Gender differences in depression and condom use among sexually active Canadians

Maintaining vulvar, vaginal and perineal health: Clinical considerations

Knowledge of female genital anatomy and physiology is often inadequate or incorrect among women. Precise patient-physician conversations can be inhibited by a reluctance or inability to speak accurately about the vulva and vagina, with the terms often being used interchangeably. There is a paucity of scientific evidence and clinical guidelines to support women and physicians in ensuring best practices in feminine hygiene. In this review, the unmet needs in the field are highlighted. Evidence is provided for the complex array of physiological and pathological systems, mechanisms and behaviours that either protect or, if inappropriate, predispose the vulva and vagina to infections, irritation or other conditions. The need for attention to perineal health is recommended, given the interdependence of perineal and vulvar microbiota and the risk of colonic pathogens reaching the vulva and the vagina. Differences in feminine hygiene practices can vary widely across the world and among varying age groups, and suboptimal habits (such as vaginal douching or the use of certain cleansers) can be associated with increased risks of vulvar and vaginal conditions. Critical areas for discussion when advising women on their intimate health include: advice surrounding aesthetic vulvar cosmetic trends (such as depilation and genital cosmetic surgery), bowel health and habits, and protection against sexually transmitted infections. Routine, once-daily (maximum twice-daily) washing of the vulva with a pH-balanced, mild cleanser is optimal, ideally soon after bowel voiding, when feasible. Due to the finely balanced ecosystems of the vulva, the vagina and the perineal area, a scientific and clinical perspective is essential when determining the most appropriate vulvar cleansers based on their components. Correct intimate care may contribute to improved genital and sexual health and overall well-being. An increased awareness of correct practices will empower women to be the advocates of their own intimate health.

Mental health and risky sexual behaviors among Chinese college students: a large cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

College students are at-risk populations of mental health problems and risky sexual behaviors. However, little literature focuses on the association between mental health problems and risky sexual behaviors. Our study examined the association between mental health problems (depressive symptoms, suicide, and mental disorders) and risky sexual behaviors among a large sample of Chinese college students.

METHODS

A total of 49,728 Chinese college students (47.5% male) eventually participated in the analysis. A self-administered questionnaire was used to measure mental health, risky sexual behaviors (casual sex, no condom use at last sexual intercourse, group-sex, and a high number of sexual partners), and other sociodemographic characteristics. Logistic regression analysis was used to explore the relationship between mental health and risky sexual behaviors. To ensure the data is representative of the nation's statistics, all analyses were weighed.

RESULTS

The prevalence of depressive symptoms, suicide ideation and suicide attempts, and mental disorders was 42.83%, 41.29%, and 7.74%, respectively. 26.13% of participants were sexually active in the previous twelve months. Nearly 35% of sexually active participants were engaged in risky sexual behaviors. Logistic regression results demonstrated that mental health problems were associated with risky sexual behaviors after adjusting confounders.

LIMITATIONS

cross-sectional analysis; The self-reported variables may be subject to recall bias and fraud.

CONCLUSIONS

There is a relatively high prevalence of mental health problems and risky sexual behaviors amongst Chinese college students. A significant association between mental health problems and risky sexual behaviors was suggested by our study. Our findings support the importance of advocating for mental and reproductive healthcare for college students.

Update on Syphilis for Women's Health Nurses

After declining for many years, rates of syphilis in the United States are increasing. This article discusses possible reasons why women, and specifically pregnant women, are not getting tested properly. Lack of prenatal care, poor access to prenatal care, and improper prenatal care all have contributed to cases of congenital syphilis. Clinicians working in women's health care can address this issue by taking accurate sexual histories, remaining open to sexual fluidity among their patients, ensuring they are up to date on appropriate syphilis testing guidelines, and routinely offering screening to any woman at risk. Syphilis is a treatable and preventable sexually transmitted infection, and nurses, advanced practice nurses, and midwives can significantly contribute to reversing the current trend.

Attitudes toward condom carriers: The role of gender

This study assessed personal attitudes and perceptions of societal attitudes toward condom carriers, with a focus on the role of gender. Although prior research suggests that sexually active women in society are looked down upon, there has been little investigation as to whether this view remains pertinent today, and whether this remains the case at the individual—as opposed to societal—level. Participants were female undergraduate students who read vignettes describing either a male or female condom carrier. They then rated the condom carrier’s character and provided estimates of how their peers would rate the same individual. The young women in our sample did not negatively judge female condom carriers; in fact, they viewed a female condom carrier more favourably than a male condom carrier. Similarly, they endorsed beliefs that other women in society (i.e., their female peers) would not differently rate a condom carrier based on gender. However, women believed that their male peers would be significantly more critical of a female, as opposed to a male, condom carrier. The relation to ambivalent sexism is discussed, as well as the implications that these findings may have on an individual’s own beliefs and practices surrounding condom use.

Prevalence of emergency contraceptive pill use among Spanish adolescent girls and their family and psychological profiles

BACKGROUND

Adolescent girls' family context and psychological characteristics play important roles in their sexual behavior, including the use of the emergency contraceptive pill (ECP). This study aims to (1) determine the prevalence of ECP use among girls who have had sexual intercourse and (2) comparatively analyze their family and psychological profiles according to whether they have used ECPs.

METHODS

The sample of 1735 Spanish girls aged 15 to 18 came from a representative sample of the 2014 edition of the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study. Of this sample, 398 girls had sexual intercourse and reported their ECP use. Data collection for the HBSC study was performed through an online questionnaire to which adolescents responded anonymously in school. Data analyses were descriptive and bivariate and were performed with the statistical program IBM SPSS Statistics 23.

RESULTS

The results demonstrated that 30.65% of girls who had sexual intercourse used ECPs. Noticeable differences in paternal knowledge and communication with the father were observed between girls who used the ECP at least once and those who did not use it. In contrast, differences between girls who used the ECP once and those who used it twice or more were pronounced with regard to parental knowledge, communication with parents, maternal affection, life satisfaction, sense of coherence and depression.

CONCLUSIONS

This work demonstrates a high prevalence of ECP use and a more positive family and psychological profile for girls who used ECP once compared with those who used it twice or more.

Gender Moderates the Association of Depressive Symptoms to Sexual Risk Behavior Among HIV-Positive African-American Outpatients

Previous research has reported an association between depressive symptoms and sexual risk behavior. The purpose of this study was to explore whether gender moderates this association in a sample of HIV-positive African-Americans. Participants (N = 93) self-reported depressive symptoms (Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale; CES-D), and sexual risk behavior for the past 4 months. Analyses revealed that the depressive symptoms-by-gender interaction was associated with condomless sex and substance use proximal to sex. When analyses were stratified by gender, depressive symptoms were associated with condomless sex and frequency of substance use only for women. We conclude that depressive symptoms may be a more powerful sexual risk factor among women relative to men.

Self-efficacy for HIV Prevention Among Refugee Hispanic Women in South Florida

The number of refugees increased in recent years due to factors worldwide, including violence, wars, political strife, and natural disasters. Refugees who are Hispanic women (RHW) in South Florida are a vulnerable population at risk of acquiring HIV infection. Although studies have shown a relationship between self-efficacy for HIV prevention and behavior changes, none have studied RHW. The purpose of this study was to assess whether predictors suggested by the literature were related to self-efficacy for HIV prevention in a sample of RHW. The study is a secondary analysis that uses baseline data from a randomized controlled experimental study, SEPA. A total of 99 refugee Hispanic women from South Florida, 18-50 years of age, participated in the study. There were two predictors of self-efficacy. HIV knowledge was positively related to self-efficacy, and living with a partner was inversely related to self-efficacy for HIV prevention. Culturally competent sexual health education interventions in this population may impact self-efficacy for HIV prevention.

Anxiety and depression strongly associated with sexual risk behaviors among networks of young men in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

This study tested the association between mental health scores and sexual risk behaviors among male members of social groups known as "camps" in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Anxiety and depression were measured using the HSCL-25 and condom use and sexual partner concurrency were assessed through self-report. A total of 1113 sexually active men with an average age of 27 years were included in the analyses. Higher anxiety and depression scores were significantly associated with both condom use (Anxiety AOR = 0.58, 95% CI: 0.44, 0.77; Depression AOR = 0.60, 95% CI: 0.47, 0.77) and concurrency (Anxiety AOR = 2.32, 95% CI: 1.73, 3.12; Depression AOR = 2.08, 95% CI: 1.60, 2.70). The results of this study provide information salient to the development of effective HIV prevention interventions targeting populations with high burdens of anxiety and depression. The feasibility and effect of integrating mental health promotion activities into HIV prevention interventions should be explored.

Factors associated with consistent condom use among internally displaced women in Leogane, Haiti: results from a cross-sectional tablet-based survey

OBJECTIVES

Scant research has examined factors associated with condom use among internally displaced women in postdisaster settings, such as in postearthquake Haiti. The study objective was to examine social ecological factors associated with consistent condom use among internally displaced women in postearthquake Haiti.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2012 with a peer-driven recruitment sample of internally displaced women in Leogane, Haiti. Peer health workers administered tablet-based structured interviews to a convenience sample of 175 internally displaced women.

RESULTS

The 128 participants who reported being sexually active in the last 4 weeks were included in the analyses. Two-thirds (65.2%) reported consistent condom use in the last month. In multivariate logistic regression analyses controlled for age and income, participants that reported sex work, depression, higher number of sex partners and shorter relationship duration had lower odds of consistent condom use in the past month. Participants who reported no experiences of intimate partner violence, lower self-rated health, higher sexual relationship power and more meals per day, had a higher likelihood of reporting consistent condom use.

CONCLUSIONS

This research provides the first assessment of contextual factors associated with consistent condom use among women displaced from a natural disaster such as Haiti's 2010 earthquake. Findings demonstrate the importance of social ecological approaches to understand intrapersonal (eg, sex work and depression), interpersonal (eg, relationship power, intimate partner violence and relationship duration) and structural (eg, food insecurity) factors associated with internally displaced women's condom use. Results can inform future sexual health research and interventions in international disaster contexts.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT01492829, pre-results.

Major Depressive Disorder and Condom Use in Young Adult Females

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a leading cause of disability and can contribute to risky sexual behavior, potentially leading to Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs).Young adult women face unique STI risks, along with gender prevalence for MDD.

Aim

The aim of this study is to assess the association between moderate to severe MDD and inconsistent condom use in U.S women aged 18-25.

Methods

We examined National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data from 2011-2013 Our study focuses on responses to the depression screener and "sexual behavior" questions.

Results

A total of 302 women, aged 18-25 responded to the depression screener and the "never had sex without a condom question". Of these , 270 had no or mild MDD and 32 had moderate to severe MDD Of the women with moderate-severe MDD, 1 consistently used condoms, and 31 used condoms inconsistently. On both bivariate and multivariate analysis this association between moderate-severe MDD and inconsistent condom use was significant (p = .004, OR 10.260 95% Cl 1-371- 76.801 ) After using the complex samples module, this association remained significant, even after controlling for race (p = 0_032; OR = 7_677, 95% Cl = 1202-49.048).

Conclusion

Moderate-severe MDD is significantly associated with inconsistent condom use in 18-25 year-old women. This suggests a need for further research and interventions geared toward treating MDD, but also in counseling young adult women with MDD regarding healthy sexual behaviors.