Sexual Self-care Research Articles

Comparing sexual self-concept in women with obesity pre- and post-bariatric surgery

BackgroundObesity leads to increased disease burden, decreased life expectancy, and disrupted sexual life. One of the most effective ways of obesity treatment is bariatric surgery. This study was conducted aiming to determine and compare sexual self-concept in women with obesity pre- and post-bariatric surgery.MethodA longitudinal study comparing sexual self-concept pre and post- surgery was conducted on women with obesity referring to obesity clinics in the city of Tehran in 2020–2021. Data collection was performed using Snell’s Multidimensional Sexual Self-Concept Questionnaire (MSSCQ), which was completed online. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 16 statistical software and Fisher’s exact test, chi-square, Mann-Whitney, independent t, and logistic and linear regression tests. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered significant.ResultsAccording to the findings, the mean (standard deviation) score of sexual self-concept was 240.26 (26.82) in the post-surgery group and 200.26 (32.24) in the pre-surgery group (P = 0.001), and the highest mean (standard deviation) score of sexual self-concept both in the pre-surgery group (13.06 [4.00]) and in the post-surgery group (15.46 [2.16]) was related to the area of sexual depression (P = 0.05). Also, with increasing educational level, the odds of bariatric surgery increased by 33%, and those who had no private bedroom had lower odds of bariatric surgery by 65%. In those who did not have other individuals living in their house and their spouse was not a smoker, the self-concept score was 52.35 and 23.11 units higher.ConclusionIn general, bariatric surgery can improve sexual self-care. Considering the issue of sexual self-concept in bariatric surgery, it is recommended to design appropriate counseling and planning before surgery according to the culture of each country.

The effect of counseling based on health promotion awareness on self-care needs and reproductive and sexual health literacy of newly married women: a randomized controlled clinical trial study

BackgroundDespite the importance of health literacy and the self-care skills in improving individual and social health and health costs reduction, scientific evidence indicates women’s poor awareness of self-care needs and low health literacy concerning reproductive and sexual health in most societies. The present study was conducted to specify the effect of health awareness promotion on self-care needs and reproductive and sexual health literacy of newly married women.MethodsThis randomized controlled clinical trial was conducted on 64 newly married women aged 15–45 in Tehran, Iran from August 2021 to the end of December 2021. The participants were randomly assigned into the intervention (n = 32) and control (n = 32) groups. The intervention group received four individual health awareness-promotion education sessions. The reproductive and sexual self-care needs, and sexual health literacy questionnaires, were completed before and 4-week after the intervention through interview. The data were analyzed using SPSS26 software. The independent t-tests and ANCOVA were used to comparison the mean scores and a significance level of P < 0.05 was considered.ResultsThe results of this study indicated that after counseling, the average overall score of perceived reproductive and sexual self-care needs significantly decreased in the intervention group [Mean (standard deviation(SD)): 125.70 (24.70)] compared to the control group [Mean (SD): 87.1 (23.42)][P = 0.001]. Also, the mean score of sexual and reproductive health literacy significantly increased in the intervention group [Mean (SD): 125.50 (14.09)] compared to the control group [Mean (SD): 97.15 (14.90)] after intervention [P = 0.01].ConclusionsThe results indicated the positive effect of health promotion awareness educations on reproductive and sexual self-care needs and health literacy among newly married women. Therefore, health promotion interventions should be incorporated in health services provision programs for newly married women in comprehensive health centers to improve the health of women and families.Trial registrationIranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT): IRCT20171007036615N7 Date of registration: 2021-09-21. URL: https://fa.irct.ir/trial/58597.

Caregivers’ concerns about the sexual and reproductive health of women with intellectual disability in Iran: a qualitative study

BackgroundWomen with intellectual disability (ID) have many sexual and reproductive problems. This study was conducted to explain the sexual and reproductive health considerations of women with ID from the perspective of their caregivers in a qualitative approach.MethodsThis study was a qualitative research conducted with a content analysis approach in Iran. The sampling method used was targeted sampling with maximum possible variation, which was continued until data saturation. For data collection, in-depth and semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 participants, including 8 mothers, 6 caregivers, and 7 specialist caregivers who had experience working with women with intellectual disabilities. Data analysis was conducted using the conventional content analysis method proposed by Zhang and Wildemuth.ResultsTwo main themes, four categories and 12 subcategories emerged from the data analysis. The themes include “Reproductive health concerns” and” "Sexual health concerns”. This means that this group of women has many problems with menstrual hygiene and vaginal infections. On the other hand, caregivers were concerned about the manifestations of unconventional sexual behaviors and difficulties in controlling sexual behaviors as well as the risk of sexual abuse.ConclusionThe results of the present study show that it is not only necessary to provide women with ID with practical instructions on menstrual hygiene and sexual self-care, but also that regular examinations of the reproductive system by obstetricians or midwives, especially in care centers, seem essential.

Explaining sexual self-care status and its predictor factors in women referring to healthcare centers of Sari, Iran, 2021

IntroductionWith the increase in the prevalence of non-communicable diseases and chronic health problems along with population growth, one of the definitions that is expanding is the ability to adapt and self-manage against diseases and self-care. Although there are several studies to examine self-care in medical conditions, there are not enough concepts and data related to sexual self-care. Therefore, the present study was conducted with the aim of explaining the status of sexual self-care and its predictor factors in women of reproductive age referring to healthcare centers.Material and methodsThis research was a cross-sectional study that was conducted on 400 women of reproductive age that referring to healthcare centers affiliated to Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari in 2021. Data were collected using personal-obstetric characteristics and sexual self-care questionnaires in women of reproductive age. Pearson correlation coefficients, independent t-test, one-way analysis of variance and multiple linear regression model were used to analyze the data.ResultsThe average total score of sexual self-care in reproductive age women participating in the research was 70.66% ± 12.52%. In addition, the prevention of women's cancers and the prevention of unintended pregnancies obtained the lowest and highest scores, respectively. Factors such as age, education, education related to medical sciences, history of HIV testing, history of HPV vaccination, source of sexual information, method of contraception and infection-related action in a person can affect the level of sexual self-care in women. Based on the final regression model, education related to medical sciences (B = 5.46, P = 0.035), family income (B = 5.58, P = 0.025), prevention method (B = 10.127, P = 0.000) and action related to infection in the person (B = 12.27, P = 0.047) were the final predictors of sexual self-care score in reproductive age women.ConclusionBased on the findings of the study, development of self-care promotion programs for reproductive aged women are necessary in all areas of reproductive health, with a priority for women’s cancer prevention, and focusing on promoting education and related economic assistance. The results of this study can be available to experts and policy makers to design programs to promote sexual self-care in women.

Analyzing the concept of sexual self-care in preschool children: A qualitative study.

Child sexual abuse is a global concern for families and societies. Therefore, child protection from sexual harassment is of particular importance. The present study aimed to investigate the concept of sexual self-care in children. The present research is a qualitative study conducted with a content analysis approach. The study participants include 39 child sex education specialists, parents of children aged 4-7 years, adolescents who were sexually abused in childhood, and those with no experience of sexual abuse in childhood. The participants were selected through purposive sampling method. Different people's interpretations of the concept of sexual self-care in children were explored using semi-structured and face-to-face interviews, which continued until the saturation of concepts. Data were analyzed using the Graneheim and Lundman method. Guba and Lincoln's criteria were used to strengthen the validity and transferability of the data. Sexual self-care in children was identified from participants' viewpoints in the study. This self-care includes three main components and six subcomponents of (1) knowledge about privacy, risk situation, and trustworthy people, (2) attitude and perception of risk, and (3) behavioral skills in self-protection (i.e., post-injury reaction). Further injuries can be prevented by improving the level of awareness, forming the right attitude, and strengthening children's behavioral skills toward sexual self-care. Such issues, which are representatives of privacy, risk situations, and self-protection ability, can improve children's sexual self-care skills.

Sex tracking apps and sexual self-care

‘To-Do List: Masturbate’ reads one of the Instagram posts for the fashionable, new Lioness vibrator and tracking app. Lioness is just one of the most publicised of a spate of sex tracking apps principally aimed at women that have emerged over the past 5 years, which asks users to monitor their sexual interactions, and which also offers medical and holistic advice on how to improve one’s sex life. This article focuses on how the value of this technology is articulated through the rhetoric of self-care that connects these apps to the increasingly culturally pervasive valorisation of sex as a form of work; and how its connections both to self-care and quantification demonstrate important developments in post- and neoliberal feminism where objectivity and distance become central to the formation to female sexual subjectivity.

A Methodological Model for the Promotion of Sexual Corporeal Health and Self-Care.

The objective of this article is to contribute to sex education with a methodology that facilitates subjective expression through the body in its different experiences. For that, we propose an intertextual model of sexual self-care that focuses on gender and rights. This work strategy stimulates the emergence of meanings and discourses embodied in a protagonist’s body. These procedures are applied in interactive workshops, where the experience narrated, written and graphed on one’s own body and sexuality is articulated. Based on this amalgam, a body map is drawn that illustrates a geography of interpersonal relationships. In the process, the importance of gender mandates, coming from meaningful figures, is understood. From these findings it is possible to self-analyze experiences that emerge from the intrapsychic levels weaved with sociocultural and emotional experiences, which opens opportunities for the deconstruction of hegemonic positions. The relationship that develops between the person who produces the intertextual map of the body and the person who orients the process is dialogical in that the notions of authorship, agency and subjective autonomy are recognized, which increases the possibilities of redefining gender’s position in social relationships and provides a strategy for educational programs considered from the protagonist’s perspective. It is concluded that this model facilitates the process of corporeal self-care in that it strengthens autonomy through the recognition of authorship and agency, strengthening the redefinition of a gendered position in social relationships, providing a strategy for educational prevention programs and the promotion of sexuality.

Perspectives of adolescents regarding the sexual and reproductive health self-care: a theory-based qualitative research.

It is widely accepted that sexual and reproductive health in adolescents are among the health priorities in the world that affects health aspects and the formation of beliefs and socioeconomic development in the community. However, achieving goals related to sexual and reproductive health is not possible without awareness and participation of the adolescents. On the other hand, proper knowledge about such issues can prevent many problems in this regard. This qualitative study was carried out for one month in schools of Alborz University of Medical Sciences using content analysis. Data were collected from semi-structured, individual and in-depth interviews with female students. In addition, data analysis was performed using guided qualitative content analysis (theory-based). Analysis of the data led to the extraction of 11 primary codes classified in six categories of protection motivation constructs (perceived sensitivity, perceived severity, response efficiency, response cost, self-efficacy, and internal rewards) and two additional categories (communications and social contexts). All interviewees found themselves exposed to sexually transmitted diseases and emphasized sexual self-care even though the majority of these individuals had inadequate self-efficacy.

Iranian Adolescent Girls' Perceptions of Premarital Sexual Relationships: A Qualitative Study

Sexual perception refers to the attitudes, expectations, beliefs, and values associated with sexual behaviors. Adolescents’ sexual behaviors is affected by the knowledge, attitudes, values, beliefs, and social norms in their society. In this respect, the sexual perception of adolescents can be studied from a cultural perspective. The present study was designed to identify factors affecting Iranian adolescent girls’ perceptions of premarital sexual relationships. A qualitative study was conducted using a conventional content analysis approach. Data was collected using in-depth unstructured interviews with 18 adolescents recruited through purposive sampling. Data analysis resulted in the development of a primary main theme, meaning and value of sexual self-care, and three main categories: significant others, sexual norms, and attitudes, and perceived risks. Overall, findings of the present study revealed that the sexual perceptions of Iranian adolescent girls motivated them to abstain from premarital sexual relationships. However, apart from the perceived double standards involved in social norms and attitudes identified in the study, the presence of a conflict caused by their families, schools, and peers necessitated the importance of establishing and consolidating parent-adolescent communication about sexual issues. Findings of this study point to the need for appropriate sexual education for adolescents and parents to promote adolescent sexual literacy and health.

Middle-Aged Iranian Women's Accounts of Their Sexual Health Care Practices: A Conventional Content Analysis.

Little research has been done to examine sexual health care among middle-aged women, particularly in developing countries that are socioculturally conservative, such as Iran. In 2015, as part of a descriptive qualitative study, face-to-face interviews were conducted with 17 women aged 40-65 residing in Golestan Province, Iran. Graneheim and Lundman's approach to conventional content analysis was used to interpret the sexual health care narratives of the women. Sexual health care for middle-aged Iranian women often took the form of self-care to preserve their privacy and confidentiality, and in general, any information on sexual health was appreciated. Data analysis identified three main categories of strategies for sexual self-care: sexual risk protection, prevention of sexual problems and undesirability, and sexual information seeking. Also, sexual self-care emerged as the central theme. To meet the needs of middle-aged Iranian women, health care providers should become familiar with such women's sexual health care and self-care practices. Socioculturally sensitive policies and interventions should be developed to improve the sexual and reproductive health care conditions of middle-aged women.

SAÚDE SEXUAL E SEXUALIDADE DE MULHERES IDOSAS: REVISÃO DE LITERATURA

Objective: To identify in literature the generalpoints raised about sexual health and sexualityamong older women. Methods: This is aLiterature Review from published studies onthe theme with the following inclusion criteria:full Article available in the databases LILACSand MEDLINE, published between 2005-2015, in Portuguese, English or Spanish.Results: We sampled 26 articles, with apredominance of articles from Brazil and theUnited States. Themes were grouped asfollows: sexuality and prevention of sexuallytransmitted diseases; sexuality and sexual life;sexual desire, eroticism and self-image;approaches and influence of cancer onsexuality, sex education and sexual self-care,and attention of health care professionals to thesexuality of elderly women. Conclusion: Thetheme remains a taboo in all parts of the world,and health professionals need to discuss sexand sexuality more naturally and clearlyinclude it in the context of health assessment of the elderly.

When Pleasure Causes Pain: Living with Interstitial Cystitis

Interstitial cystitis (IC) is a chronic inflammatory condition of the bladder wall associated with genital and bladder pain, urgency, and dyspareunia. Characterized by sterile urine culture, IC is poorly understood and resistant to treatment. This article contextualizes patients' experiences from the standpoint of age, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, and the experience of concomitant disease. More than 90 percent of interstitial cystitis patients are women, an alarming number of whom have been misdiagnosed as having psychiatric disorders. Medical diagnosis and treatment are discussed from a feminist perspective. The sexual functioning of persons with IC is discussed in depth. Topics touched upon include menstrual cycle variations and pregnancy, sexual desire, pain during sexual activity, sexual side-effects of medications, sexual history, and sexual self-care.