Culture, Health & Sexuality最新文献

Sexual and reproductive health (SRH) communication between parents and children is critical for adolescent well-being but remains limited in many Sub-Saharan African contexts. This study examined how masculinity norms shape SRH communication between parents and boys in rural southwestern Uganda, where such interactions are often constrained by gender socialisation, fear-based approaches, and traditional expectations of masculinity. Using qualitative methods and a community-based participatory research design, data were collected from emerging adults, parents and community stakeholders to identify barriers to effective communication. Findings revealed that while cultural norms emphasised mothers' guidance of daughters on SRH, boys were left to navigate these issues independently. Fathers often avoided discussing SRH, reinforcing self-reliance and emotional restraint that aligned with traditional masculine ideals. Fear-based communication, centred on concerns about pregnancy, HIV and societal shame, further limited boys' openness, pushing them towards secrecy and misinformation from peers and media. This neglect perpetuates sexual risk and creates missed opportunities to challenge harmful norms. By focusing on boys, this study highlights the need for programmes and interventions that address the impact of masculinity norms on SRH communication. Promoting equitable, open dialogue between parents and boys is key to improving adolescent health outcomes and fostering gender-sensitive SRH education.

This study engages with the abhorrent phenomenon of corrective rape as a form of sexual violence employed by perpetrators in an alleged attempt to 'correct' lesbians from their sexual orientation. It focuses on experiences in South African townships and the harrowing realities of Black lesbians who are regularly confronted with this act of sexual violence. Through critical analysis, this study demonstrates how heteronormative gender hierarchies and patriarchal cultural norms fuel the perpetration of corrective rape within these communities. Through an examination of cultural practices such as ukuthwala, or 'bride abduction', the article sheds light on the historical acceptance of sexual violence against women and the disregard for women's bodily autonomy. An exploration of the complex terrain of anti-rape advocacy highlights the challenges that homophobia in these areas causes. The article sheds light on the strategic weaponisation of colonial histories that deflects from factors currently contributing to harmful cultural practices. Ultimately, the analysis is driven by a commitment to reduced inequalities and social justice for African women. It seeks to contribute to the development of a more inclusive and equitable society in South Africa, in which the rights and safety of lesbians are protected, and gender-based violence is actively challenged.  .

This article examines the biopolitical dimensions of Russia's response to HIV within the ideological framework of 'traditional values' promoted by the Putin administration since the early 2010s. Through a discourse analysis of state-affiliated expert rhetoric and policy documents, the study elucidates how HIV has come to be framed as a moral, political, and national security threat, rather than a public health crisis. It argues that the Kremlin's turn to conservative, exclusionary frames has facilitated the externalisation of HIV as a problem resulting from the imposition of "Western" values and the "risky behaviour" these values allegedly promote. The paper situates these discursive features within the broader contexts of authoritarian neoliberalism, securitisation, and necropolitics, highlighting the link between the discursive stigmatisation of marginalised groups and the systematic withdrawal of resources from HIV treatment and prevention. By so doing, the Russian government enacts a sovereign biopolitics through which access to evidence-based care is increasingly denied to people and groups whom the state constructs as a 'threat' to society.

In this paper, we present data about how young adult writers respond to the criteria for, and examples of, healthy pornography. Data derive from a textual analysis prepared by four young adult writers aged 18-25 years, who were the majority of authors of this paper. They were recruited by the first author who circulated a call for expressions of interest on what was then called Twitter. The co-authors were paid A$500 to prepare 500 words of textual analysis on criteria for healthy pornography and four websites that were suggested by an expert panel as possibly supporting healthy sexual development for young adults. We then subjected these data to a meta-textual analysis to draw out key insights. Our perspectives on healthy pornography included poetry, activist writing and academic writing. The findings make clear the diversity of ideas and thoughts about this topic among 18-25-year-olds. This demonstrates the creativity of human interpretation, and how this informs the ways in which we engage with, make sense of and make use of pornography.

Emerging in the wave of adult business expansion since 2015, women's adult companies in mainland China have sought to 'cleanse' the previously male-dominated industry and establish new norms. To do so, they have used a strategy of de-erotisation, distancing themselves from the sexually provocative marketing of sex products and sex aids. More than being guilt-free, the consumption of sex toys is associated with liberal progressiveness, promising the return of orgasmic rights to women. I argue that, by elevating sexual morality within the pleasure industry, women's adult companies have sought to educate and reshape female sexuality necessitating consumption of sex toys and sex courses/therapies. In their sex education channels, podcasting is important, and an increasing number of companies sponsor sex-positive podcasts to promote brand value. Influenced by sex-positive feminism, women's adult companies have sought to foster female agency and desire. However, operating within the capitalist system, they are not motivated to change existing power relations; rather, as I will show, reversing the rhetoric of sexual objectification to subjectification sometimes has served as a short-cut to sustain feminist progressiveness while expanding their consumer base.

Medication abortion (MAB) is extremely safe-including when accessed outside the formal healthcare system-yet misinformation about its safety often influences policy, and research regarding public perceptions about its safety remains limited. In 2021-2022, we administered a US national probability-based online survey to 7,376 English- and/or Spanish-speaking people assigned female (AFAB, ages 15-49; N = 7,016) or male at birth (AMAB, ages 18-49; N = 360) to assess perceptions of MAB and self-managed abortion method safety. To identify characteristics associated with safety attitudes, we estimated weighted proportions and conducted multivariable multinomial logistic regressions. While approximately half of respondents believed MAB is safe when obtained in-clinic (52% AFAB/43% AMAB), very few believed it is safe when obtained outside the formal healthcare system (7% AFAB/5% AMAB). In multivariable analyses, prior awareness of MAB and the belief that abortion should be legal were associated with the belief that MAB is safe, both when accessed in-clinic and outside the formal healthcare system. Respondents living in US states that were restrictive to abortion rights/access were less likely to agree that in-clinic MAB is safe compared to those in protective abortion policy environments. The general public holds misinformation about the safety of MAB, particularly when obtained outside the formal healthcare system.

Gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT) comes with many physical, psychological, and social changes that are often considered in isolation. This research uses a socioecological lens with a sample of 15 Australian transfeminine individuals to investigate the changes experienced during GAHT. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in 2022, with verbatim transcripts analysed using deductive thematic analysis with Bronfenbrenner's Socioecological Model (SEM) as a framework. Analyses revealed two themes intersecting multiple levels of the SEM. Theme 1 contained two sub-themes and broadly encapsulated how interactions with others influenced GAHT experiences. Sub-theme 1 spoke to how stigma creates positive or negative experiences (through the macrosystem, the exosystem, and proximal processes), while sub-theme 2 described how GAHT causes internal changes that promoted stronger interpersonal relationships (person and proximal processes). Theme 2 described how changes occurred over time, with some changes being temporary, and others being delayed (person and time). These themes highlight the interconnected nature of the physical, psychological, and social changes and experiences that can occur during GAHT. Best-practice care for trans people undergoing GAHT needs to be multi-faceted and holistic in order to embed support across different SEM components.

In Nepal, menstrual practices, and particularly chhaupadi, impose restrictive norms affecting women's daily lives. Chhaupadi is a tradition that involves isolating women and girls during menstruation and after childbirth, along with following other restrictions, which have physical and mental health implications. To date, interventions have yet to fully and sustainably address harms associated with chhaupadi across the country. This two-phase study conducted in Dailekh, Nepal facilitated the development of community-created solutions to mitigate chhaupadi's adverse impacts on women's health. Using Human Centred Design and a community-engaged approach, the discovery phase identified key stakeholders and contextualised chhaupadi, while the subsequent design phase facilitated the development of five community-created interventions. These included leveraging female community health volunteers (FCHVs) for counselling and awareness, targeting mothers to drive behavioural change, engaging the wider community in behaviour change efforts, empowering fathers to catalyse change at home, and training youth for advocacy. The FCHV intervention concept was selected as the most promising intervention by the women co-design team, warranting broader exploration and testing. Additionally, while it is imperative for interventions to prioritise tackling deleterious aspects of chhaupadi, interventions must also acknowledge its deep-rooted cultural significance and history and recognise the positive aspects that some women may wish to preserve.

Kinship patterns and caste structures have a significant effect on Indian people's lives. Rural Haryana has a strong caste-based kinship system organised around a heteronormative narrative that shapes associated societal and cultural values. This narrative centres on heterosexual marriage, which is arranged within the rules of kinship patterns. Such marital arrangements are viewed as the only space in which people can realise their sexual desires. This article aims to understand the diverse practices of people in rural Haryana that subvert this narrative to realise their sexual desires. The study adopted an ethnographic approach, using casual conversations as a data source to understand how sexuality is practised in rural areas under a strong kinship structure. In the paper, we argue that while the practices documented may seem subversive and countervailing, they contribute to concretising and maintaining the dominant social structure.