Religiosity and sexuality: experiences of Brazilian Catholic women

Factors associated with sexually transmitted infections in sugarcane cutters: subsidies to caring for

OBJECTIVE

to estimate the prevalence of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) and associated factors in sugarcane cutters.

METHOD

a cross-sectional, analytical study with 937 sugarcane cutters from Paraíba and Goiás, states of Brazil, respectively. An outcome variable was the positive results in some rapid tests for HIV, syphilis, hepatitis B and C. Bivariate and multiple analyses were performed to identify the association between these infections and sociodemographic and behavioral variables.

RESULTS

all participants were male, most were young adults and had low schooling. Prevalence of STI was estimated at 4.1% (95% CI: 3.0-5.5). According to multiple regression analysis, the variables age over 40 years (OR 5.0; CI 95%: 1.8-14), alcohol consumption (OR 3.9; CI 95%: 1.3-11.9), and illicit drugs (OR 2.9; CI 95%: 1.3-6.3) were factors associated with the STIs investigated. On the other hand, having some religion (OR 0.4; CI 95%: 0.2-0.8), and work in the Midwest Region (OR 0.4; CI 95%: 0.2-0.9) were factors negatively associated with these infections.

CONCLUSION

presence of risk behaviors for STI among sugarcane cutters. Screening for these infections in groups of rural workers is essential for early diagnosis and breaking the chain of transmission.

Regulation and Resistance: Negotiation of Premarital Sexuality in the Context of Migrant and Refugee Women

Constructions of normative sexuality shape the sexual scripts that women are permitted to adopt and the manner in which such sexuality can be expressed. We explored experiences and constructions of premarital sexuality among migrant and refugee women recently resettled in Sydney, Australia, and Vancouver, Canada. A total of 78 semistructured individual interviews and 15 focus groups composed of 82 participants were undertaken with women who had migrated from Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Sri Lanka, and South America. We analyzed the data using thematic decomposition. Across all cultural groups, women's premarital sexuality was regulated through cultural and religious discourse and material practice. Such regulation occurred across three main facets of women's lives, shaping the themes presented in this article: (1) regulating premarital sex-the virginity imperative; (2) regulation of relationships with men; and (3) regulation of the sexual body. These themes capture women's reproduction of dominant discourses of premarital sexuality, as well as women's resistance and negotiation of such discourses, both prior to and following migration. Identifying migrant and refugee women's experiences and constructions of premarital sexuality is essential for culturally safe sexual health practice, health promotion, and health education.