Journal of Psychosexual Health

Sexual violence is still a major problem in the world today, with serious consequences for both the health of the person and the community. In order to address this pressing concern and promote the growth of healthy relationships, this abstract examines the vital role that consent education plays. The capacity of consent education to challenge deeply ingrained attitudes and ideas about gender, power relations, and entitlement highlights its efficacy in avoiding sexual violence. The research investigates the multiple effects of consent education programmes in reducing sexual assault and fostering positive sexual behaviours, drawing on an extensive evaluation of the body of existing literature.

Male sexual functioning is influenced by a complex interplay of psychogenic, neurogenic, vascular, hormonal, psychological, and cultural factors. While global studies have examined sexual dysfunction and its psychiatric comorbidities, research in the Indian context remains limited, especially concerning prevalence, comorbidities, and sociocultural influences. To address this gap, a narrative review was conducted. Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, the review examined studies published between January 2000 and February 2023 across databases such as Scopus, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and PubMed. Only original Indian studies with full-text availability were included. Studies involving comorbidities such as human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency virus (HIV/AIDS), autoimmune disorders, and major psychiatric or developmental conditions were excluded. Of the 482 articles screened, 12 met the inclusion criteria. The reported prevalence of erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation ranged from 20% to 64% and 18% to 55%, respectively. Sexual activity among older adults declined significantly after age 60, influenced by biological and psychological factors. A consistently high prevalence of anxiety and depression as comorbidities was noted. Additionally, the sexuality of aging men is often stigmatized in Indian society, contributing to psychiatric morbidity and underdiagnosis. Cultural barriers further hinder help-seeking and treatment. In conclusion, Indian men appear particularly vulnerable to erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation, with prevalence closely linked to psychiatric comorbidities, sociocultural stigma, and age-related changes. These findings underscore the need for culturally sensitive clinical practices and public health strategies targeting sexual health and associated mental health concern.

Tribal communities remain under a constant threat of poor maternal health outcomes, including pregnancy and childbirth. Recognizing the considerable scope in enriching the existing knowledge, this qualitative study with an inductive approach was conducted among the Munda community in Odisha. The study adopted the Reflexive Thematic Analysis (RTA) approach in the data analysis process to interpret patterns and meanings within women’s own accounts of pregnancy and childbirth experience. The emerging themes highlight early and unplanned conception generally associated with neglected contraception practices and misconstrued perception of antenatal, childbirth and post-partum care. Furthermore, the study captures emotional distress and the influence of social support and the potential obstacles they face in experiencing healthy and positive maternity. The findings reveal that since pregnancy and childbirth include both subjective and collective factors, even an experience without medical complications can also be perceived as negative. Identifying traditional norms and socio-cultural context as indispensable, the study views that due attention to a multi-pronged approach holds relevance in enabling a healthy and desirable pregnancy and childbirth experience among women.

Good communication within the family shapes an individual’s behavior, choices, and beliefs. Sexual communication between parents and children is important as it affects children’s sexual and reproductive health (SRH) behavior, choices, development, and values. However, SRH is a domain of discussion that is often avoided due to the social stigma attached to it. This article aims to understand the influence of family communication patterns (FCP) on the amount of family sexual communication (FSC) through a comparative research design. The data was collected from 134 parents (64 fathers and 70 mothers) of children aged 13–19. The Revised FCP and Weighted Topics Measure of FSC were administered. Kruskal-Wallis H test and Mann-Whitney U tests were used to analyze the influence of the FCP and parent-gender on the extent of FSC. A significant influence of FCP and parent-gender on the amount of FSC was found. Results indicate that pluralistic FCPs have the highest amount of FSC, and mothers were found to be engaging in FSC more than fathers. It is recommended to develop programs aimed at increasing conversation-oriented family communication within families as it has a positive influence on the extent of FSC between parents and children.

There is a collective agreement on having an age-appropriate sex education curriculum. However, proper implementation is lacking in most education boards around the world. This study explores the level of sexual health awareness and practices of young adults at the University of Delhi. We analysed the current awareness levels of these adults and tried to understand if and why there is a gap in their understanding through three components of sex education: awareness, practice and interaction with their partners and peers. Our study unfolds several layers of sex education or the lack of it, and argues for an immediate basic sex education programme to be incorporated into schools from the elementary level. Over 50% of participants learned about human reproduction before the 8th grade, primarily through informal sources. Our findings illustrate very low awareness of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and contraception methods in the young adults, even for HIV/AIDS, the awareness percentage is about half of the responses, which is astonishing. The study also reveals a lack of awareness about breastfeeding and HIV/AIDS, which could be due to earlier public advertisements not mentioning the same. Such a lack of awareness about sexual reproduction and STDs underlines the need for a comprehensive sex education programme in schools.

Transgender individuals experience notable disparities in life outcomes relative to their cisgender counterparts. This explanatory mixed-methods study aimed to explore the relationships between early experiences and gender identity to identify factors contributing to different life outcomes among the transgender community. Quantitative data were analyzed from the 2023 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), including 284,929 transgender and cisgender adults in the United States. Online qualitative interviews were conducted among 21 transgender individuals to expand upon the quantitative findings. In the quantitative component, transgender respondents reported significantly more adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and worse outcomes in mental health, education, and income than cisgender respondents. Key factors such as lack of support, exposure to mental health and substances, household incarceration, and neglect significantly interacted with gender to predict poor life outcomes. In the qualitative component, five themes emerged from the thematic analysis, relating to participant experiences: the impact of family dysfunction, body discomfort before and after transitioning, relatedness and belonging, the importance of social support, and community and healthcare dilemmas. These findings highlight the importance of support systems at the familial, community, and healthcare levels. Transgender individuals who reported positive family functioning, strong support networks, and access to care were found to have better life outcomes. Future research endeavors should examine the perspectives of family members, friends, school faculty, and healthcare professionals to gain a more comprehensive understanding of factors contributing to social inequities within the transgender community.

Scholarly evidence indicates that the rise of sexual and health misinformation on social media platforms (SMPs) continues to affect the majority of the global youth population, denying many the right to make safe and informed decisions concerning their health. While existing studies have primarily focused on the prevalence of different types of health risks in online misinformation, the concept of self-disclosure on social media is often overlooked in sexual health communication. This article presents findings from a study that deals with the question of the online trends that catalyze precarious online self-disclosure among Kenyan youth. Specifically, it addresses three areas: SMP preferences, choices of online friendships, and respondents’ demographics, in relation to social media deception. Sixty students aged 18–21 years were randomly sampled from five faculties at Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST). Data were then collected using focus group discussions (FGDs) and questionnaires. We investigated the spread of these falsehoods on three social network sites (SNS): Facebook, WhatsApp, and TikTok. Findings revealed that youth exposure to social media sex lies increases both their indecent self-disclosure and a higher likelihood to engage in risky sexual behavior. Stakeholders can utilize these findings to provide necessary health communication support.

We report a rare and unique case of a 31-year-old male patient who initially experienced exclusively focal seizures in the form of auditory hallucinations immediately following seminal ejaculation, which over the years has progressed to GTCS. Neuroimaging studies (EEG, MRI, and PET CT) revealed epileptic foci in the left temporal lobe in contrast to past reported cases, often involving women and right hemisphere lesions. A diagnosis of ejaculation induced seizures was entertained, and he was started on treatment with anti-convulsant drugs with optimal dose titration and attained good control of seizures. This case contributes to the rarity of reflex seizures triggered by sexual activity and presentation with the psychotic phenomenon (temporal lobe phenomenon).