Sexual Concerns (sexual + concern)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


ORIGINAL RESEARCH,COUPLES' SEXUAL DYSFUNCTIONS: Erectile Dysfunction (ED) is a Shared Sexual Concern of Couples I: Couple Conceptions of ED

THE JOURNAL OF SEXUAL MEDICINE, Issue 10 2009
William A. Fisher PhD
ABSTRACT Introduction., Erectile dysfunction (ED) may be regarded as a shared sexual concern with a significant negative impact on both patients and their partners. Aim., The current research sought to explore the degree of concordance or divergence of couple members' perceptions of the specific functional impairments characterizing the man's ED, and the concordance or discordance of their attitudes, beliefs and experiences about the male partner's erectile difficulty. Methods., Questionnaires were sent to partners of men who participated in the Men's Attitudes to Life Events and Sexuality (MALES) 2004 study, who consented to their partner's involvement. A modified version of the questionnaire used in the MALES study was employed, adapted to reflect the female partner's perspective. Questionnaire responses were analyzed in relation to responses provided by male study participants. Main Outcome Measure., A 65-item questionnaire assessing women's perceptions, beliefs, and attitudes regarding aspects of ED. Results., High levels of concordance between couple members were observed across almost all items. Women's perceptions of both the specific functional impairments characterizing their partner's ED and the frequency of the partner's erection difficulty were strongly associated with assessments the men themselves had made. Significant associations were also observed between couple members' responses relating to their beliefs about the causes of ED, effects of ED on the relationship, communication about ED, finding a solution to ED, and attitudes toward medication. A number of specific male,female discordant perceptions and attitudes were also identified. Conclusions., Findings of this study demonstrate a high degree of concordance in couple members' perceptions of the male partner's ED, and in their attitudes and beliefs about ED. Specific instances of discordance between couple members may contribute to treatment avoidance or couple conflict. Fisher WA, Eardley I, McCabe M, and Sand M. Erectile Dysfunction (ED) is a shared sexual concern of couples I: Couple conceptions of ED. J Sex Med 2009;6:2746,2760. [source]


Sexual Healthcare Needs of Women Aged 65 and Older

JOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 1 2004
Margaret R. H. Nusbaum DO
Objectives: To compare prevalence and type of sexual concerns and interest in and experience with discussing these concerns with physicians for women younger than 65 and 65 and older. Design: Cross-sectional survey. Setting: Departments of Family Practice and Obstetrics and Gynecology at Madigan Army Medical Center, Tacoma, Washington. Participants: Of 1,480 women seeking routine gynecological care, 964 (65%) responded; 163 (17%) were aged 65 and older. Measurements: Self-reported sexual concerns and interest in and experience with discussing these concerns with their physicians. Results: Older women had a similar number of sexual concerns as younger women and were more likely to be concerned about their partner's sexual difficulties. Older women were less likely to have ever had the topic of sexual health raised during healthcare visits. Even though these women were more likely to report youthful-appearing physicians as hindering the topic of sexual health, the majority indicated that they would have discussed their concerns had the physician raised the topic and were interested in a follow-up appointment to do so. Conclusion: Although the types of sexual concerns vary in frequency, women aged 65 and older have a similar number of sexual concerns as younger women. Older women want physicians to inquire about their sexual health. This discussion should include inquiries about their partner's sexual functioning. To overcome age as a barrier to this discussion, younger physicians should be particularly attentive to initiating the topic of sexual health. [source]


Self-attributions of blame in sexually abused adolescents: A mediational model,

JOURNAL OF TRAUMATIC STRESS, Issue 1 2006
Isabelle Daigneault
This study evaluates the mediational role of general attributions in explaining the impact of specific attributions regarding sexual abuse (SA) on six posttraumatic symptoms. One hundred three SA female adolescents (13,17 years old) completed the Trauma Symptoms Checklist for Children (TSCC; Briere, 1989), the blame/guilt subscale of the Children's Impact of Traumatic Events Scale (CITES-R; Wolfe, Gentile, Michienzi, Sas, & Wolfe, 1991), and the Personal Attributions for Negative Events subscale of the Children's Attributions and Perceptions Scale (CAPS; Mannarino, Cohen, & Berman, 1994). Results indicate that general attributions act as a mediator between specific attributions and six posttraumatic symptoms (i.e., anxiety, depression, sexual concerns, posttraumatic stress, dissociation, and anger). [source]


Sexual functioning in young adult survivors of childhood cancer

PSYCHO-ONCOLOGY, Issue 8 2010
Brad J. Zebrack
Abstract Background: Studies of sexuality or sexual behavior in childhood cancer survivors tend to examine relationships or achievement of developmental milestones but not physiological response to cancer or treatment. The purpose of this study is to (1) identify prevalence and risk factors for sexual dysfunction in childhood cancer survivors, and (2) examine the extent to which sexual dysfunction may be associated with health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and psychosocial outcomes. Methods: Five hundred ninety-nine survivors age 18,39 years completed standardized measures of sexual functioning, HRQOL, psychological distress and life satisfaction. Descriptive statistics assessed prevalence of sexual symptoms. Bivariate analyses identified correlates of sexual symptoms and examined associations between symptoms and HRQOL/psychosocial outcomes. Results: Most survivors appear to be doing well, although 52% of female survivors and 32% of male survivors reported at least ,a little of a problem' in one or more areas of sexual functioning. Mean symptom score for females was more than twice that of males. Sexual symptoms were associated with reporting health problems. Significant associations between sexual functioning and HRQOL outcomes were observed, with gender differences in strengths of association suggesting that males find sexual symptoms more distressing than do females. Conclusions: While most survivors appear to be doing well in this important life domain, some young adult survivors report sexual concerns. While female survivors may report more sexual symptoms than male survivors, males may experience more distress associated with sexual difficulties. Better-specified measures of sexual function, behavior and outcomes are needed for this young adult population. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Men's Sexual Health: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Print- and PDA-based CME

THE JOURNAL OF SEXUAL MEDICINE, Issue 9 2009
Gregory A. Broderick MD
ABSTRACT Introduction., Personal digital assistant (PDA)-based continuing medical education (CME) activities have become widely available. Aims., To evaluate the effectiveness of print- and PDA-based CME materials in erectile dysfunction (ED). Methods., CME materials describing links between ED and comorbid medical conditions, effects of certain lifestyle modifications on ED, and treatment of ED with phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE5) inhibitors were distributed as a print supplement and as electronic modules, viewed with PDAs. We evaluated how effectively these materials improved evidence-based clinical choices, using survey questions about case vignettes and comparing responses of CME participants (N = 85) and matched nonparticipants (N = 94). Main Outcome Measures., Effect size, measuring the difference in evidence-based clinical scores between participants and nonparticipants. Results., CME certificates were awarded to 3,557 participants (459 print, 3,098 PDA). Among survey respondents, significantly more CME participants recognized that ED was associated with greater risk for myocardial infarction (61% participants; 34% nonparticipants; P , 0.001) and was a strong marker for diabetes mellitus (37% participants; 9% nonparticipants; P , 0.001). In contrast, participants and nonparticipants both displayed a good understanding of the relationships of smoking, obesity, and sedentary lifestyle with ED and of using PDE5 inhibitors to treat ED in patients with prostate cancer or benign prostatic hyperplasia; this likely reflects a good baseline understanding of these topics. Participants and nonparticipants each displayed a poor understanding of the recommendations regarding nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy and PDE5 inhibitor use. Patient reluctance to discuss sexual concerns was perceived as the most significant barrier to optimal ED management. Conclusions., Given patient reluctance to discuss sexual concerns, future CME activities should focus on educating health-care providers and patients that ED is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Both print- and PDA-based CME on ED were effective; the large number of lesson completers suggests a trend toward on-demand, self-selected CME is positive. Broderick GA, and Abdolrasulnia M. Men's sexual health: Evaluating the effectiveness of print- and PDA-based CME. J Sex Med 2009;6:2417,2424. [source]


Patients' Sexual Health: A Qualitative Research Approach on Greek Nurses' Perceptions

THE JOURNAL OF SEXUAL MEDICINE, Issue 8 2009
Evangelia Nakopoulou MSc
ABSTRACT Introduction., Health care professionals, especially nurses, through their contact with patients, play an important role in encouraging discussions about sexual concerns. Aim., To explore perceptions on sexual health issues and how these might inhibit or enhance Greek nurses' ability to incorporate sexual health assessment into everyday practice. Main Outcome Measures., A discussion guide was used as checklist to ensure that the basic issues would be addressed. Topics related to the areas of interest were either brought up from the participants or introduced by the moderator. Methods., The study recruited a purposive sample of 44 Greek staff nurses (SN) attending a course leading to their professional upgrading. A qualitative research design was employed using seven focus groups. Discussions started with nurses' perceived definitions of sexual health and proceeded with open-ended questions. Transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis based on the principles of grounded theory. Results., Three central themes were identified from transcripts' thematic analysis: subjective perception of sexual health, discussing sexual problems, and educational and training needs. Participants' perceptions of sexual health centred mainly on the emotional and somatic dimensions. Regarding clinical practice, a variety of personal and contextual reasons limit nurses' willingness to talk about sexuality with patients, such as gender and age differences, familial upbringing, lack of time and privacy, and restricted perception of nursing role. All nurses stressed the need for further specialized training not only in physiology issues related to sexuality, but also most importantly in communication skills. Conclusions., Although Greek nurses acknowledge the importance of sexual health assessment, they believe that sexual history taking is not within the range of their professional tasks. Since holistic care demands sexual health assessment and intervention to be an integral part of nursing practice, it is necessary to introduce courses in their curriculum and experiential workshops addressing the multidimensionality of sexuality. Nakopoulou E, Papaharitou S, and Hatzichristou D. Patients' sexual health: A qualitative research approach on Greek nurses' perceptions. J Sex Med 2009;6:2124,2132. [source]