{"title":"\"You feel like you're fairly disadvantaged with an advert over your head saying 'in final years of reproduction'\": social egg freezing, dating and the (unequal) politics of reproductive ageing.","authors":"Kylie Baldwin","doi":"10.1080/13691058.2024.2341852","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/13691058.2024.2341852","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Recent decades have seen an increasing gap occurring between the 'desired' and 'actual' family size of middle-class and professional women. This situation of 'unrealised fertility' and 'incomplete families' carries implications at a population, but also couple and individual level. This paper explores how middle-class professional women make decisions about partnering and parenthood and how these are shaped by a contemporary neoliberal feminist discourse which articulates the possibility of 'having it all' through engagement in careful life planning, appropriate self-investment, and by drawing on new technologies of reproductive biomedicine. Informed by semi-structured interviews with UK and US women conducted at two different points in time, it explores how they approach and experience the process of relationship formation in the face of age-related fertility decline. It also examines how the use of social egg freezing shape their romantic and family building expectations but also their interactions with (potential) partners. In doing so, it explores how gendered cultural dating scripts and unequal gender power relations shape the formation and progression of intimate relationships in a manner which can disempower women as they age. It therefore questions whether egg freezing may be the 'great equaliser' that some have hoped.</p>","PeriodicalId":10799,"journal":{"name":"Culture, Health & Sexuality","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-05-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140916142","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Malay-Muslim women's perceptions of <i>sunat perempuan</i> in the Malaysian context.","authors":"Nik Soffiya Nik Mat, Stefanie Pillai, Surinderpal Kaur","doi":"10.1080/13691058.2024.2342549","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/13691058.2024.2342549","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Female circumcision (genital cutting) in Malaysia is largely understudied at present. This study unpacks the perceptions of Malay-Muslim women with regards to <i>sunat perempuan</i> (female circumcision) in Malaysia. Through stakeholder engagement discussions organised by a civil society organisation, 17 Malay-Muslim women shared their views in relation to the practice with a particular focus on: (1) their awareness and personal experience of it; (2) their opinions and knowledge about the practice; (3) beliefs related to the practice; and (4) the roles of relevant stakeholders in advocacy work related to the practice. The data were analysed thematically and interpreted based on the grammar of legitimation and social norms theory. The findings reveal several themes, involving the perceived benefits of the practice; tradition and conformity to social norms; conflicting emotions related to religion; and implicit pressure and fear of negative sanctions in relation to the practice. The findings shed light on the concerns faced by Malay-Muslim women in their decision-making process in relation to the practice of female circumcision in Malaysia.</p>","PeriodicalId":10799,"journal":{"name":"Culture, Health & Sexuality","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-05-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140916250","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Understanding service preferences among consensually non-monogamous individuals seeking sexual healthcare.","authors":"Ryan Scoats, Christine Campbell","doi":"10.1080/13691058.2024.2350434","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/13691058.2024.2350434","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Despite consensually non-monogamous people being a minority population with specific healthcare needs, research on this group is minimal, especially in relation to sexual healthcare. This study explores the motivations behind consensually non-monogamous individuals' choices of sexual healthcare service options. Qualitative survey data was collected from 67 consensual non-monogamists and analysed using thematic analysis. Two key themes captured participants' perspectives on the selection of sexual healthcare services. 'Feeling Comfortable' highlighted preferences for sexually inclusive clinics and LGBT+- focused services due to perceived better quality of care and comfort. 'Practicalities' emphasised convenience, proximity and the availability of STI testing options as critical factors influencing service selection. Accordingly, this research provides insight into the specific sexual healthcare service needs, desires and motivations of those who are consensually non-monogamous. Suggestions are made for increased training and awareness when working with relationship diverse patients.</p>","PeriodicalId":10799,"journal":{"name":"Culture, Health & Sexuality","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-05-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140912052","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"From the bar to the cowshed: the impact of COVID-19 on female sex workers in Pattaya, Thailand.","authors":"Simon Bishop, Onn Laingoen","doi":"10.1080/13691058.2024.2341846","DOIUrl":"10.1080/13691058.2024.2341846","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The COVID-19 pandemic had a devastating impact on the health and wellbeing of populations around the world, with vulnerable groups, including sex workers, being disproportionately affected. This study explored the effects of COVID-19 lockdown restrictions on the lives of female sex workers in Pattaya, Thailand. In-depth interviews with ten women were used to explore the ways in which they sought to cope during the crisis using Lazarus and Folkman's transactional model of stress and coping. Findings suggest that those who could, tended to seek economic shelter with their parents in rural parts of the country during the pandemic. However, those who could not relocate to be with family were forced to try to eke out a living in other ways, which could be both challenging and dangerous. None reported receiving any financial support from national or local authorities, to whom they were invisible, and this placed tremendous pressure on both them and their families. The authors conclude that the pandemic further highlights the need for the Thai Government to accept the reality of sex work and seek to both legitimise and protect vulnerable women and their labour.</p>","PeriodicalId":10799,"journal":{"name":"Culture, Health & Sexuality","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2024-05-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140916079","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ashwini Pujar, Lottie Howard-Merrill, Ben Cislaghi, Kavitha Lokamanya, Ravi Prakash, Prakash Javalkar, Thalinja Raghavendra, Tara Beattie, Shajy Isac, Mitzy Gafos, Lori Heise, Parinita Bhattacharjee, Satyanarayana Ramanaik, Martine Collumbien
{"title":"Boys' perspectives on girls' marriage and school dropout: a qualitative study revisiting a structural intervention in Southern India.","authors":"Ashwini Pujar, Lottie Howard-Merrill, Ben Cislaghi, Kavitha Lokamanya, Ravi Prakash, Prakash Javalkar, Thalinja Raghavendra, Tara Beattie, Shajy Isac, Mitzy Gafos, Lori Heise, Parinita Bhattacharjee, Satyanarayana Ramanaik, Martine Collumbien","doi":"10.1080/13691058.2023.2241525","DOIUrl":"10.1080/13691058.2023.2241525","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Girls' education has for many decades been central to the global development agenda, due to its positive impact on girls' health and wellbeing. In this paper, the authors revisit boys' attitudes, behaviours and norms related to girls' education, following the Samata intervention to prevent girls' school dropouts in Northern-Karnataka, South India. Data were collected from 20 boys in intervention villages before and after the intervention, and analysis was undertaken using a thematic-framework approach. Findings suggest that while boys did hold some attitudes and beliefs that supported girls' education and delayed-marriage, these remained within the framework of gender-inequitable norms concerning girls' marriageability, respectability/family-honour. Participants criticised peers who sought to jeopardise girls' respectability by teasing and community gossip about girls-boys' communication in public. Boys who rejected prevailing norms of masculinity were subjected to gossip, ridicule and violence by the community. Boys' attitudes and beliefs supported girls' education but were conditional on the maintenance of gendered hierarchies at household and interpersonal levels. Social norms concerning girls' honour, respectability and the role of boys as protectors/aggressors appeared to influence boys' response to girls' school dropouts. Future interventions aiming to address girls' education and marriage must invest time and resources to ensure that intervention components targeting boys are relevant, appropriate and effective.</p>","PeriodicalId":10799,"journal":{"name":"Culture, Health & Sexuality","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9943938","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Comfort Tosin Adebayo, Oluwatoyin V Olukotun, Mary Olukotun, Jackline Kirungi, Kaboni Whitney Gondwe, Natasha K Crooks, Randi B Singer, Shukri Adams, Faten Yahya Alfaifi, Anne Dressel, Laila Fahmy, Peninah Kako, Julia Snethen, Lucy Mkandawire-Valhmu
{"title":"Experiences of gender-based violence among Somali refugee women: a socio-ecological model approach.","authors":"Comfort Tosin Adebayo, Oluwatoyin V Olukotun, Mary Olukotun, Jackline Kirungi, Kaboni Whitney Gondwe, Natasha K Crooks, Randi B Singer, Shukri Adams, Faten Yahya Alfaifi, Anne Dressel, Laila Fahmy, Peninah Kako, Julia Snethen, Lucy Mkandawire-Valhmu","doi":"10.1080/13691058.2023.2236163","DOIUrl":"10.1080/13691058.2023.2236163","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Gender-based violence (GBV) is an all-encompassing term that speaks to acts or threats that may lead to physical, sexual or emotional harm to an individual based on their gender. This paper provides a scoping review of research on gender-based violence among Somali refugee women in different parts of the world. Using the socio-ecological model as a framework, we reviewed 30 empirical studies focusing on some form of GBV among Somali refugee women. We identified societal, community and individual factors contributing to the experience of GBV. We also discuss how these factors influence women's willingness to access care, especially healthcare and social services. The review reveals that oftentimes, institutions that work closely with this population have a limited understanding of how closely culture affects the willingness and ability to seek help about GBV. Based on our analysis, we suggest ways in which social institutions and healthcare providers can provide culturally-safe support to Somali refugee women who have experienced some form of GBV.</p>","PeriodicalId":10799,"journal":{"name":"Culture, Health & Sexuality","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10825063/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9944094","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Lesley Gittings, Rebecca Hodes, Phakamani Kom, Sinebhongo Mbula, Marija Pantelic
{"title":"'Remember there is that thing called confidentiality': experiences of institutional discrimination in the health system among adolescent boys and young men living with HIV in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa.","authors":"Lesley Gittings, Rebecca Hodes, Phakamani Kom, Sinebhongo Mbula, Marija Pantelic","doi":"10.1080/13691058.2023.2232023","DOIUrl":"10.1080/13691058.2023.2232023","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Adolescents and men are two populations that perform poorly within the HIV cascade of care, having worse AIDS-related health outcomes, and experiencing higher levels of HIV-related stigma. This paper explores institutional health system discrimination as experienced by adolescent boys with perinatally-acquired HIV, situating them within the social and gendered contexts of the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. Life history narratives (<i>n</i> = 36) and in-depth semi-structured interviews (<i>n</i> = 32) with adolescent boys living with HIV aged 13-22 were conducted in 2017-2018. In-depth semi-structured interviews with biomedical and traditional health practitioners (<i>n</i> = 14), analysis of health facility files (<i>n</i> = 41) and clinic observations were also conducted. Together, triangulated sources point to an incongruence between the complex needs of adoelscent boys and young men living with HIV and their experiences within the health system. Two institutional discrimination-related deterrents to retention in care were identified: (1) lack of confidentiality due to health facility layouts and practices that visibilised people living with HIV; and (2) mistreatment in the form of shouting. This article contributes to the limited literature on the experiences of young men within the HIV continuum of care, focusing on how stigma influences how young men experience and engage with the health sector.</p>","PeriodicalId":10799,"journal":{"name":"Culture, Health & Sexuality","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10210476","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"'We did not want to marry then, but': understanding early marriage among Muslims in the context of the 'Kerala model' of development.","authors":"Muhammed Haneefa, Shafana Shaffi","doi":"10.1080/13691058.2024.2344104","DOIUrl":"10.1080/13691058.2024.2344104","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Kerala, the Indian state with the highest reported level of social development, faces a challenge with persistent early marriage, particularly among Muslims in Malappuram. This study explores the sociocultural factors influencing this situation, in which child marriage rates among Muslims are significantly higher than those of Hindus and Christians. Employing a qualitative research strategy within a specific Malappuram <i>mahallu</i>, a Muslim-majority village cluster encompassing three villages, we identify a multifaceted interplay of micro and macro forces perpetuating early marriage. Lack of social networks, stemming from limited higher education options and career opportunities, restricts girls' choices and makes them susceptible to parental pressure to marry early. Parents, on the other hand, often view early marriage as an appropriate solution to their anxieties concerning parental responsibility, dowry and family honour. This pressure is amplified by the narrative promoted by religious leaders who portray early marriage as the ideal path. This narrative, in turn, resonates with a subset of young men, particularly temporary Gulf migrants who prefer to marry adolescent girls, thereby perpetuating the cycle. We also argue that, unlike most regions in India, poverty and illiteracy are not the primary drivers of early marriage among Muslims in Malappuram.</p>","PeriodicalId":10799,"journal":{"name":"Culture, Health & Sexuality","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140850764","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Using the behaviour change wheel to examine facilitators and barriers to assertive contraception-use conversations for Indonesian women.","authors":"Levina Adiputri, Leslie Morrison Gutman","doi":"10.1080/13691058.2023.2238014","DOIUrl":"10.1080/13691058.2023.2238014","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Contraception-use communication between sexual partners is important to reduce unwanted pregnancies and protect sexual and reproductive health. There is a dearth of research focused on developing countries where sexual and reproductive health conversations are often considered taboo. Using the Behaviour Change Wheel, this qualitative study examines the facilitators and barriers to having assertive contraception-use conversations with a male partner for Indonesian women and then identifies behaviour change techniques as potential intervention strategies. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten Indonesian women aged 18 to 29 years who had been sexually active and were currently in a committed dating relationship with a male partner. Using thematic analysis, 13 themes were identified. Facilitators of assertive contraception-use communication include knowledge about sexual and reproductive health and contraception, communication skills, closeness of the relationship with one's partner, other people's experiences of sex and contraception, and social media norms concerning the open discussion of sex and contraception. Fear of initiating the conversation about contraception was a barrier. Partner's attitude towards having contraception-use conversations and the taboos surrounding contraception in Indonesian culture acted as both facilitators and barriers. Suggested strategies to promote contraception-use communication include using social media to break the stigma surrounding sexual and reproductive health matters, normalising assertive conversations about contraceptive use with sexual partners, empowering women to be more assertive about their preferences for contraception, and teaching strategies to promote assertive contraception-use communication among young women and men in Indonesia.</p>","PeriodicalId":10799,"journal":{"name":"Culture, Health & Sexuality","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9920077","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"'They're not as MSM, they're a <i>bufta</i>': using the categories 'men who have sex with men' and 'transgender' as technologies in Vanuatu.","authors":"Alice Servy","doi":"10.1080/13691058.2023.2234422","DOIUrl":"10.1080/13691058.2023.2234422","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In Vanuatu, the use of the terms such as 'men who have sex with men' (MSM) and 'transgender' has increased over the past decade. This paper draws on twenty months ethnographic research in Port Vila, the country's capital, to analyse what happens on the ground when MSM and transgender categories are taken up to identify people or to narrate the self. The focus is on who uses these terms, in what ways they are experienced, and what is rendered visible (or not) by their use. This research departs from approaches framing 'non-heteronormative' categories as related solely to gender and sexuality. It argues that MSM and transgender categories are used in various ways to refer not only to sexual practices and/or gender identity, but also to health risk behaviours, transactional sex and LGBT rights advocacy. The analysis offered suggests we view MSM and transgender categories as technologies that, depending on the interactional context, contribute to bureaucratic tasks or to maintaining or, on the contrary, changing established socio-political relations.</p>","PeriodicalId":10799,"journal":{"name":"Culture, Health & Sexuality","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9847710","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}