Sexual Resilience Research Articles

The intersectional social patterning of early-COVID-era digital intimacies among transgender and gender-diverse young adults: effects on peri-pandemic sexual decision-making

Interactive communications technologies facilitate identity formation and socio-sexual connection among transgender and gender-diverse young people. However, within their communities, variations in technology use along ethno-racial, sexual and gendered lines, and as facilitators of sexual resilience during the early COVID-19 pandemic, remain under-studied. Among N = 230 transgender and gender-diverse young adults, surveyed between October 2020 and September 2021, latent class analyses characterised participants by preferred functional affordances, such as finding dates, sex and friends (Model 1), and by simultaneous account-keeping across social, dating and ‘hookup’ apps (Model 2). Werron and Ringel’s typology of pandemic practices characterised qualitative descriptions of sexual decision-making attributed to COVID-19. Both fit indices favoured two-class solutions. Model 1 detected an n = 89, 43% ‘high interactive communications technologies–enabled intimacy’ (versus ‘low technology-enabled intimacy’) class, in which digitally mediated friendships, dates, sexual encounters and gay/lesbian sexualities, predominated. An n = 38, 17% ‘high socio-sexual polymedia’ (versus ‘low polymedia’) class in Model 2 was characterised by simultaneous social media, ‘hookup’ and dating app usage. ‘High’ subgroups saw statistically significant reductions in sexual partners, with the high polymedia class also associated with reductions in HIV testing. Qualitative results contextualised these reductions as, predominantly, ‘responsive’ pandemic practices: reactions to stay-at-home orders.

Edad, Género y Resiliencia en la Conducta Sexual de Riesgo para ITS en Adolescentes al Sur de México

<p>Objetivo: Comparar las conductas sexuales de riesgo en estudiantes de preparatoria y diferenciar por edad, género y nivel de resiliencia sexual. <br /><br />Material y métodos: Estudio descriptivo, transversal y explicativo. La población de interés estuvo conformada por 182 adolescentes de 15 y 16 años de dos instituciones educativas. La selección de la muestra fue mediante un muestreo aleatorio estratificado. <br /><br />Resultados: Los instrumentos de medición mostraron medidas de confiabilidad aceptables. El 69% de los adolescentes refirió contar con 16 años de edad, mientras que el 64% correspondió al género femenino. Los adolescentes de 16 años tuvieron promedios más altos en las conductas sexuales de riesgo (M = 12.1, DE = 23.3) que los adolescentes de 15 años (M = 4.76, DE=14.6, U=2,984.0, p=.038). En cuanto al género se presentaron diferencias significativas, las mujeres presentaron (M = 7.45, DE = 2.77) los hombres (M = 8.01, DE=2.03, U=3,714.0, p=.017). Mientras que el nivel de resiliencia sexual también fue diferente, los adolescentes de 15 años mostraron niveles de resiliencia más bajos (M=60.5, DE=13.6) que los adolescentes de 16 años (M=65.0, DE=17.3; U=2,809.0, p=.034). El Modelo de Regresión Lineal identificó que las variables que mayor contribución tuvieron fueron la edad, género y estado civil para la conducta sexual de riesgo (F=1.85, R2ajustada=.065, p=.052). En otro modelo la edad, genero y estado civil fueron significativas para el desarrollo de la resiliencia (F=5.4, R2ajustada=.07, p=.001). La investigación sobre la conducta sexual del adolescente y los factores que influyen en el comportamiento, es útil para comprender lo que motiva a los adolescentes en participar o evitar las conductas de riesgo sexual.<br /><br /></p>

The effect of an Internet-based intervention designed to reduce HIV/AIDS sexual risk among Mexican adolescents

ABSTRACTIntroduction: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effect of an Internet-based intervention to reduce sexual risk behaviors and increase resilience to sexual risk behaviors among Mexican adolescents, a key HIV/AIDS risk group. Methodology: The study had a quasi-experimental design with single-stage cluster sampling. Participants ages 14–17 were stratified by gender and randomly assigned to either receive intervention “Connect” (which included face-to-face and Internet-based sessions designed to reduce sexual risk behaviors and increase resilience to sexual risk) or control (a general educational video on reducing health risks). A total of 9 survey instruments were administered online through SurveyMonkey pre- and post-intervention to assess changes in sexual risk and protective factors as well as two outcomes of interest: risky sexual behaviors and resilience. Pearson correlation assessed instrument reliability while multivariable linear regression models assessed two study hypotheses: (1) the effect of the intervention on sexual behavior and resilience is mediated by adolescent age, gender, and sexual experience and (2) risk and protective factors are mediators between the intervention and sexual behavior. Results: The sample was composed of 193 adolescents between 14 and 17 years old (n = 96 in the control group and n = 97 in the experimental group). Survey instruments were reliable. Age was associated with pre-to-post test changes in sexual resilience (β = −6.10, p = .019), which partially mediated the effect of the intervention on sexual resilience (β = 5.70, p = .034). Social support was associated with pre-to-post test changes in risky sexual behavior (β = −0.17, p = .039). Conclusion: Intervention “Connect” was independently associated with improved self-reported resilience to risky sexual behaviors, though not with a reduction in those behaviors in multivariate analyses. This is the first Internet-based intervention designed to reduce HIV/AIDS sexual risk among Mexican adolescents.

Sexual resilience within intimate relations among unmarried adolescent girls seeking abortion in an abortion clinic of Delhi, India

Background and Objectives:Sexually experienced, unmarried adolescent women, usually commence sex, with marriage in mind. Initially, they resist sex but are unsuccessful due to lack of resilience to end an oppressive relationship, or convince their partners to postpone sex or use protection. To retain partners, they accept unprotected sex and suffer its consequences such as unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases, HIV/AIDS and cervical cancer. Considerable numbers of adolescents face this emotional stress and suffer the consequences, while some manage to endure and emerge from the ordeal. This study attempts to determine this resilience and extrapolate it to others who might not be so successful without an intervention.Methodology:The study compares sexual resilience in 100 unmarried adolescent abortion-seekers, in terms of time taken from meeting the partner, to sexual debut and correlates this with background factors such as age, education, family income, self-esteem, sexual knowledge, attitude toward pre-marital sex (PMS) and partner pressure.Results:Mean debut age was 17.32 years. Partners took more initiative to form emotional (64%) and physical relationship (78%). Adolescent girls’ initiative reduced markedly from emotional (22%) to physical relation (5%). Correlation of sexual resilience with age, family income education and knowledge was not significant. It was significantly correlated with attitude toward PMS, self-esteem and partner pressure.Interpretation and Conclusion:It is desirable to improve self-esteem and attitude of young women to build negotiation skills in intimate relations. Counselors have to reorient the perspectives to improve attitude toward abstinence and increase self-esteem to resist pressure from partners.

Sexual resilience within intimate relations among unmarried adolescent girls seeking abortion in an abortion clinic of Delhi, India.

Sexually experienced, unmarried adolescent women, usually commence sex, with marriage in mind. Initially, they resist sex but are unsuccessful due to lack of resilience to end an oppressive relationship, or convince their partners to postpone sex or use protection. To retain partners, they accept unprotected sex and suffer its consequences such as unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases, HIV/AIDS and cervical cancer. Considerable numbers of adolescents face this emotional stress and suffer the consequences, while some manage to endure and emerge from the ordeal. This study attempts to determine this resilience and extrapolate it to others who might not be so successful without an intervention. The study compares sexual resilience in 100 unmarried adolescent abortion-seekers, in terms of time taken from meeting the partner, to sexual debut and correlates this with background factors such as age, education, family income, self-esteem, sexual knowledge, attitude toward pre-marital sex (PMS) and partner pressure. Mean debut age was 17.32 years. Partners took more initiative to form emotional (64%) and physical relationship (78%). Adolescent girls' initiative reduced markedly from emotional (22%) to physical relation (5%). Correlation of sexual resilience with age, family income education and knowledge was not significant. It was significantly correlated with attitude toward PMS, self-esteem and partner pressure. It is desirable to improve self-esteem and attitude of young women to build negotiation skills in intimate relations. Counselors have to reorient the perspectives to improve attitude toward abstinence and increase self-esteem to resist pressure from partners.

Modelo de resiliencia sexual en el adolescente: teoría de rango medio

Para el profesional de enfermería es indispensable contar con teorías propias que le ayuden a sustentar científicamente el cuidado, haciendo de esta forma una práctica disciplinar más autónoma y segura. El presente trabajo tuvo como objetivo generar una teoría de rango medio para dar explicación al fenómeno de la conducta sexual de riesgo en el adolescente. Se utilizó el método de derivación teórica de Fawcett para realizar la estructuración conceptual-teórica-empírica de la teoría propuesta. La revisión de la literatura permitió realizar la estructura del Modelo de resiliencia sexual en el adolescente a partir de los conceptos y las proposiciones que integran los factores de riesgo, factores protectores y factor resultado que influyen en la resiliencia durante la etapa de desarrollo del adolescente. Asimismo, el modelo contribuye al diseño de intervenciones psicoeducativas dirigidas a la prevención de conductas sexuales de riesgo para VIH.

Sexual Function of Women with Chronic Illness and Cancer

Addressing the sexual sequelae of chronic disease and its treatment is now accepted as a fundamental part of healthcare. Most of the sexual effects of chronic disease are negative, and ongoing illness continues to modulate a woman's sexual self-image, energy and interest in sexual activity, as well as her ability to respond to sexual stimuli with pleasurable sensations, excitement, orgasm and freedom from pain with genital stimulation or intercourse. Nevertheless, for many women with chronic illness, sexuality remains extremely important despite the commonly associated fatigue and acquired sexual dysfunctions; sexual resilience can be substantial. Following recovery from cancer surgery, chemotherapy and radiation, prognosis can be excellent and a return to full health can often be expected, and yet, there may have been devastating changes to sexual function owing to the cancer treatment. Women with metastatic disease may still treasure sexual intimacy. Assessment and management of sexual dysfunction is therefore necessary in all women with chronic illness or past or present cancer.

Why Abstinent Adolescents Report They Have Not Had Sex: Understanding Sexually Resilient Youth

Why Abstinent Adolescents Report They Have Not Had Sex: Understanding Sexually Resilient Youth* The sample in this study consisted of 697 students from 20 schools in Missouri who indicated on a survey of attitudes and behaviors that they had not had sex. The subjects completed the 18-item Reasons for Abstinence Scale and identified those items that were reasons why they had not had sex. The most frequent reasons for not having sex were related to fears of pregnancy and disease (including HIV/AIDS). The least frequent reasons were related to problems concerning the cost and availability of birth control and protection. Principal components factor analysis revealed three factors that were labeled fear-based postponement, emotionality and confusion, and values. Factor scores differed by gender, grades, alcohol consumption, family structure, father's education, and urbanicity. The discussion centers on the need to design different prevention strategies to build protective factors that result in sexual resilience in target groups of adolescents. Key Words: adolescents, resilience. abstinence. The debate over what messages to give adolescents about the prevention of transmitted diseases (including HIV/AIDS) and pregnancy has proven to be confusing to youth and has proven conflictual and polarizing in manv communities. The diverse messages that U.S. adolescents receive can be summarized as: (a) remain abstinent until marriage; (b) remain abstinent until emotionally and development;ally ready to become active; (c) remain abstinent but, if not able to, have accurate information about birth control and protection; and (d) have accurate and factual information on how to use birth control and protection effectively because abstinence is not a realistic expectation. While many adults feel strongly about promoting one of the above positions with youth, it is not well understood how adolescents understand and incorporate these disparate admonitions into personal behavior patterns. In the battle over the most appropriate approaches to reduce adolescent high risk behaviors in the United States, more emphasis has been placed on understanding adolescents who report they have had sex than on understanding adolescents who report they have remained abstinent. For example, the Centers for Disease Control administered the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) to a national sample of more than 16,0(O high school students in 1997 and reported that 48% of the students had engaged in intercourse. This figure was a significant decline from 54% in 1991 (MMWR, 1998) and generated great interest on the part of politicians, researchers and practitioners. However, there were little empirical data on which to explain this decline. Both supporters of conservative abstinence-only and more liberal comprehensive sex education programs claimed responsibility. No research was found that asked the adolescents who have not had sex why they have remained abstinent. Therefore, the present study used a protective factor model of resiliency to address why diverse groups of adolescents report they have not had sex and to examine how to support youth who make the decision to remain abstinent to become sexually resilient. Literature Review While much research and discussion has occurred in the last decade about fostering both abstinent youth and resilient youth, few researchers have attempted to merge the two areas to provide direction for adolescent HIV, transmitted disease, and pregnancy prevention. Although none of them specifically examined abstinence, Brooks-Gunn and Paikoff (1993), Small and Luster (1994), and Perkins, Luster, and Villarruel ( 1998) were unique in applying the concept of resilience, originally developed in the field of developmental psychopathology, to understanding adolescent well-being. Brooks-Gunn and Paikoff (1993) explored the roles of cultural (moral standards, gender, culture, and media), individual (biology and social cognition), and environmental (peers, family, and school) factors in understanding how to promote well-being among adolescents. …