Orgasm Research Articles

(023) An Online Survey Study Investigating the Contribution of the Cervix to the Female Sexual Response and Patient-Reported Barriers to Sexual Counselling

Abstract Introduction The female sexual response is multifactorial and involves several anatomical locations which contribute to pleasurable sensations. Recently, the cervix has been discussed in terms of its role in the FSR, though there are still discrepancies regarding its contribution to these responses. Our pilot study showed that women are unfamiliar with the location of their cervix anatomically, but indicate feeling pleasure from deep penetration, and in the anatomical region of the cervix. If women experience pleasurable sensation from the cervix, then perhaps procedures that impact the cervix may impair overall pleasurable sexual responses in some women. In addition, there is some literature that describes barriers to sexual counselling for women, though these have not been thoroughly studied in the context of the FSR. Therefore, validation of the preliminary pilot data is needed, including confirmation of the importance of the cervix, in addition to defining barriers to sexual counselling. Objectives The objectives of this study were to determine whether women find cervical stimulation pleasurable and if it contributes to their sexual responses. This study also aimed to determine whether a medical history of gynecologic procedures is associated with negative impacts on sexual function, and what barriers women face when discussing sexual problems with their health care providers (HCPs). Methods A self-report survey was distributed via an online platform to over 500 participants. 308 responses were analyzed. IBM SPSS Statistics Version 26 was used for statistical analysis with CI (95%) and p-value (p≤ 0.05). Qualitative analysis was performed using Nvivo12. Results This study found that many women find cervical stimulation pleasurable, and that it is important to their overall sexual response. The responses also indicated that a subset of participants who underwent gynecologic procedures that impacted the cervix showed significant increases in levels of discomfort or pain during cervical stimulation (P<0.001) and difficulty becoming lubricated (p=0.016). Qualitative analysis of participants narrative responses when asking them to describe the location(s) of their sexual responses indicated that participants were better able to describe the location(s) using labelled diagrams rather than in words. Accordingly, a quarter of the participants indicated that they do not feel effective at communicating about their sexual sensations, nor do they feel capable of describing these sensations using words. Participants noted several barriers to sexual counselling with almost half of the participants indicating they feel uncomfortable talking to male physicians about their sexual responses, and that they feel stigma surrounding sexual sensations. Conclusions This study indicates that the cervix plays an important role in the FSR, and that procedures that impact the cervix may result in decreased sexual functioning. The results from this study also suggest that women have difficulty communicating their sexual responses using words and feel unable to discuss the concerns regarding their sexual responses with HCPs. Future studies should develop effective resources for physicians to communicate complex topics about sexual functioning to patients. They should also aim to investigate the experiences of women who experience FSD after procedures impacting the cervix, studies for which are ongoing. Disclosure No.

Measuring Sexual Motivation as a Trait Dimension: A multisample study of the Portuguese (European) Version of the Trait Sexual Motivation Questionnaire

The current study aimed at translating and validating the TSMQ into Portuguese-European (TSMQ-PT) and to investigate its psychometric properties. Three online studies were conducted with independent samples collected between September 2020 and March 2022. Study 1 tested the exploratory factorial structure (N = 325; 206 women); Study 2 explored the confirmatory factorial structure and construct validity (N = 450; 230 women); and Study 3 examined the temporal stability of the TSMQ-PT (N = 30; 15 women). Participants completed the TSMQ-PT for all three studies. In study 2, further completed the Sexual Compulsivity Scale, the Sexual Sensation Seeking Scale, and the Sexual Desire Inventory. Data revealed that the TSMQ-PT yielded a four-structure model, (i.e., Sexually Oriented, Comparison with Others, Seeking for Sexual Encounters, and Importance of Sex) comprising 13 items, with seven additional items for assessing existence and number of sexual partners, and frequency of sexual behaviors. The TSMQ-PT achieved good internal consistency levels (McDonald’s omega ranged from .71 to .89) and construct validity, and temporal stability over 10-11 months (values ranged from .80 to .87) supporting the trait-dimension of sexual motivation. Current findings support a brief, valid, and reliable self-report instrument for assessing sexual motivation in the Portuguese context.

Neurological Considerations for "Nerve-Sparing" Cosmetic Genital Surgeries Performed on Children with XX Chromosomes Diagnosed with 21-Hydroxylase Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia and Clitoromegaly.

Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) is most often caused by adrenal deficiency of 21-hydroxylase (21-OH). The resulting increase in androgens can cause clitoromegaly in fetuses with XX chromosomes. 21-OH CAH is the most common reason for cosmetic clitoroplasty in childhood. "Nerve-sparing" (NS) clitoral reduction surgeries are described as offering optimal cosmesis, while sparing sensation and nerve function. The methods used to demonstrate NS surgery efficacy, however, such as electromyography and optical coherence tomography, do not evaluate the small-fiber axons that comprise the majority of axons in the clitoris and that transduce sexual pleasure. Although some data show sparing of a portion of the main dorsal nerve trunk of the clitoris, the overall neurobiological consequences of elective clitoral reductions have received little attention. NS surgeries remove dorsal nerve branches that transduce sexual sensation, as well as the corpora cavernosa and cavernous nerve, which provide clitoral autonomic function. While most outcome studies focus on surgeons' perceptions of cosmetic results, studies that assess small-fiber function indicate significant nervous system and sexual impairment. Studies assessing children's clitoral function after surgery with vibrational testing have been ethically condemned. Decades of advocacy against medically unnecessary childhood genital surgeries have highlighted the subsequent physical and psychological harm. Recent studies with CAH patients indicate gender diversity and a lower prevalence of female gender identification than is often cited to justify feminizing surgery. The most effective and ethical NS technique for CAH may be acceptance of gender, sexual, and genital diversity as the infant develops into childhood, adolescence, and adulthood.

(076) History of Sexual Coercion, PGAD Symptoms, and Sexual Function: Evidence for a Mediational Model

Abstract Introduction Past research on Persistent Genital Arousal Disorder (PGAD) has shown that a history of sexual abuse is common among women with PGAD (Leiblum et al., 2007; Pink et al., 2014), with higher rates of abuse among those who are most symptomatic (Leiblum et al., 2007). However, there is a need for replication and for developing a theoretical understanding of the mechanisms and developmental course of this association. Moreover, although little is known about the relation between PGAD symptoms and sexual functioning (Jackowich et al., 2016) research has suggested that women with PGAD show FSFI scores that are low but within the normal range (Leiblum & Seehuus, 2009), and that those with subthreshold PGAD symptoms associate those symptoms with positive feelings. Objective The goal of the present study was to test a mediational model in which history of sexual coercion is directly associated with PGAD symptoms, and indirectly associated with sexual functioning (desire, masturbation, lubrication), with mediational effects passing through PGAD symptoms. Methods A sample of n = 138 female university students completed questionnaires measuring past experience of sexual coercion, PGAD symptoms, sexual desire, masturbation, and lubrication. Structural equation modeling was used to test a theoretical model in which a history of sexual coercion was allowed to directly predict PGAD symptoms and all three sexual function constructs, and PGAD symptoms were allowed to predict all sexual function constructs (see Figure 1). Results The SEM model fit the data well (CFI = .96; NFI = .92; RMSEA = .07). As presented in Figure 1, past experience of sexual coercion was positively associated with PGAD symptoms and negatively associated with sexual desire, but had no direct association with masturbation or lubrication. PGAD symptoms were associated with increased desire and masturbation, but decreased lubrication, and sexual desire was positively associated with lubrication. In addition to the directs effects on PGAD symptoms and sexual desire, past experience of sexual coercion also demonstrated indirect effects on all sexual function constructs (positive effects on desire and masturbation, and negative on lubrication). Conclusions Based on these results we propose a developmental model in which the effects of PGAD symptoms on desire, arousal, and pleasure, change across time and symptom severity. Specifically, increased attention to genital and sexual sensations is expected to result from past sexual coercion. Then, in the context of this heightened genital awareness, when persistent non-painful genital stimulation is perceived, in the early stages of PGAD symptom development, the combination of those sensations and the heightened attention to them is expected to result in perceived pleasurable sensation and arousal, thus increasing desire and masturbation. This is expected to be limited to the early stages of PGAD development, whereas, during later stages, when PGAD symptoms are severe and unrelenting, this is expected to change (see Figure 2). The overall level of PGAD symptoms in this sample was low (consistent with other non-clinical samples; Jackowich & Pukall, 2020), and thus these results cannot be generalized to women who live with a diagnosis of PGAD. Disclosure No

(267) Ecstasy' - Accurate or Deceptive Name? A Systematic Review of MDMA Effects on the Male Sexual Response Cycle

Abstract Introduction 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, ‘Ecstasy’ or ‘Molly’) is a synthetic psychostimulant and entactogenic drug of abuse that augments feelings of pleasure, increases energy, and distorts sensory perception. MDMA increases serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine neurotransmission within the mesolimbic reward pathway, which impacts human sexual function. While dopamine is implicated as a facilitator of sexual arousal and orgasm, serotonin is associated with inhibitory effects. Unlike most psychostimulants that function primarily via increased dopaminergic neurotransmission, MDMA generates approximately equivalent and simultaneous increases in both dopamine and serotonin. In alignment with its central neurochemical impact, MDMA is reported to enhance arousal while impairing sexual function in other domains, such as orgasm, erectile function, and ejaculation. Objective To evaluate MDMA effects on different domains of the male sexual response cycle. Methods We conducted a systematic review of the effects of MDMA on various domains of male sexual response. PubMed, Embase, and MEDLINE were queried, and results were screened using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Six search terms, including “MDMA” or “ecstasy” in combination with “desire,” “orgasm,” “pleasure,” “libido,” “erection,” and “ejaculation” were utilized. Inclusion criteria were: MDMA was used by study subjects, outcomes in at least 1 domain of the sexual response cycle were reported, and the manuscript was written in English and published between January 2000 and June 2022. Case reports and studies that did not examine male sexual response were excluded. Results We identified a total of 90 studies, and 8 met inclusion and exclusion criteria. Seven studies evaluated the effects of MDMA on desire and/or arousal, 5 on erection, 3 on orgasm, and 2 on ejaculation. The average age of study participants was 25 years. Primary outcome measures were highly variable and largely qualitative; however, common measures included the Sexual Arousal and Desire Inventory (SADI) and the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) score. Two studies were double-blind, crossover trials that evaluated MDMA effects relative to placebo or other psychostimulants (methylphenidate, modafinil) with mixed conclusions. One reported no effect of MDMA on sexual arousal compared to placebo and less arousal than methylphenidate, while the other reported increased sexual desire with MDMA compared to both methylphenidate and modafinil. The remaining studies were interview-based, with 5 of 6 evaluating sexual arousal. Sixty percent of interview-based studies reported increased desire, while 40% reported mixed or no effect. Of 5 studies evaluating erection, 2 reported impairment, 2 reported mixed effects, and 1 reported “fear of erection impairment.” All studies evaluating orgasm reported difficulty achieving orgasm, but increased intensity and pleasure if achieved. Conclusions This systematic review demonstrates mixed effects of MDMA on different domains of male sexual response. While there are few high-quality studies investigating effects on distinct domains of male sexual response, our findings suggest that MDMA increases sexual desire, enhances sexual pleasure, and intensifies orgasm in males despite potential impairments in erectile and ejaculatory function. Given MDMA's illicit and unregulated nature, these results should be interpreted with caution and MDMA users must consider the potential for adverse drug-related behavioral and health effects. Disclosure Any of the authors act as a consultant, employee or shareholder of an industry for: Abbvie, Coloplast

(486) Different Methods Penile Girth Enlargement

Abstract Introduction Male dissatisfaction with the size of the penis is the most common manifestation of penile dysmorphophobia. Despite the variety of penis girth enlargement methods, a single safe technique that satisfies patients has not yet been developed. Objective The aim of the work was to compare the results of a combined operation to install a collagen-like matrix impregnated with autologous stem cells with simultaneous ligamentotomy to increase the circumference of the penis and Polylactic Gel injection. Methods In 2017-2022, penis enlargement surgeries were performed in 2 centers. In 38 patients from Ukraine and Poland, . performed the implantation of the Max Pol porous matrix, and injections of the polylactic acid gel were performed at the other Clinic. The results of penis enlargement were evaluated in the early (2 months) and long-term (36 months) terms. Results When using a collagen-like matrix -Scaffolf made of polymerized polylactic acid impregnated with own stem cells in 38 patients, we did not encounter complications that caused the removal of the matrix. However, 5 patients required additional polylactic acid gel injections between 6 and 36 months to optimize the shape or volume of the penis. In 4 cases (10.5%), patients underwent circumcision in the period up to 3 years, as the head did not open well due to the enlarged trunk. 34 (89.5%) patients noted an improvement in the sexual function and sexual sensations of their partner, harmonization of relationships in a couple, and 36 (94.7%) men - an increase in a sense of self-sufficiency and self-confidence. In 68 patients, Polylactic Acid Gel was used to enlarge the penis. It was injected under the skin of the penis in a volume of 15 ml per 1 procedure. As a rule, we performed 2-4 treatments (30-60 ml) with an interval of 1 month. No significant complications were noted. In 11 cases (16.4%), patients had to undergo circumcision within 3 years, due to the impossibility of retracting the foreskin. Most of patients noted an improvement in the sexual function and sexual sensations of their partner, harmonization of relationships in a couple, and 61 (91.%) men - an increase in a sense of self-sufficiency and self-confidence. Conclusions Thus, modern implants can improve the size and appearance of the penis, improve the quality of sexual life and the feeling of self-sufficiency in operated men. The use of a polymer matrix impregnated with one's own stem cells requires a special laboratory, more time for perioperative preparation and postoperative rehabilitation. The use of polylactic acid gel injections does not require anesthesia, operating room, is more physiological, and can be considered as the standard of safe penis enlargement. The frequency of the need for circumcision after gel injection is slightly higher at 3 years of follow-up compare with scaffold implantation, possibly due to the greater addition of penile volume. Disclosure No

Analisis Fenomena Martial Rape Terhadap Pemenuhan Tujuan Perkawinan

The occurrence of Marital Rape is due to a person who cannot withstand the turmoil of his passions without thinking about his partner who is still unable to serve because of some things that make him unwilling. This study aims to examine the “Analysis of Marital Rape Phenomena on the fulfillment of marital goals” by using a research methodology Literature study (Library Research) which uses several books, journals, and other literature as the main object to obtain data on Marital Rape. Based on the results of this study, Marital Rape should be avoided by someone who is married, because if the husband commits forced contact with his wife, it will have a bad impact such as hurting the wife either physically or psychically, the wife is afraid, the wife will be traumatized, there will also be less trust and affection of the wife towards the husband. Whereas in marriage there are several fulfillments and goals to be achieved by all couples such as the purpose of carrying out God’s commands and worship, Following the sunnah of Rosul, continuing heredity, and for psychological needs in the fulfillment of one’s sexual gratification needs. If Marital Rapeis performed by men then certainly in the family there will be no more harmony and there will be no achievement of the purpose of the execution of marriage.

Network Analysis of Sexual Sensation Seeking, Internalized Homophobia, and Social Norms Among Men Who Have Sex with Men with Different Sexual Partner Types.

Men who have sex with men (MSM) are at disproportionate risk for developing sexually transmitted infections (STIs) such as HIV. Understanding the relationships among factors related to risky sexual behaviors, such as internalized homophobia, sexual sensation seeking, and individual and community norms, among MSM with different sexual partner types may contribute to designing targeted interventions for reducing risky sexual behaviors and STI transmission. We conducted a cross-sectional study recruiting 781 MSM in Sichuan Province, China. All participants were divided into groups with and without sexual partners, groups with regular and casual sexual partners, and groups with only male and both male and female partners in the past 6 months. Network analysis was used to analyze the relationships among dimensions of self-reported sexual sensation seeking, internalized homophobia, and social norms in different groups. Of 781 MSM, 606 (77.6%) had sexual partners in the past 6 months, and among these participants, 429 (70.8%) had casual sexual partners, and 103 (17.0%) had both male and female sexual partners. The complex and intensive relationships between dimensions were mainly observed in networks of MSM with any type of sexual partners, with individual norms (dimension of social norms) presenting strongly negative relationships with fresh feeling (dimension of sexual sensation seeking) and homosexuality morality (dimension of internalized homophobia). One dimension of sexual sensation seeking (i.e., fresh feeling) and two dimensions of internalized homophobia (i.e., homosexuality morality and self-identification) were relatively central variables in most groups, especially for those with casual sexual partners. Our study highlights the role of individual norms in restraining sensation seeking, internalized homophobia, especially among MSM with sexual partners. Intervention targeting these central variables may contribute to reduced risky sexual behaviors and further slow the spread of STIs in MSM.

Relationship between female sexual function, vaginal volume, vaginal resting tone, and pelvic floor muscle strength in women with stress urinary incontinence.

Vaginal morphology and pelvic floor muscle (PFM) strength may influence sexual stimulation, sensation, and orgasmic response. This study aimed to determine the relationship between female sexual function and PFM strength and vaginal morphology (represented by vaginal resting tone and vaginal volume) in women with stress urinary incontinence (SUI). Forty-two subjects with SUI were recruited for the study. Female sexual function was measured using the female sexual function index (FSFI) questionnaire. PFM strength was measured by digital palpation. Vaginal resting tone (mmHg) and vaginal volume (mL) were measured using a perineometer. The significance of the correlations between female sexual function and PFM function and hip muscle strength was assessed using Pearson's correlation coefficients. If a significant correlation between vaginal morphology and FSFI score was confirmed using Pearson's correlation, the cutoff value was confirmed through a decision tree. PFM strength was significantly correlated with desire (r=0.397), arousal (r=0.388), satisfaction (r=0.326), and total (r=0.315) FSFI scores. Vaginal resting tone (r=-0.432) and vaginal volume (r=0.332) were significantly correlated with the FSFI pain score. The cutoff point of vaginal resting tone for the presence of pain-related sexual dysfunction was >15.2 mmHg. PFM strength training should be the first strategy to improve female sexual function. Additionally, because of the relationship between vaginal morphology and pain-related sexual dysfunction, surgical procedures to achieve vaginal rejuvenation should be carefully considered.

Beyond Motivations: A Qualitative Pilot Exploration of Women's Experiences Prior to Labiaplasty.

The demand for labiaplasty has increased rapidly over the last 10 to 15 years. Women's reasons for pursuing the procedure have been thoroughly documented in the literature, but other preoperative aspects are less well defined. These include women's expected outcomes, concerns about having the surgery, and the impacts of support from others in their personal lives as well as their treating team. The aim of this study was to explore women's preoperative labiaplasty experiences, particularly expectations, concerns, and interpersonal support. Semistructured interviews were completed with 15 adult women in the United States and Australia who had undergone a labia minora reduction. The women were asked about their motivations for having a labiaplasty, expected outcomes, concerns regarding surgery, and support received from family members, friends, and the treating surgeon. The interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed thematically. Two overarching themes with accompanying subthemes emerged from the analyses: (1) "motivations/influences" which included appearance concerns, physical discomfort, negative impacts on self-confidence, and negative experiences with partners and/or peers; and (2) "perceptions approaching labiaplasty procedure" where women reported concerns about recovery duration and impacts on sexual sensation as well as expectations for their postoperative vulvar appearance to be "neat," "tidy," and "natural." In addition, the women stated that they felt well supported by their surgeons prior to the procedure, but some felt too embarrassed to seek support from family members and friends. These new insights into women's preoperative experiences may assist clinical teams in enhancing their support and education of women seeking labiaplasty.

A Descriptive Model of Voyeuristic Behavior.

Over the last 50years, there has been a plethora of research exploring sexual offending with a recent focus on online offending. However, little research has focused on voyeurism despite convictions and media awareness growing rapidly. Currently, there is sparse theoretical or empirical literature to guide research and practice for individuals engaging in voyeuristic behaviors. As such, 17 incarcerated men with a conviction of voyeurism in the UK were interviewed on the cognitive, affective, behavioral, and contextual factors leading up to and surrounding their offense(s). Grounded theory analyses were used to develop a temporal model from background factors to post-offense factors; the Descriptive Model of Voyeuristic Behavior (DMV). The model highlights vulnerability factors for men engaging in voyeuristic behaviors in this sample. Following this, the same 17 men were plotted through the model and three key pathways were identified: Sexual Gratification, Maladaptive Connection Seeking, and Access to Inappropriate Person(s). The characteristics of each pathway are discussed, and treatment implications considered.

Scripting Consenting Fictions in Sex Techology Imaginaries

This article examines how the intended and implied uses and users of emerging commercial sex technologies negotiate understandings of sexual consent as a social fiction articulated as contractual-yet-contingent autonomy and transactional access that is framed as a prerequisite obstacle to sexual gratification. To do so, I analyze the design and marketing of consent-recording applications and sex robots programmed to refuse consent. I draw on science and technology studies, media studies, and feminist and queer theory to investigate both how sexual consent is imaginatively scripted into digital technologies and how imagined digital technologies suggest that we approach and value sexual consent. My analysis foregrounds critical readings of the design imaginaries of promissory digital technologies—speculatively suggested through design and marketing materials—to situate them within cultural politics of consent and digital technology as they express desires for specific worldbuilding fantasies about gender and sex.

Survivors' Experiences of Sexual Assault by Intimate Partners: A Qualitative Study of Survivors and their Informal Supports.

The current study's purpose was to examine sexual assault survivors' experiences where intimate partner violence was mentioned as part of their narratives. Survivors and their informal support providers (SP; e.g., family, friends, romantic partners) were interviewed separately about disclosure, social reactions, and help-seeking following assault. Twenty-nine survivors and 12 informal support persons they told about their assaults mentioned survivor experiences of IPV-related sexual assault (IPVS). Several themes emerged from the analysis of codes related to the traumatic event of IPV: 1) Severe physical violence in an intimate partner relationship; 2) use of violence for sexual gratification; 3) connecting trauma to other behavior, 4) unwanted duty and redefining abuse, and 5) state responses to IPVS. Implications are drawn for future research and practice on IPVS with survivors and their informal support networks.

Sexual Rehabilitation of Cancer Patients: A Less Noticed Domain in Cancer Care

Background: Sexual problems are associated with almost all types of cancers, especially those of the genital regions. Sexual problems can occur due to cancer itself or due to its treatment (chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or surgery) across all the stages of cancer and its management.Methods: The researcher reviewed the current research status of this less-discussed issue. 115 articles were identified using predefined keywords in Pubmed, Pubmed Central, Embase, and Google Scholar databases from January 1, 2000, to March 31, 2022. First, the articles were screened based on the abstracts followed by checking for the availability of their full-text versions. A total of 28 articles fulfilling the inclusion criteria were finally selected and analyzed. Results: Common sexual problems found in men were erectile dysfunction, decreased libido, dry ejaculation, and performance anxiety. On the other hand, women usually complained of reduced intimacy, lack of sexual desire, vaginal dryness, pain during intercourse, lack of sexual sensation, and reduced self-esteem for sexual activities. There is a significant prevalence of sexual problems with effects on marital relationships in cancer patients. Psychiatric disorders were found to be associated with a higher prevalence of sexual dysfunction ranging from 70 to 90% compared to the general population. Up to 50% and 40% of female and male patients with depression (a common occurrence in cancer) respectively may have sexual dysfunctions. Conclusions: Management of these problems is necessary, as it can be a contributing factor to the poor quality of life. Communication and discussion about sexual health from patients as well as the healthcare provider side are needed. The urgency of seeking a specialist’s help such as a psychiatrist or a sex therapist is also discussed. The researcher reviewed common sexual problems, causes, and treatment modalities, and suggested a few recommendations for making sexual health a part of routine cancer check-ups.

Mother's Milk and Male Fantasy in Nineteenth-Century French Narrative: Representations of Breast-feeding in Nineteenth-Century France by Lisa Algazi Marcus

Reviewed by: Mother's Milk and Male Fantasy in Nineteenth-Century French Narrative: Representations of Breast-feeding in Nineteenth-Century France by Lisa Algazi Marcus Tessa Ashlin Nunn Marcus, Lisa Algazi. Mother's Milk and Male Fantasy in Nineteenth-Century French Narrative: Representations of Breast-feeding in Nineteenth-Century France. Liverpool UP, 2022. ISBN 978-1-802-07064-4. Pp. viii + 176. This monograph examines representations of breast-feeding in literature, art, politics, and medical treaties from the late eighteenth century to 1900. Comparing depictions of nursing from various literary genres to statistics on wet-nursing, Marcus shows how male writers represented breast-feeding as a cultural signifier of motherhood despite the paucity of Frenchwomen actually nursing their own children. Marcus explains how Rousseau's writings on breast-feeding as a cure for social problems influenced authors' idealization of breast-feeding mothers. Contrasting men's texts with the midwife Marie-Angélique Le Rebours's 1767 breast-feeding manual, Marcus asserts that likening breast-feeding to a patriotic duty aimed to confine women to the domestic sphere without imparting any practical knowledge about nursing. With the rise of Romanticism, literary and visual descriptions of breast-feeding became rare. Marcus attributes this change to the Napoleonic Code's reduction of women to reproductive machines and the disappearance of the maternal icon of the Republic in favor of the masculine symbols of the Empire. Works by Chateaubriand, Victor Hugo, and Alphonse de Lamartine represent nursing mothers as marginal, racialized, or grieving, and portray motherhood as superseding women's selfhood. In realist and naturalist novels, breast-feeding is associated with sexual pleasure or political agendas. Balzac, Flaubert, and Zola depict nursing through the male gaze either to present maternal nursing as crucial for the infant or to reveal a regressive identification with the suckling child. Drawing on the psychoanalytical theories of Sigmund Freud, Julia Kristeva, and Luce Irigaray, Marcus considers what is at stake when the male gaze constructs and controls maternal desire. The monograph offers an in-depth analysis of how Balzac compares motherhood to sexual gratification in Mémoires de deux jeunes mariées (1841) and how Zola separates sexuality from motherhood in Fécondité (1899). In these novels, maternal jouissance, Marcus argues, exists for the pleasure of the male spectator. During the Third Republic, moralists, politicians, and novelists reclaimed the nursing mother as a symbol of Republican virtues and censured mercenary nursing as immoral and unsafe, though wet-nursing remained the norm in France until 1918 when pasteurized milk became readily available. Marcus examines the intertextuality between Fécondité and lesser-known texts, namely Alexandre Hepp's 1891 novel Le lait d'une autre, François Coppée's 1872 poem "La nourrice," and Eugène Brieux's 1901 play Les Remplaçantes, to investigate how these texts took part in political dialogues on depopulation, women's civic roles, and public assistance programs. The monograph's analysis of Marianne's breast as a Republican icon highlights how literature and art idealize or demonize the female body to advance political [End Page 282] goals. Though this book focuses predominantly on male authors, it points out that late-nineteenth-century feminists advocated for maternal breast-feeding and George Sand, who nursed her two children, represented breast-feeding as a normal aspect of life in three novels. Scholars researching or teaching the relationship between literature and politics in the nineteenth century as well as scholars in feminist studies will find this book a valuable resource. This accessible monograph could serve as supplemental reading for undergraduates studying Rousseau, Zola, or Balzac. [End Page 283] Tessa Ashlin Nunn Independent Scholar Copyright © 2023 American Association of Teachers of French

Evaluating a Non-platform-specific OCR/NLP system to detect Online Grooming

Online Grooming is a social engineering attack in which the attacking party uses deceptive practices for sexual gratification. The targets of these attacks can vary in demographics however in most cases the target is children, with most of these attacks occurring on social media platforms. As well as the illegality of these attacks in the UK and US, children who experience these attacks are at a higher risk of self-harm or having suicidal thoughts. Due to the deployment of new social media platforms/features any implementation that is made specific to a certain feature/platform is likely to be outdated/ineffective upon release, due to the volatility of the methods/tactics used. Therefore a non-platform specific implementation has been considered within this investigation. From a preliminary analysis, it was concluded that there was an average true positive detection rate of 71% from using optical recognition and natural language processing across three different social media platforms. It is suggested that implementing this text extraction and processing method alongside a 'category-based' machine learning algorithm, a solution that can identify online grooming can be developed that considers the 'real world complexities' of this attack.

Trial in progress: PREPARE—Exploring the activity of pseudoephedrine in treating retrograde ejaculation following retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND) in survivors of testicular cancer (TC).

TPS432 Background: Retrograde ejaculation is a known complication of RPLND occurring due to interruption of sympathetic nerve fibres intraoperatively. Whilst common immediately after surgery, the prevalence of persistent symptoms, and impact on health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) in TC survivors is unknown. Whilst few effective treatments are available, alpha-sympathomimetics such as pseudoephedrine may form a viable treatment option due to effects on bladder neck constriction at sexual climax propagating antegrade ejaculation. Existing studies have shown pseudoephedrine may be helpful in individuals with retrograde ejaculation; however, these studies have only included a small number (n=5) of patients following RPLND. Methods: In a two-part, single-arm phase 2 clinical trial, participants with a history of TC receiving follow-up after RPLND at least >6 months prior will be invited to participate. In part A (ACTRN12622000537752), eligible participants complete questionnaires regarding survivorship issues including sexual function and fertility to explore the prevalence of retrograde ejaculation and HRQoL. Questionnaires include EORTC QLQ-C30, sexual function items from EORTC QLQ-TC26, Brief Male Sexual Function Inventory and tailored questions focusing on retrograde ejaculation. 15 out of a planned 50 participants (30%) have been enrolled and completed questionnaires. If retrograde ejaculation is reported, eligible participants are invited to enrol in Part B (ACTRN12622000542796), where if the participant has no contraindications to pseudoephedrine, nor are they receiving testosterone replacement and retrograde ejaculation is confirmed during screening, they receive a short course of pseudoephedrine hydrochloride. Pseudoephedrine will be given 60mg QID for one-day, followed by 60mg 4 hours and 1 hour prior to ejaculation to evaluate changes in ejaculation volume, sperm count within (any) antegrade ejaculate and within the post-ejaculatory urine. The primary endpoint is total sperm count in antegrade ejaculate of at least 39 million (5th centile) following treatment. We assumed that pseudoephedrine is ineffective if <10% of participants achieve a normal sperm count in antegrade ejaculate after treatment. Using an exact binomial power analysis for a one-sample proportion test, a sample size of 25 participants provides >80% power to detect 36% (9 out of 25) of participants achieving a normal sperm count against a reference proportion of 10% at the 0.05 significance level. 4 out of a planned 30 participants (16%) have been enrolled. All participants with retrograde ejaculation will be invited to an optional, semi-structured interview to further evaluate impact(s) of retrograde ejaculation on issues around sexual health, relationships, body image and masculinity. Clinical trial information: ACTRN12622000537752 , ACTRN12622000542796 .

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Is the sexual sensation seeking scale a reliable instrument? addressing multiple factor structures in a Colombian sample

ABSTRACT The sexual sensation seeking scale (SSSS) is a widely used instrument to measure individuals’ tendency to seek an optimal level of sexual arousal and novel sexual experiences. However, psychometric studies have suggested different factor structures for this instrument, which may lead to a biased assessment of the subdimensions of sexual sensation seeking. The present study (N = 812) aimed to identify the best factorial model of the SSSS by comparing the model suggested by previous research. Results from Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analyses showed that none of the models tested have sufficient goodness-of-fit to support the internal validity of the instrument. Thus, this study highlights the limitations of the SSSS in assessing sexual sensation seeking and proposes psychometric alternatives that should be considered by researchers to achieve a reliable measure of sexual sensation seeking.

“Let’s Talk about Sex”: Expanding Advice Response Theory to Sexual Advice-Seeking

ABSTRACT Communicating about sex with close friends (i.e., support providers) can shape perceptions about sex and sexuality. Drawing from Advice Response Theory (ART) we considered support recipients’ dispositional traits (i.e., sexual sensation seeking) as an intervening variable on advice outcomes. Support recipients (N= 270) reported on support providers persuasive efforts, their trait sensation seeking, advice message content, and advice outcomes. Results indicated that support recipients evaluated advice message content based on their perceptions of altering and novel perspectives, and the quality of advice messages. Although recipients perceived that altering their perspectives influenced greater sensation seeking, novel sexual messages were perceived to be more efficacious, feasible, and with few limitations. Support providers who aimed to change recipients’ perspectives about sex were perceived to be less efficacious, and feasible to do. Theoretical and practical implications are provided.