Sexual risk taking

BACKGROUND: A strong evidence base indicates that maternal caregivers' experience of intimate partner violence [IPV] impacts children's health, cognitive development, and risk-taking behaviors. Our objective was to review peer-reviewed literature describing the associations between a child's indirect exposure to IPV and corresponding nutrition outcomes, with a particular focus on fragile settings in low and middle-income countries [LMICs]. METHODS: We conducted a rapid evidence assessment to synthesize quantitative associations between maternal caregivers' IPV experience and children's nutrition/growth outcomes (birthweight, feeding, and growth indicators)...

INTRODUCTION: For artificial intelligence (AI) to help improve mental healthcare, the design of data-driven technologies needs to be fair, safe, and inclusive. Participatory design can play a critical role in empowering marginalised communities to take an active role in constructing research agendas and outputs. Given the unmet needs of the LGBTQI+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Intersex) community in mental healthcare, there is a pressing need for participatory research to include a range of diverse queer perspectives on issues of data collection and use (in routine clinical care as well as for research) as well as AI design...

Viral infections spread by mosquitoes are a growing threat to human health and welfare. Zika virus (ZIKV) is one of them and has become a global worry, particularly for women who are pregnant. To study ZIKV dynamics in the presence of demographic stochasticity, we consider an established ZIKV transmission model that takes into consideration the disease transmission from human to mosquito, mosquito to human, and human to human. In this study, we look at the local stability of the disease-free and endemic equilibriums...

OBJECTIVE: High prevalence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) combined with poor antimicrobial stewardship are drivers of STI antimicrobial resistance (AMR) especially in resource-limited settings where syndromic case management (SCM) is the norm. We characterized patterns of antibiotic use prior to clinic attendance and study enrollment in Ugandan men with urethral discharge syndrome (UDS), evaluated in-clinic prescribing, and the performance characteristics of SCM. METHODS: Participants were recruited from government clinics participating in an existing gonococcal surveillance program in Kampala, Uganda...

Sexual dimorphism can evolve in response to sex-specific selection pressures that vary across habitats. We studied sexual differences in subterranean amphipods Niphargus living in shallow subterranean habitats (close to the surface), cave streams (intermediate), and cave lakes (deepest, and most isolated). These three habitats differ because at greater depths there is lower food availability, reduced predation, and weaker seasonality. Additionally, species near the surface have a near even adult sex ratio (ASR), whereas species from cave lakes have a female-biased ASR...

BACKGROUND: Evidence to date suggests that young people are becoming more sexually active and are forming relationships during the early stages of their lives, sometimes engaging in sexual risk-taking, which contributes to high rates of conception and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Young people at risk of adverse sexual health outcomes are the least likely to engage with reproductive and sexual health promotion programmes and services (RSHPPs), especially in mainstream clinics such as general practice (GP) surgeries...

The Sexual Discounting Task (SDT) was developed to evaluate the effects of delay on decision making as it relates to sexual risk-taking behaviors. Though previously validated with other populations, including urban emerging adults, the current study sought to validate the SDT with adolescents. A sample of adolescents (N = 155; 61% female) between ages 14 and 21 (Mage  = 19.5 years) was recruited to complete the SDT (involving choices between immediate unprotected sex and delayed sex with a condom with hypothetical sexual partners) and the Delay Discounting Task (a delay discounting task for money outcomes)...

The mating effort questionnaire (MEQ) is a multi-dimensional self-report instrument that captures factors reflecting individual effort in upgrading from a current partner, investment in a current partner, and mate seeking when not romantically paired. In the current studies, we sought to revise the MEQ so that it distinguishes among two facets of mate seeking-mate locating and mate attracting-to enable a more nuanced measurement and understanding of individual mating effort. Moreover, we developed additional items to better measure partner investment...

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) use may be associated with condom use decisions. The current investigation examined sexual decision-making in the context of PrEP among young adult men who have sex with men (MSM) between 18 and 30 years old, using an explanatory sequential mixed methods design. For the quantitative aim, 99 MSM currently taking PrEP (i.e., PrEP-experienced) and 140 MSM not currently taking PrEP (i.e., PrEP-naive) completed an online survey, including the Sexual Delay Discounting Task (SDDT), which captures likelihood of condom use...

BACKGROUND: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been linked with risky health-related behaviors and poor health. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate associations of ACEs with a broad panel of sexual risk-taking behaviors and non-consensual sexual experiences among young people in Denmark. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: Baseline questionnaire data from 15 to 29-year-old participants in the nationally representative cohort study Project SEXUS were used in combination with data from Danish national registers to include a total of 13,132 individuals...

The most at-risk population among women for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) diagnosis in the United States are Black women, accounting for 61% of all new HIV cases. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a safe and effective HIV prevention method for people at risk of HIV acquisition. Although disproportionately affected by HIV, Black women's knowledge, perceived benefits, and uptake of PrEP remain low. The socioecological model (SEM) may be useful for understanding why there is a low uptake of PrEP among Black women...

BACKGROUND: Globally, 80 million people are suffering from chronic Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Sofosbuvir ribavirin-based anti-HCV therapy is associated with anemia and other adverse effects. Polymorphisms of Inosine triphosphatase (ITPA) gene may cause functional impairment in the Inosine triphosphate pyrophosphatase enzyme, resulting in enhanced sustained viral response (SVR) and protection from ribavirin-associated anemia in patients on therapy. The study objective was to investigate the effect of Inosine triphosphatase gene polymorphism on SVR achievement, hemoglobin decline and ribavirin dose reduction in patients on therapy...

Men who engage in transactional sex with men (MTSM) are a high-risk population for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. Epidemiological data have so far included them in the broad category of men who have sex with men (MSM), while research on transactional sex typically focused on female sex workers. The internet has substantially changed sex work practices and earlier findings concerning the sexual health needs of MTSM may no longer be applicable. We analyzed quantitative data from MSM based in the UK (n = 11629) taking part in the European MSM Internet Survey (EMIS-2017)...

BACKGROUND: People who use opioids (PWUO) are at increased risk for HIV. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is effective but underutilized as HIV prevention among PWUO. This study examined predictors of willingness to take daily oral PrEP and long-acting injectable (LAI) PrEP among PWUO across eight Southern urban cities with high HIV incidence. METHODS: HIV-negative PWUO (N = 308) seeking services in community-based programs participated in this cross-sectional survey study...

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted disease. Certain strains have the potential to cause malignancy in multiple anatomical sites if not cleared by the immune system. In most infected people, HPV is cleared within two years. However, HPV may persist in susceptible individuals with certain risk factors, eventually leading to malignancy. New evidence suggests that over 75% of all oropharyngeal cancers (OPC) are directly attributable to HPV. It is estimated that prophylactic HPV vaccination alone may take at least 25 years to have a significant impact on reducing the incidence of OPC...

PROBLEM: Low milk supply is the most common reason women give for stopping breastfeeding early and yet there is a lack of understanding about these women's experiences. BACKGROUND: Most women plan to breastfeed but many experience challenges such as low milk production, leading them to seek help and support. AIM: To explore women's personal stories of how their low supply was discovered. METHODS: Inductive template analysis was used to analyse free-text online survey responses of women from the United States of America, Australia and the United Kingdom...

Background : Bisexual women, compared to heterosexual women, report greater amounts of alcohol use and heavy drinking. Alcohol expectancies (i.e., beliefs about alcohol outcomes) are a strong predictor of alcohol use, but few studies have examined the importance of alcohol expectancies in relation to alcohol use among bisexual women specifically or in comparison to heterosexual women. Objectives : The current study examined 262 heterosexual and 225 bisexual women using an online survey about alcohol use, sexual risk-taking, and alcohol expectancy subtypes (sexuality, tension reduction, and aggression)...

BACKGROUND: Isotretinoin is a commonly prescribed medication for the treatment of acne. It is associated with serious side effects that require monitoring and adherence by patients and healthcare providers. No studies have been conducted in Palestine to explore isotretinoin prescribing and utilization. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to evaluate the current clinical practices, adherence to clinical guidelines, efficacy, and reported side effects associated with Isotretinoin treatment in Palestine...

BACKGROUND: People experiencing incarceration are disproportionately impacted by HIV and are potential candidates for HIV preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP). We explored factors associated with PrEP interest and PrEP uptake and described barriers to PrEP uptake among incarcerated men in a state correctional system. METHODS: From September 2019 to July 2022, incarcerated men at the Rhode Island Department of Corrections were screened for PrEP eligibility and referred to a PrEP initiation study...

BACKGROUND: Inequalities in the antiretroviral therapy (ART) cascade across subpopulations remain an ongoing challenge in the global HIV response. Eswatini achieved the UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets by 2020, with differentiated programs to minimize inequalities across subpopulations, including for female sex workers (FSW) and their clients. We sought to estimate additional HIV infections expected in Eswatini if cascade scale-up had not been equal, and under which epidemic conditions these inequalities could have the largest influence...