuals offers insights into the potential quality of their relationships.

Sex robots and the objectification of the human body: A Sub-Saharan African perspective

Sex robots, in a broad ethical sense, challenge our traditional social norms, sexual interactions, and how we visualise the human body. As a distinct sex stimulation technology, sex robots are ethically problematic because of the humanlike characteristics that these technologies embody. In this paper, I argue, on the one hand, that the design of sex robots objectifies the human body, from an African perspective, because of their humanoid appearance. This objectification of the human body contradicts the African conception of the human body as possessing inalienable dignity, vitality, and sacredness. On the other hand, I show how the designs of sex robots reinforce adverse stereotypical gender norms and standards of beauty. This paper is significant because it deploys sub-Saharan African values of sex and the human body to make a novel contribution to the ethical discourse of sex robots.