Darren L Whitfield, Jac Caldwell, O Winslow Edwards, Tural Mammadli, Cristian J Chandler, Patrick Sullivan, Jeb Jones
{"title":"Associations Between Psychosocial Factors and Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Adherence Among Black Men Who Have Sex with Men in Ending the HIV Epidemic Jurisdictions: Findings from Project Adhere.","authors":"Darren L Whitfield, Jac Caldwell, O Winslow Edwards, Tural Mammadli, Cristian J Chandler, Patrick Sullivan, Jeb Jones","doi":"10.1007/s10508-026-03433-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-026-03433-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Black men who have sex with men (MSM) continue to experience disparate rates of HIV infection compared to other MSM despite advances in HIV prevention tools. Oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is an effective method of reducing risk of acquiring HIV when taken as prescribed, yet studies suggest Black MSM are less likely to adhere and persist on oral PrEP compared to other MSM. Existing research suggests psychosocial and structural factors impede the ability of Black MSM to adhere and persist on PrEP. As such, Project Adhere sought to better understand the relationship between psychosocial and structural factors, PrEP adherence, and persistence. Project Adhere was an observational study of 69 Black MSM in Ending the HIV Epidemic jurisdictions, tracking participants' PrEP use and various psychosocial and structural factors for six months. The study found substance use was significantly associated with lower PrEP adherence. These findings suggest a need for interventions that assess and assist Black MSM with substance use to improve PrEP adherence and persistence. Additionally, further research is needed to determine the impacts of psychosocial and structural factors on PrEP adherence and persistence in this population.</p>","PeriodicalId":8327,"journal":{"name":"Archives of Sexual Behavior","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2026-09-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149068810","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Rose Bern, Hailey Wooten, Elina Moreno, Paul W Eastwick, Amy C Moors
{"title":"Together and Apart: Dual Attachment Bonds to Cohabiting and Separated Partners Predict Relationship and Psychological Outcomes During COVID-19 Lockdowns.","authors":"Rose Bern, Hailey Wooten, Elina Moreno, Paul W Eastwick, Amy C Moors","doi":"10.1007/s10508-026-03538-7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-026-03538-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>During the COVID-19 pandemic, many people relied on romantic partners for support despite physical separation. This study expands the concept of a safe haven by examining how multi-partner attachment systems influenced intrapersonal (e.g., mental health) and interpersonal (e.g., relationship satisfaction, commitment) outcomes among people in at least two concurrent committed relationships during the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, 186 people practicing polyamory who were separated from one partner(s) and cohabiting with another partner(s) completed a survey during March to May of 2020. Analyses indicated that attachment anxiety and avoidance negatively predicted relationship satisfaction within each relationship with cohabiting and SPs. Attachment anxiety to both cohabiting and separated partners further predicted greater COVID distress. Attachment avoidance to a cohabiting partner negatively predicted COVID distress while attachment avoidance to a separated partner positively predicted COVID distress. One unique cross-relationship effect emerged: attachment anxiety to a separated partner predicted increased commitment to a cohabiting partner.</p>","PeriodicalId":8327,"journal":{"name":"Archives of Sexual Behavior","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2026-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149057389","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Reframing Self-Objectified Women's Loneliness Experience: The Mediating Roles of Intrasexual Competition and Romantic Interpretation Bias.","authors":"Yijia Dong, Xijing Wang","doi":"10.1007/s10508-026-03533-y","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-026-03533-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Despite the fact that women's self-objectification is a psychological process embedded within interpersonal interactions, few studies have investigated the interpersonal consequences of self-objectification. Even though some studies linked women's self-objectification with loneliness, an experience commonly occurring in interpersonal contexts, they produced inconsistent results regarding the association and still explained it from an intrapersonal perspective. Through the lens of interpersonal dynamics, this research attempted to reframe the relationship between self-objectification and loneliness. Specifically, two studies using distinct methods were conducted to investigate whether stronger intrasexual competition tendency when interacting with women and stronger romantic interpretation bias (RIB) when interacting with men, respectively, could explain how self-objectification among women affects loneliness. Study 1, a seven-day diary study, found that female university students experiencing strong self-objectifying feelings on a given day were more likely to engage in intrasexual competition, resulting in increased loneliness that day, even after controlling for their trait self-objectification, self-perceived attractiveness, social desirability, and demographic factors, such as relationship status. Similarly, Study 2, an experiment, revealed that women primed with high self-objectification exhibited stronger intrasexual competition tendencies and heightened feelings of loneliness, even after controlling for self-perceived attractiveness, social desirability, relationship satisfaction, and demographic factors such as relationship status. Although the promoting effect of women's self-objectification on RIB was detected in both studies, RIB could not in turn predict reduced loneliness. Our study contributes to the literature on self-objectification by exploring its interpersonal consequences and provides directions for interventions aimed at reducing women's loneliness.</p>","PeriodicalId":8327,"journal":{"name":"Archives of Sexual Behavior","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2026-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149057419","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Fraternal Birth Order Effect and Other Sibship Effects in Bisexual and Asexual Men and Women.","authors":"Jakub Fořt","doi":"10.1007/s10508-026-03536-9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-026-03536-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Previous research has shown that homosexual men and women tend to have more older brothers than their heterosexual counterparts-this is known as the fraternal birth order effect (FBOE) and is usually considered a marker for biological development of sexual orientation. Recent studies suggest this effect might also apply to bisexual and asexual individuals who have been overlooked by previous scholarship. In this study, I explored associations of the FBOE and other sibship effects with minority sexual orientation in an online collected sample of heterosexual (n = 1174), bisexual (n = 432), and asexual (n = 90) men and women from Czechia and Slovakia. Results of the binary logistic regression indicated the FBOE in bisexual men (OR = 1.66) but not in other sexual minority groups. There were no significant differences in other sibship characteristics between sexual minority and heterosexual individuals, although other non-heterosexual study groups showed a non-significant FBOE of a magnitude similar to bisexual men. This study contributes to the limited literature on understudied bisexual and asexual populations and indicates that male bisexuality might share a common biodevelopmental origin with male and possibly also female homosexuality.</p>","PeriodicalId":8327,"journal":{"name":"Archives of Sexual Behavior","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2026-09-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149023703","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Kimberly A Parker, Jennifer A Scarduzio, Christal L Badour, Anne Amissah, Ansley M George
{"title":"Emotional Responses to Image-Based Sexual Harassment: Examining Help-Seeking and Changes in Social Media Behavior.","authors":"Kimberly A Parker, Jennifer A Scarduzio, Christal L Badour, Anne Amissah, Ansley M George","doi":"10.1007/s10508-026-03530-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-026-03530-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Image-based sexual harassment (IBSH), a form of technology-facilitated sexual violence, remains a growing concern for young women online. This study examined emotional responses, help-seeking, and social media behaviors among 400 undergraduate women (ages 18-22 years) who experienced IBSH, including cyberflashing, pressured sexting, image-related gaslighting about sharing intimate images, and repeated image-related cyberstalking or harassment. The most common emotions reported were disgust, shock, and feeling overwhelmed. Emotions such as embarrassment, anger, sadness, and anxiety were associated with actions such as blocking perpetrators, adjusting privacy settings, or reducing social media use, whereas humor was linked to reduced disengagement. Although 67% of the participants disclosed their experiences, only 14% sought formal help. Embarrassment, anger, and fear were positively correlated with help-seeking, while indifference was associated with less help-seeking. Findings underscore the emotional complexity of IBSH and its potential influence on coping, disclosure, and digital safety behaviors. The study offers implications for trauma-informed interventions, digital literacy education, and social media policy reforms that promote women's well-being and agency in online environments.</p>","PeriodicalId":8327,"journal":{"name":"Archives of Sexual Behavior","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2026-09-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149015531","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Investigating the Role of Psychosocial and Values-Based Factors in Problematic Pornography Use.","authors":"Esme Fiennes, Halley M Pontes","doi":"10.1007/s10508-026-03546-7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-026-03546-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>There are significant challenges in identifying and diagnosing problematic pornography use (PPU), as pornography-related difficulties can stem from behavioral dysregulation and/or moral convictions regarding pornography use. Previous research has shown that personal and/or moral values, notably religiosity, play an important role in shaping pornography-related experiences and outcomes, though broader spirituality remains unexplored. The aims of this study were to (1) provide a comprehensive overview of PPU by exploring its behavioral, psychological, and moral characteristics, and (2) test spirituality as a potential value system involved in PPU. A total of 121 participants from the general population completed an online survey (M<sub>age</sub> = 27.3 years, SD = 5.05; 53.7% male), measuring PPU, pornography-use patterns, psychological health and well-being, moral disapproval of pornography, and spirituality. The findings of the regression analysis revealed that male gender, weekly pornography use, psychological distress, and expressive suppression emotion regulation significantly predicted PPU, explaining 38.2% of its variability. However, spirituality, self-esteem, and age had no significant relationship with PPU. This suggests that a complex interplay of behavioral, psychological, and moral characteristics can inform experiences of PPU, but spirituality did not play a role. These findings provide initial evidence that, unlike religion, spiritual values are not incongruent with pornography use, implying an important distinction between spiritual and religious frameworks.</p>","PeriodicalId":8327,"journal":{"name":"Archives of Sexual Behavior","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2026-09-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149015598","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Prevalence of Aggressive Content in Online Sexually Explicit Fanfiction.","authors":"Ezelbahar Metin, Eran Shor","doi":"10.1007/s10508-026-03523-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10508-026-03523-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Fanfiction (literature by admirers of works of fiction that incorporate characters or settings from these stories) has gained growing popularity in recent decades, particularly among female readers. While many fanfiction stories contain sexually explicit elements of the original story, some are specifically written, either partially or solely, for pornographic purposes. However, despite its popularity as an alternative form of pornography, sexually explicit fanfiction has garnered much less research attention than visual mainstream pornography or erotic fiction. We conducted a textual analysis of both the most popular fanfiction stories (n = 525) and a random sample of fanfiction stories (n = 360) from AO3, the leading website for fanfiction. Results showed that about half of the stories in the overall sample were marked with tags conveying aggression, while acts of non-consensual aggression or rape were present in almost 20% of the sample. A verification content analysis of the full text for 60 of these stories further suggests that the prevalence of aggression may in fact be substantially higher. We argue that since fanfiction is mostly read by women, our analysis takes an important step toward shedding light on women's sexual preferences.</p>","PeriodicalId":8327,"journal":{"name":"Archives of Sexual Behavior","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2026-09-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149015605","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nahanni Musiani, Bozena Zdaniuk, Sonia Milani, Brett Makarenko, Lori A Brotto
{"title":"Predicting Sexual Aversion, Low Sexual Desire, and Asexuality Using the Dual Control Model.","authors":"Nahanni Musiani, Bozena Zdaniuk, Sonia Milani, Brett Makarenko, Lori A Brotto","doi":"10.1007/s10508-026-03529-8","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-026-03529-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Sexual aversion is defined as extreme aversion to partnered genital sexual contact. Sexual aversion may share features with asexuality (e.g., avoidance of sexual behaviors and sexual disgust), but the former provokes distress whereas the latter does not. It may also share symptoms with low sexual desire (avoidance of sexual behaviors and distress), but the link between sexual aversion and reduced sexual desire has not been established. The extent to which sexual aversion overlaps with asexuality and low sexual desire has not been studied. Based on the dual control model, we hypothesized that sexual aversion is distinct because it is accompanied by distress and predicted by heightened sexual inhibition, whereas low desire and non-distressing aversion (as seen in asexuality) are predicted by diminished sexual excitation. A total of 2065 participants completed self-report questionnaires assessing sexual aversion, desire, asexuality, distress, and sexual excitation and inhibition. We used Pearson correlations to test relationships between variables. Multiple regressions evaluated which inhibition and excitation factors predicted sexual aversion, desire, and asexuality. Secondary analyses investigated gender differences. Sexual aversion, asexuality, and low desire were correlated but only the positive correlation of sexual aversion with sexual distress reached moderate strength. Sexual inhibition, particularly inhibitory cognitions, was a significant predictor of sexual aversion. Asexuality was predicted by reduced sexual excitation and weakly by increased sexual inhibition, whereas sexual desire was predicted by high sexual excitation and weakly by reduced sexual inhibition. These results demonstrate that different mechanisms of sexual response predict aversion compared to desire and asexuality. These findings suggest that targeting sexual inhibition, specifically inhibitory cognitions, may be a promising focus for treatment of sexual aversion.</p>","PeriodicalId":8327,"journal":{"name":"Archives of Sexual Behavior","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2026-09-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149015570","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Melinda R Ward, Ashley E Thompson, Timothy G Thornton
{"title":"Sexual Interest and Arousal in Males Who Are Civilly Committed: Exploring Overlap and Distinctions.","authors":"Melinda R Ward, Ashley E Thompson, Timothy G Thornton","doi":"10.1007/s10508-026-03547-6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-026-03547-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Accurate assessment of sexual deviance is critical for treatment planning and risk management among individuals who have committed sexual offenses. Penile plethysmography (PPG) is often regarded as the most specific measure of male physiological sexual arousal, though concerns about invasiveness and standardization have prompted interest in less intrusive alternatives. Viewing time (VT) paradigms index sexual interest through differences in cognitive processing latency when evaluating stimuli, yet few studies have directly compared VT outcomes to PPG findings. This study examined the relationship between PPG-derived deviance differentials (DD) and VT mean rank scores in 146 civilly committed adult males. Participants were classified into child arousal, undifferentiated arousal, or adult arousal groups based on PPG DD scores, and VT category-level mean rank scores were compared across developmental and gendered stimulus categories. Significant group differences emerged for female stimuli only. Individuals in the child arousal group exhibited longer viewing times for images of small child and pre-juvenile female images, whereas those in the adult arousal group exhibited longer viewing times for adult women. These findings provide converging evidence that VT aligns with PPG-derived classifications, supporting a multi-method assessment framework.</p>","PeriodicalId":8327,"journal":{"name":"Archives of Sexual Behavior","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2026-09-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149007755","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Hollie Hammond, Emma Walter, Martin Daly, James S Morandini, Evelyn Smith
{"title":"Demographic and Clinical Features of Early-Onset versus Late-Onset Gender Dysphoria Among Adolescent and Young Adult Birth-Assigned Females.","authors":"Hollie Hammond, Emma Walter, Martin Daly, James S Morandini, Evelyn Smith","doi":"10.1007/s10508-026-03571-6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-026-03571-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study examined differences in demographic and clinical features between early- and late-onset gender dysphoria (GD) in a sample of 138 birth-assigned female adolescents and young adults (AYAs) aged 16-25 years. Participants were recruited through social media and word of mouth and completed an online survey. Onset type was determined using retrospective self-report on adapted DSM-5-TR criteria for childhood GD. Results showed most participants (79%) were classified as late-onset. Late-onset participants were significantly more likely to identify as non-binary, while the early-onset group more frequently endorsed binary identities (e.g., man/male). Early-onset participants reported significantly more childhood gender nonconformity, comorbid diagnoses, and more severe GD and anxiety. Participants classified as late-onset reported limited evidence of childhood gender nonconformity. These findings support the notion that GD is heterogeneous with regard to onset, severity, and comorbidity in AYA birth-assigned females. Further research is needed to investigate these divergent pathways and their clinical implications.</p>","PeriodicalId":8327,"journal":{"name":"Archives of Sexual Behavior","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2026-09-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149007765","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}