'Everyone Wants a Vagina That Looks Less Like a Vagina': Australian Women's Views on Dissatisfaction with Genital Appearance

We present a thematic discourse analysis of 94 Australian women's written comments about women's presumed dissatisfaction with their genital appearance. 

Two themes emerged: 'from natural to normal' and 'the difficulty of resistance'. In the first theme, participants discuss genital dissatisfaction with reference to hegemonic constructions of femininity and to postfeminist, neoliberal discourses that position the natural female body as inadequate, with beauty practices necessary to achieve acceptability. 

The second theme addresses the difficulty of challenging this positioning, referencing discourses that position the vagina as unpleasant and discussion of it as taboo. 

We consider implications of these constructions for women's well-being.

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By:   Moran C1, Lee C2.

• 1The University of Queensland, Australia.
• 2The University of Queensland, Australia c.lee@psy.uq.edu.au.
• J Health Psychol. 2016 Mar 23. pii: 1359105316637588. 

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What Do We Know About Perinatal Sexuality? A Scoping Review on Sexoperinatality - Part II

The intimate and sexual dimension of future and new parenting couples' relationship is the most affected and the most vulnerable during the transition to parenthood. The purpose of this scoping review is to present the portrait of perinatal sexuality through 123 empirical articles published in the last 15 years. This second article in a series of two is about sexuality during labor and birth, during the postpartum, and in relation to breastfeeding. 

A total of 29 sexual variables were analyzed. Sexuality during the intrapartal and postnatal periods is very diversified. Some recurring items, however, can be identified: a period of non-sexuality in the first postnatal months, followed by a gradual return of sexuality from 3 to 6 months postpartum and continuing until 12 months or more. 

Sexuality during the intrapartum is considered taboo and couples' experiences can be at opposite ends: some couples' experiences are sensual and erotic during childbirth, while others experience birth trauma with a negative sexual impact postnatally. 

Sexuality during breastfeeding is also taboo with a negative impact on women's sexuality. In all of these circumstances, women's and men's sexuality are affected and a multitude of simultaneous physiological and psychological factors affect their experiences. 

Fluctuations in the intimate and sexual dimensions of the conjugal relationship are considered as a natural phenomenon but temporary. Sexoperinatal interventions should be part of holistic perinatal health care in order to help couples maintain a positive intimate and sexual relationship.

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By:   de Pierrepont C1, Polomeno V2, Bouchard L3, Reissing E4.

• 1Université d'Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada. Electronic address: catdep@hotmail.com.
• 2École des sciences infirmières, université d'Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada. Electronic address: vpolomen@uottawa.ca.
• 3Département de sociologie, institut de recherche sur la santé des populations, université d'Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada. Electronic address: louise.bouchard@uottawa.ca.
• 4École de psychologie, université d'Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada. Electronic address: reissing@uottawa.ca.
• J Gynecol Obstet Biol Reprod (Paris). 2016 Mar 14. pii: S0368-2315(15)00348-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jgyn.2015.11.001.
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Breaking the Taboo: Illicit Drug Use among Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus

Background. 

The aim of the study was to explore the prevalence of illicit drug use in a group of Polish adolescents with type 1 diabetes (DM1) in comparison with a national cohort of their healthy peers. 

Methods. 

Two hundred and nine adolescents with DM1, aged 15-18 years, were studied in 2013 with an anonymous questionnaire prepared for the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD). The control group was a representative sample of 12114 students at the same age who took part in ESPAD in 2011. Metabolic control was regarded as good if self-reported HbA1c was <8% or poor if HbA1c was ≥8%. 

Results. 

Lifetime prevalence of illicit drug use was lower among adolescents with DM1 than in the control group [58 (28%) versus 5524 (46%), p = 10(-5)]. Cannabis preparations were the most frequently used substances [38 (18.3%) versus 3976 (33.1%), p = 10(-5)], followed by tranquilizers, sedatives, and amphetamine. Lifetime and last 12-month use of cannabis were associated with poorer glycemic control (HbA1c ≥ 8%), p < 0.01 and 0.02, respectively. 

Conclusions. 

Adolescents with DM1 report using illicit drugs to a lesser extent than their healthy peers. The use of cannabis is associated with a poorer metabolic control in teens with DM1.

Below:  The proportion of patients who tried or did not try marijuana, according to HbA1c levels, p = 0.03; response rate to that question was 189/209.

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By:  Hogendorf AM1, Fendler W1, Sieroslawski J2, Bobeff K3, Wegrewicz K3, Malewska KI3, Przudzik MW3, Szmigiero-Kawko M4, Sztangierska B4, Mysliwiec M4,Szadkowska A1, Mlynarski W1.

• 1Department of Pediatrics, Oncology, Hematology and Diabetology, Medical University of Lodz, 91-738 Lodz, Poland.
• 2Department of Studies on Alcoholism and Other Dependencies, Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology, 02-957 Warsaw, Poland.
• 3Students' Scientific Circle at the Department of Pediatrics, Oncology, Hematology and Diabetology, Medical University of Lodz, 91-738 Lodz, Poland.
• 4Department of Pediatrics, Diabetology and Endocrinology, Medical University of Gdańsk, 80-211 Gdańsk, Poland.
• J Diabetes Res. 2016;2016:4153278. doi: 10.1155/2016/4153278. Epub 2015 Dec 29. 

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Sexuality of Tunisian Women: Involvement of Religion & Culture

INTRODUCTION:

Culture and religion carry several prohibitions and taboos, especially in the Arab-Muslim societies, and are therefore involved in the sexual behavior and its perception, particularly that of women.

OBJECTIVES:

To assess the married population's knowledge and opinion about female sexuality, and to estimate the impacts of religious and cultural factors on women's life experience and sexual practice in the Tunisian society.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS:

Our study is in an inquiry. We targeted 55 men and 55 women agreeing to participate in the study. They responded to an anonymous self-administered questionnaire comprising 18 items related to the influence of religion and culture on female sexuality. Among these items, some were binary responses (yes or no) assessing knowledge about female sexuality in the Tunisian religious and cultural context; 8 others explored the opinions of participants about female sexuality. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software (15th version). Pearson's chi-square test and Fisher's exact association test were used for comparative study (P<0.05).

RESULTS:

The rate of participants who did not manage to reach the threshold of 50% of responses compliant with religious precepts and morals in the Tunisian context was 48.19%. According to 61.8% of participants, the woman should consider sex as a religious duty, and according to 79.1%, she always ought to have sex with her husband even when she did not wish to. This assertion was more frequently reported by women (P<0.001). Among the participants, 35.5% did not approve of the idea that women had the right to reach sexual pleasure, like men. Men recognized this right less often than women did (P<0.001). With reference to social morals, 43.6% of participants thought that the woman should always remain passive when having sex. This opinion was more common to women (P<0.001). There were 71.8% who thought that premature ejaculation was not a limiting factor for female pleasure. Virginity was considered by 63.6% of respondents as a feminine virtue to preserve. This response was statistically more frequent among males (P<0.001). For 55.5%, in addition to sodomy, a man could not afford all the sexual practices with his wife. This response was significantly more frequent in males (P<0.001). Regarding the subjective perception of female sexuality, the percentage of those who thought that women might simulate orgasm was 70.9%. Women thought more frequently than men that such a behavior could be justified to avoid hurting the man's pride (P<0.001).

CONCLUSION:

The experience of sexuality within the Tunisian population is hampered by the prohibitions related to religion and culture, at least in some of its aspects. The reasons for that may be the ignorance of religious texts or their misinterpretation and the biased cultural transmission not followed by questioning or seeking deeper knowledge. The introduction of sex education in school programs could play a crucial role in the fight against the obstacles surrounding sexuality, in order to promote the welfare of woman, and thereby, that of the couple and the family.

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By:   Ben Thabet J1, Charfeddine F2, Charfi N3, Baati I3, Zouari L3, Zouari N3, Maâlej M3.

• 1Service de psychiatrie « C », faculté de médecine de Sfax, université de Sfax, CHU Hédi-Chaker, route El Aïn km 1, 3029 Sfax, Tunisie. Electronic address: kamounjihene@yahoo.fr.
• 2Service de psychiatrie « B », faculté de médecine de Sfax, université de Sfax, CHU Hédi-Chaker, Sfax, Tunisie.
• 3Service de psychiatrie « C », faculté de médecine de Sfax, université de Sfax, CHU Hédi-Chaker, route El Aïn km 1, 3029 Sfax, Tunisie.
• Encephale. 2015 Apr;41(2):144-50. doi: 10.1016/j.encep.2013.10.006. Epub 2014 Feb 7. 

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