Stable Partner Research Articles

Your fathers’ mistakes: Critiques of GDP and the search for an alternative

Your fathers’ mistakes: Critiques of GDP and the search for an alternative

Satisfaction with sexual life in people living with HIV/AIDS: the persistent weight of the fear of transmission

ABSTRACTSexual life is an important dimension of quality of life, which may be affected by the fear of transmission in people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA), despite the fact that antiretroviral therapy prevents person-to-person transmission. We, therefore, aimed to explore the sexual life satisfaction of PLWHA and its correlation with their fear of HIV transmission and self-esteem. Consecutive adult PLWHA from seven HIV care facilities in the Rhone-Alpes region, France, were asked to complete a self-administered, anonymous questionnaire concerning sociological and medical data, satisfaction with sexual life (18 questions), and self-esteem (Rosenberg score). Overall, 690 PLWHA answered the questionnaire (mean age 49.2 ± 11 years); 74.9% were men, of which 75.1% had sex with men. Overall, 68.0% of respondents feared transmitting HIV (a lot/a bit). A lower satisfaction with sexual life was significantly associated with being female, not having a stable sexual partner, being unemployed, having a low income, experiencing a fear of HIV transmission, having lower self-esteem, and not reporting an excellent/very good health status. These results strongly suggest that the information concerning the antiretroviral-induced suppression of infectivity should be widely diffused, as this may enhance the quality of sexual life in PLWHA.

Prevalence and concordance of oral and genital HPV in women positive for cervical HPV infection and in their sexual stable partners: An Italian screening study.

ObjectivesThis cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate the prevalence and type of oral HPV-infection in women with a cervical HPV-lesion and in the oral and genital mucosa of their male partners.MethodsThe study group comprised 44 sexually-active women, 20–45 years with abnormal PAP smear, not more than 6 months prior to referral together with the male partners cohabiting in stable partnerships. A detailed questionnaire was administered concerning the HPV-related risk factors. Oral swabs, oral rinses, cervical swabs and urine samples were collected. HPV DNA was detected using two different polymerase chain reactions (PCRs): MY09-11 and FAP59-64. Positive samples were genotyped by Sanger sequencing and the INNO-LiPA HPV Genotyping Extra II probe assay. The association with risk factors was assessed by fitting a generalized model, using the General Linear Model function in the R-software; correlations were calculated between all data.ResultsHPV was detected in 84% of Cervical Samples, in 24.3% of oral samples and in one urine sample. Only 27% of the HPV-positive results were identical with both PCR DNA assays.8 male had oral HPV-positive samples different from women cervical samples. In one couple the urine-male sample had the same HPV present in the female-cervical sample. A significant association resulted between women/oral sex practices and men/n. of partners.ConclusionsThis study reports that women (20.4%) with a diagnosis of cervical-HPV and their male partners (30,7%) are at high risk for subclinical oral HPV infection.

Evidence of hepatitis E virus infections among persons who use crack cocaine from the Midwest region of Brazil.

The current study aimed to determine the seroprevalence of hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection among persons who use crack from Midwest region of Brazil. Sera samples from 698 users of crack, collected from November 2013 to July 2015 were tested for anti-HEV immunoglobulin G (IgG) and immunoglobulin M (IgM) markers. Of the 698 serum samples, 99 (14.2%) were positive for anti-HEV IgG. Two samples were positive for anti-HEV IgM but both were negative for HEV RNA. The variables independently associated with anti-HEV positivity were increasing age and absence of stable partnership. This study showed high prevalence of past hepatitis E virus infection among persons who use crack.

Quantifying potentially infectious sharing patterns among people who inject drugs in Baltimore, USA

Mixing matrices quantify how people with similar or different characteristics make contact with each other, creating potential for disease transmission. Little empirical data on mixing patterns among persons who inject drugs (PWID) are available to inform models of blood-borne disease such as HIV and hepatitis C virus. Egocentric drug network data provided by PWID in Baltimore, Maryland between 2005 and 2007 were used to characterise drug equipment-sharing patterns according to age, race and gender. Black PWID and PWID who were single (i.e. no stable sexual partner) self-reported larger equipment-sharing networks than their white and non-single counterparts. We also found evidence of assortative mixing according to age, gender and race, though to a slightly lesser degree in the case of gender. Highly assortative mixing according to race and gender highlights the existence of demographically isolated clusters, for whom generalised treatment interventions may have limited benefits unless targeted directly. These findings provide novel insights into mixing patterns of PWID for which little empirical data are available. The age-specific assortativity we observed is also significant in light of its role as a key driver of transmission for other pathogens such as influenza and tuberculosis.

ДОСЛІДЖЕННЯ УКРАЇНСЬКОГО РИНКУ ОФІСНОЇ НЕРУХОМОСТІ В ІТ-СЕГМЕНТІ ЯК СКЛАДОВОЇ МАРКЕТИНГУ ПОСЛУГ

The article explores the Ukrainian market of commercial real estate in the IT segment. It is emphasized that wide implementation of information technology in all spheres of business and daily life contributes to rapid growth of the number of IT-companies and programmers in Ukraine in recent years. It is argued that the effective functioning of the IT segment depends on a range of factors, in particular, availability of comfortable, functional and technological office in which it operates. On the Ukrainian market, the IT segment is a leader in the demand for office real estate and is actively implementing innovations in office space. According to JLL analysts, in 2017 about 50% of demands in the segment of office real estate were formed by IT companies, which increases their attractiveness for landlords as potential tenants. In addition, IT companies sign long-term lease agreements and are proved to be steady payers. The relevance for studying the preferences of IT-companies in the choice of real estate is reinforced by their high requirements to a particular real estate object, since for employees of such companies their office is more than just a workplace, it is often perceived as home (flexible working hours, 24/7). In large IT companies, a critical competitive advantage for attracting highly skilled personnel is not only wages but also comfortable and functional office. It is proved that effective development of modern office real estate market is impossible without the use of an integrated marketing approach in which this market is considered a joint mutually beneficial domain for tenants and lessors and which assumes their cooperation as full partners to establish and maintain long-term business relationships. The research findings prove that the modern marketing approach promotes optimal organization of office space for a landlord and offers a good opportunity for a tenant to build a long-term lease agreement with a reliable and stable partner.

Predicting Condom Use among Undergraduate Students Based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour, Coquimbo, Chile, 2016.

Background: Sexually transmitted infections and pregnancy in adolescents are acknowledged public health problems in many countries. Although it is known that the proper use of condoms allows avoiding these health problems, their use in Chile is still limited, for unknown reasons. Objective: Based on planned behavioural theory, the aim was to validate a behaviour model regarding condom use by measuring the influence of the variables that predict this use among Chilean university students. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out in October 2016 among 151 Chilean university students belonging to the health and engineering areas. The information was collected through a self-administered survey. The sample was divided into two groups: stable and not stable relationships. Partial least squares (PLS) regression was used for the analysis. Results: It was possible to explain the condom use of the students by 57%. The attitude was the main variable related to the intention of using condoms, together with the perceived behavioural control. Additionally, there are statistically significant differences in the variables that predict condom use among students with stable relations compared to those without a stable relationship. Conclusions: The planned behavioural theory is useful for predicting condom use behaviour when students have a stable partner.

The birth environment of the solar system constrained by the relative abundances of the solar radionuclides

AbstractThe relative abundances of the radionuclides in the solar system at the time of its birth are crucial arbiters for competing hypotheses regarding the birth environment of the Sun. The presence of short-lived radionuclides, as evidenced by their decay products in meteorites, has been used to suggest that particular, sometimes exotic, stellar sources were proximal to the Sun’s birth environment. The recent confirmation of neutron star - neutron star (NS-NS) mergers and associated kilonovae as potentially dominant sources of r-process nuclides can be tested in the case of the solar birth environment using the relative abundances of the longer-lived nuclides. Critical analysis of the 15 radionuclides and their stable partners for which abundances and production ratios are well known suggests that the Sun formed in a typical massive star-forming region (SFR). The apparent overabundances of short-lived radionuclides (e.g. 26Al, 41Ca, 36Cl) in the early solar system appears to be an artifact of a heretofore under-appreciation for the important influences of enrichment by Wolf-Rayet winds in SFRs. The long-lived nuclides (e.g. 238U, 244Pu, 247Cr, 129I) are consistent with an average time interval between production events of 108 years, seemingly too short to be the products of NS-NS mergers alone. The relative abundances of all of these nuclides can be explained by their mean decay lifetimes and an average residence time in the ISM of ∼200 Myr. This residence time evidenced by the radionuclides is consistent with the average lifetime of dust in the ISM and the timescale for converting molecular cloud mass to stars.

The Shisong Cardiac Center in Cameroon: An Example of a Long-Term Collaboration/Cooperation Toward Autonomy.

Congenital heart diseases (CHD) are present in nearly 1% of live births; according to WHO, there are 1. 5 million newborns affected by CHD per year and more than 4 million children waiting for cardiac surgery treatment worldwide. The majority of these children (~90%) could be treated, saved and subsequently have a good quality of life but unfortunately, in developing countries with a suboptimal care or no access to care, they are destined to die. Cameroon, one of the 40 poorest countries in the world, is a typical example of this dramatic scenario and this is why we started a collaboration project with a local religious partner (Tertiary Sisters of Saint Francis) in 2001 with the aim of establishing the first cardiac surgery center in this country. There are various well-known organizational models to start a cooperation project in pediatric cardiac surgery in a developing country. In our case, the project included a long-term collaboration with a stable local partner, a big financial investment and a long period of development (10 years or more). It is probably the most difficult model but it is the only one with the greatest guarantee of success in terms of sustainability and autonomy. The aim of this study is to analyze the constructive and problematic aspects of the 17-year collaboration in this project, and to assess possible solutions regarding its critical issues. Although much has been done during this 17-year we are aware that there is still a lot that needs to be done.

The role of tensor force in heavy-ion fusion dynamics

The tensor force is implemented into the time-dependent Hartree–Fock (TDHF) theory so that both exotic and stable collision partners, as well as their dynamics in heavy-ion fusion, can be described microscopically. The role of tensor force on fusion dynamics is systematically investigated for Ca40+Ca40, Ca40+Ca48, Ca48+Ca48, Ca48+Ni56, and Ni56+Ni56 reactions which vary by the total number of spin-unsaturated magic numbers in target and projectile. A notable effect on fusion barriers and cross sections is observed by the inclusion of tensor force. The origin of this effect is analyzed. The influence of isoscalar and isovector tensor terms is investigated with the TIJ forces. These effects of tensor force in fusion dynamics are essentially attributed to the shift of low-lying vibration states of colliding partners and nucleon transfer in the asymmetric reactions. Our calculations of above-barrier fusion cross sections also show that tensor force does not significantly affect the dynamical dissipation at near-barrier energies.

Therapeutic inertia in anti-platelet therapy in patients with a cardiovascular event attended in an emergency department

Objective As very few studies have assessed therapeutic inertia (TI) in anti-platelet therapy in patients in secondary cardiovascular prevention, the authors designed a study in their hospital emergency department to quantify its magnitude and its associated factors.Methods This descriptive cross-sectional observational study involved a sample of 223 patients with a history of cardiovascular disease and recommendation for anti-platelet therapy who attended the emergency department in a Spanish region in 2016. The main variable was TI in platelet anti-aggregation (lack of a prescription when recommended by the clinical guidelines). The secondary variables were gender, age, educational level, stable partner, hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes, smoking, type and number of cardiovascular events, blood pressure, and glomerular filtration rate. The magnitude of TI was quantified and associated factors were studied using a binary logistic regression model.Results TI was present in 107 patients (48.0%). In the multifactorial analysis, the following factors were associated with a higher proportion of TI: female gender (p = .021), higher cultural level (p = .020), and having no previous diagnosis of hypertension (p = .003) or dyslipidemia (p = .002).Conclusions The magnitude of TI in anti-platelet therapy in patients who had already suffered a cardiovascular event was very high. TI was associated with being a woman, having a high cultural level, and not being diagnosed with hypertension or dyslipidemia. More studies are needed to corroborate these results to take the appropriate measures to reduce TI.

Actitudes hacia la sexualidad y bienestar psicológico en personas mayores.

El estudio de los factores que influyen en el proceso de envejecimiento activo y saludable constituye uno de los principales intereses de la psicogerontología. En este sentido, el bienestar psicológico es un indicador fiable que asegura el éxito de dicho proceso, mientras que la sexualidad se convierte en una variable moduladora relevante. El objetivo de este trabajo es determinar si las actitudes hacia la sexualidad y el bienestar psicológico de las personas mayores están moduladas por el tipo de residencia, el estado civil y el grado de autonomía. Para ello se utiliza la Escala de Actitudes sobre la Sexualidad en la Vejez y la Escala de Bienestar Psicológico en una muestra de 70 personas, 35 mujeres y 35 hombres, con edades comprendidas entre los 65 y los 95 años (M = 76.78; DT = 8.3). Los resultados revelan que, en general, las actitudes más liberales hacia la sexualidad y el mayor grado de bienestar psicológico se asocian significativamente con el hecho de vivir fuera de las instituciones residenciales y mantener una relación sentimental con una pareja estable. Por su parte, el grado de autonomía solo alcanza significación estadística en el bienestar psicológico, pero no en las actitudes hacia la sexualidad. Puesto que las personas mayores representan un sector de la población estigmatizado (con numerosos mitos y creencias negativas asociadas), este estudio contribuye a crear una concepción más positiva del proceso de envejecimiento, normalizando los comportamientos y enfatizando las variables a considerar en la elaboración de programas de optimización evolutiva.

Treatment Outcomes of Brazilian Inmates with Treponema pallidum and Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection: A Prospective Cohort Study.

A prospective cohort study was conducted to evaluate the incidence and treatment outcomes of syphilis and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in inmates from Central Brazil. In 2013, 3,363 inmates from 12 prisons in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul were recruited, and 1,614 remained incarcerated after 1 year. The inmates were interviewed, and blood samples were collected for serological testing for Treponema pallidum and HIV infections. Inmates infected with T. pallidum or HIV within the first year were assessed for treatment using prison medical record data, based on Venereal Disease Research Laboratory test results, HIV-1 viral load, and CD4 counts. Acquired syphilis was identified in 5.8% (N = 95) of the inmates and 74% (N = 70) of them demonstrated poor treatment outcomes after 1 year. Multivariate analysis revealed that not reporting a stable partner was a risk factor for failure of syphilis treatment. Twenty-five patients had HIV (1.5%) and among those, 13 (52%) had an HIV-1 viral load > 200 copies/mL after 1 year. The incidence of T. pallidum and HIV infections was 0.5% (N = 9). The poor treatment outcomes of syphilis and HIV within Brazilian prisons demonstrate the inadequacy of public health programs. Although the incidence of these infections within the prison population is low, new cases still occur. Our results reinforce the significance of screening programs during prison admission for early detection and treatment of sexually transmitted infections.

ОТНОШЕНИЯ РОССИЯ–НАТО: ОТ ДЕКЛАРАТИВНОГО ПАРТНЕРСТВА К ГЛУБОКОМУ КРИЗИСУ

The end of the Cold War stimulated decisive positive changes in Russia-NATO relations. American military presence in Europe was reduced by 85% which was one of the signs of growing trust between Russia and the West. Moscow and Brussels adopted a number of documents (NATO-Russia Founding Act of 1997 among them) proclaiming mutual intention to develop a “stable and long-term partnership”. Unfortunately, a number of drawbacks in the Western strategy towards Russia (most notably NATO’s enlargement policy) almost derailed prospects to realize the above intention. Negative developments of the military political situation in Europe and in the world resulting from the Ukrainian crisis drastically aggravated the interaction between Russia and Western countries. As a result, Russia-NATO relations were thrown back on the brink of the Cold War and degraded from the level of developing cooperation with the goal of establishing partnership-like cooperation to a deep mistrust. For the first time since the Cold War, the militaries of the parties almost came in close contact creating the risk of military conflict. In this situation, reducing the level of mutual confrontation becomes an urgent task. To achieve this a number of measures may be undertaken: the mechanism of direct bilateral dialogue (primarily within the NATO-Russia Council) should be restarted, steps should be taken to prevent incidents on and over the high seas, certain key provisions of the Founding Act should be clarified and specified, the level and numbers of military maneuvers should be lowered significantly, zones of the reduced levels of armaments should be established, the process of negotiations on arms control and confidence building measures in Europe should be resumed. In fact, a number of such measures may be proposed. But it is important to take into consideration that the discussion on “modernization” of the 2011 Vienna Document on confidence- and security-building measures proposed by the West may be effectively started only in line with the development of a dialogue on security and arms control and achieving here sizable results. The parts should reduce drastically declaratory accusations addressing each other and try to refrain from activity that would be negatively perceived by the other side.

Satisfacción sexual femenina: influencia de la edad y variedad de prácticas sexuales

La satisfacción sexual es la respuesta afectiva y emocional surgida de la evaluación de las interacciones sexuales personales y de la percepción de la consumación del deseo erótico. La satisfacción marital, definida como la actitud hacia la interacción marital y los aspectos emocionales y estructurales de la pareja, es considerada uno de los más fuertes predictores de la satisfacción sexual. Además, existen otras variables que pueden estar interviniendo en la satisfacción sexual y marital de las mujeres. Por tanto, el objetivo de este trabajo es analizar la influencia de la edad y la variedad de prácticas sexuales y afectivas en la satisfacción sexual y marital de mujeres con pareja estable. La muestra está formada por 600 mujeres de edades comprendidas entre los 18 y 60 años (M = 31.57; DT = 9.14) que, independientemente de su orientación sexual, mantienen una relación de pareja estable de una duración igual o superior a dos años. A todas ellas se les aplicó la Escala de Satisfacción Sexual, la Escala de Satisfacción Marital y un inventario de prácticas sexuales. Los resultados muestran una relación inversa con la edad, de manera que el grupo de menor edad presenta puntuaciones significativamente superiores en el Factor “Comunicación” de la Escala de Satisfacción Sexual, así como en la Escala de Satisfacción Marital. Además, se ha encontrado que a mayor variedad de prácticas sexuales y afectivas, tanto durante como después de la relación sexual, mayor satisfacción sexual. Por último, la satisfacción marital se relaciona de forma directa con la satisfacción sexual. Las mujeres jóvenes y con amplia variedad de prácticas sexuales y afectivas presentan una mayor satisfacción sexual y marital. Se ha evidenciado la necesidad de elaborar modelos multicausales sobre las variables implicadas en la satisfacción sexual femenina debido a la complejidad que entraña.

Gender-based discrimination and unprotected receptive anal intercourse among transgender women in Brazil: A mixed methods study.

IntroductionDiscrimination related to gender identity may directly influence vulnerability to HIV through increased exposure to unprotected receptive anal intercourse (URAI). Little is known about the relationship between gender-based discrimination (GBD) and URAI with stable partners among transgender women.MethodsThis mixed-methods research began with a cross-sectional survey conducted between 2014 and 2016 with transgender women in Salvador, the capital city in one of the poorest regions in Brazil. Respondent-driven sampling was used to recruit the study population. GBD was defined through Latent Class Analysis. Additionally, 19 semi-structured interviews with participants were transcribed and analyzed through thematic content analysis.ResultsURAI with stable partners was commonly reported (37.3%). GDB was positively associated with URAI among stable partners (OR = 6.47; IC 95%: 1.67–25.02). The analysis of the interviews illustrated how GBD impacted transgender women in diverse ways. Experiences with GBD perpetrated by the family often initiated a trajectory of economic vulnerability that led many to engage in survival sex work. The constant experience with GBD contributed to participants feeling an immense sense of trust with their stable partners, ultimately diminished their desire to use condoms. Further, the high frequency of GBD contributed to poor mental health overall, though some participants said engagement in transgender advocacy efforts provided a vital source of resilience and support.ConclusionOur mixed-method study capitalizes upon the strengths of diverse data sets to produce a holistic understanding of GBD and URAI with stable partners. Furthermore, by confirming the association between greater GBD and URAI, we have demonstrated how GBD can impact condom negotiation in diverse relationships.

How do post-divorce paternal and maternal family trajectories relate to adolescents' subjective well-being?

Previous research on adolescents' well-being has focused mainly on the differences between married and divorced families. Recently, interest has shifted towards the cumulative effects of the various family transitions experienced by children. To contribute to this literature, we investigate the relationship of maternal and paternal family trajectories following divorce with adolescents' well-being by analyzing two dyadic subsamples of the ‘Divorce in Flanders’ study: mothers-adolescents (n = 515) and fathers-adolescents (n = 365). Results from the sequence analyses and structural equation models show that adolescents' well-being was lower if their mothers were in less stable partnership situations, namely if they had never repartnered, were in a LAT (living apart together) relationship or had had several relationships since their divorce. For fathers, the opposite result was found: adolescents' well-being was lower when their fathers were in seemingly stable partnership situations, i.e. if they had remarried or begun living with a new partner since their divorce.

Social determinants of health related to adhesion to mammography screening.

To identify proximal, intermediary and individual social determinants related to mammography adherence, according to the Social Determinants of Health model proposed by Dahlgren and Whitehead. Method: Correlational cross-sectional study, carried out with a sociodemographic and clinical data questionnaire and the Champion's Health Belief Model Scale, translated and adapted for use in Brazil. Data analyzed by multiple linear regression, from the domains scale, and sociodemographic and clinical variables were used as predictors. The age group of 60-64 years (55.0%) was highlighted, 22 (55.0%) women had a stable partner; and 14 (65.0%) completed higher education. The domain with the greatest influence on adhesion to mammography was perceived barriers. The social determinants of health are directly related to the levels of adherence to the exam among women, as well as the perceived benefits, susceptibilities and barriers.

Gestación y parto en mujeres con edad materna avanzada en Tunja, Colombia. 2011-2015

Introducción. La gestación en mujeres >35 años se considera una condición de riesgo obstétrico, tanto para la madre como para el feto.Objetivo. Explorar la prevalencia y los factores determinantes asociados con la gestación en mujeres >35 años en Tunja.Materiales y métodos. Estudio de corte transversal en el que se analizó el registro institucional de partos ocurridos en mujeres residentes en Tunja durante el período 2011-2015.Resultados. Se presentaron 1 558 partos en >35 años, lo que constituye el 11.6-13% del total anual; 49.8% de los partos se dieron mediante cesárea. Los factores asociados fueron afiliación al régimen contributivo, escolaridad de la gestante y de su pareja, hábitat urbano y pareja estable. No se encontró riesgo incrementado de complicaciones obstétricas en comparación con otros grupos de edad, pero sí asociación positiva con mayor probabilidad de prematurez, sobrepeso, óbito fetal previo y operación cesárea.Conclusiones. La incidencia de parto es ligeramente mayor a la media nacional, quizás por factores sociales y culturales no establecidos con plenitud, pero similares a los reportados en la literatura. Es recomendable profundizar en el análisis de determinantes para mejorar las estrategias de vigilancia y control, así como rutinas de tamizaje.

Sexual behaviors reported by a sample of human immunodeficiency virus-positive men who have sex with men: A descriptive study in Khon Kaen, Thailand.

Context:In Thailand, men who have sex with men (MSM) have a far higher rate of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections. If these persons do not modify their behavior to safer lifestyles, they may increase the spread of HIV infection.Aims:This study aims to identify the behavior of HIV-positive MSM in comparison to their prediagnostic behaviors.Settings and Design:We conducted a cross-sectional study involving antiretroviral clinic (ARV) in Khon Kaen hospital to explore the sexual behaviors of HIV-positive MSM after the diagnosis of HIV infection.Subjects and Methods:HIV-positive MSM aged ≥18 years were asked to enroll in the study. The questionnaire was administered to 114 MSM at least 3 months after HIV diagnosis.Statistical Analysis Used:Descriptive statistics was used including means, frequencies, and percentage.Results:Forty percent of HIV-positive MSM had not have sex with a man during the 12 months. Nineteen participants reported unprotected sex, 4.31% and 12.28% reported engaging in unprotected anal and oral intercourse, respectively. About 16.6% reported that they had practiced at-risk sexual behavior. The mean of number of partners in the past 3 months was 1.8. In total, 32.46% (n = 37) reported that they had relationships with a stable partner, while 22.80% (n = 26) indicated they continued relationships with casual partners.Conclusions:Our sample of HIV-positive MSM, though aware of being infected, engage in sexual behaviors that could sustain transmission of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. This highlights the need for a national prevention programs for persons living with HIV.