A So Di Ting Set: Conceptions of Male and Female in Jamaica and Barbados

In 1997, two hundred and twenty-five (225) Jamaican adults were asked to give their opinions of the prevailing Jamaican male and female stereotypes. Again in 2009 a further one hundred and twenty-four (124) Jamaican adults were interviewed to determine their perceptions of the current gender stereotypes. The same was done in Barbados as a means of comparing the stereotypes of two English speaking Caribbean cultures with differing degrees of exposure to similar cultural influences. Equal numbers of male and female respondents were included in both studies. A 100-adjective list of male and female attributes was compiled using a 300-item list originally created by Cattell in 1943 and subsequently used and revised by various authors. The data were analysed using SPSS to arrive at the frequencies for each adjective. Responses of 65% or more were considered to be stereotypical of males and females within each culture. The results show that overall Jamaican men were seen as: coarse, reckless, aggressive, lazy, tough, arrogant, stern, disorderly, robust, rigid, autocratic, courageous, and hard-headed, Jamaican women were seen as: complaining, fussy, sexy, emotional, worrying, affectionate, sensitive, soft hearted and sophisticated. Barbadian men and women had overall lower stereotype scores than did Jamaicans. Barbadian men differed from Jamaican men in that they were seen as: reckless; disorderly; robust and tough man who is also show-off; arrogant; aggressive; hard-headed; courageous, adventurous; lazy; inventive and rigid, while Barbadian women were seen as: emotional; fussy; affectionate; complaining, sophisticated; sensitive; worrying; warm; fault-finding; sexy; touchy; sentimental and gentle. The popular music from both countries is used as a lens for understanding the cultures within which the respondents develop their gender stereotypes. The stereotype data is then compared with the music that is popular during the 10 years from the first study in Jamaica to the second pair of studies in Jamaica and Barbados.     

Sexual assault history and use of health and mental health services

A history of sexual assault may be associated with increased current use of mental health and medical services because of the psychologically and physically disruptive consequences of assault. To test this hypothesis, we estimated rates of mental health and medical services use among 2560 randomly selected community residents, 343 of whom had been sexually assaulted. Sexual assault was associated with seeking both forms of care. Controls for demographic variables, psychiatric diagnosis, health status, and insurance suggested that assault increases use indirectly, through poor mental and physical health. Uninsured, assaulted respondents were especially likely to consult medical providers. Respondents assaulted during childhood were particularly likely to seek mental health care. Assault was more common among mental health service users than nonusers, and among women using medical services compared to female nonpatients. The high prevalence of assault among service users underscores the need for providers to recognize and treat sexual assault-related problems.     

Adolescents' values, sexuality, and contraception in a rural New York county

75 male and 88 female high school students in a rural county of New York completed a questionnaire asking about personal values and sexual experiences. Religiosity was not likely to affect the incidence of intercourse or effectiveness of contraceptive use. Students with more liberal premarital sexual and profeminist standards usually became more sexually intimate with their dates than did conservative students, but these standards did not predict coital frequency or effective contraceptive use. Different groups exhibited remarkably homogeneous sexual and contraceptive behavior. Nonvirgins had coitus sporadically or on the average of only twice a month. In addition, regardless of their values, most nonvirgins were contraceptive risk takers, partly for fear of interfering with pleasure, and partly because sporadic sex was not perceived by the adolescents to be risky. Rejecting the most, reliable methods available (e.g. birth control pills and IUDs), the condom was the most effective contraceptive used by the majority (57%) and 21% of the nonvirgins relied exclusively on such ineffective contraceptives as withdrawal, trusting in luck, and douching. Younger adolescents may be at particular risk, being more impulse motivated and egocentric, and less likely to seek adult-furnished family planning, especially in a rural community where anonymity is more difficult to protect. Given the uniformity of contraceptive behavior among younger adolescents, and the increasing likelihood of contraceptive use with increasing age of 1st coitus, future study will be needed on the impact of cognitive and emotional maturity, as well as that of environment and family planning resources on young adolescents' contraceptive use.     

Cognitive development and adolescent contraception: integrating theory and practice

The cognitive skills that develop during adolescence are crucial to successful contraceptive practice because most birth control methods require at least a minimal ability to plan for, acquire, and utilize them at the appropriate time. Consequently, we must understand the special developmental setting in which adolescent sexual growth and experimentation occurs in order to have an impact on their contraceptive use. To provide optimal service to adolescents, the developmental and medical aspects should be taken into account in order to determine the best choice for each patient. This article demonstrates how mental health and medical providers can work together to better serve the adolescent population.     

‘They’ve invited me into their world’: a focus group with clinicians delivering a behaviour change intervention in a UK contraceptive service

Although teenage conceptions rates in the United Kingdom (UK) have seen a downward trend recently, it remains imperative that contraceptive services for young people continue to improve. To ensure that evidence-based interventions are sustained in clinical practice, it is useful to assess the experiences of those delivering them. This study explores the experiences of sexual health clinicians who were trained to deliver a one-to-one behaviour change intervention aiming to improve contraceptive use in young women. The intervention was set in a UK NHS contraceptive and sexual health service and involved clinicians’ facilitating (within one-to-one consultations) the formation of implementation intentions (or ‘if-then’ plans) that specified when, where and how young women would use contraception. A focus group was conducted with seven clinicians who had delivered the intervention. A thematic analysis of the focus group revealed three overall themes: (1) How the intervention worked in practice; (2) barriers and benefits to delivering the intervention; and (3) positive changes to individual consultation style and wider ‘best practice’ within the clinic. Our findings show that, with support, clinical staff would be in favour of incorporating if-then planning as a strategy to help promote contraceptive adherence in young women.     

AIDS and condom-related knowledge,beliefs, and behaviors in Mexican migrant laborers

A survey of 87 Mexican migrants (55 males and 32 females) who have lived and worked in the US since 1982 assessed AIDS and condom-related knowledge, beliefs, and sexual practices. Although respondents were highly knowledgeable about major modes of HIV transmission, one-third to one-half believed that HIV could be contracted from mosquito bites, public bathrooms, kissing, and the HIV test. Only 15% knew someone with AIDS. Ever-use of condoms was reported by 70.9% of men and 41.9% of women. Of the 68 subjects who had been sexually active in the year preceding the survey, 20 reported two or more partners. Among sexually active respondents, 16.2% always used condoms with their primary partner, while 43.0% used condoms consistently with occasional partners. 48.9% of men and 57.1% of women never used condoms with their primary partner; with casual partners, these rates were 30.8% and 44.4%, respectively. Worry about contracting AIDS, self-rated on a scale from 1 (very often) to 4 (never), averaged 2.84, with higher worry scores among those 18-31 years of age and with multiple partners. Respondents did not anticipate negative consequences of condom use (e.g., reduced sexual pleasure), but females expressed concern that carrying condoms would cause them to be viewed as promiscuous.     

Anticipated Regret and Precautionary Sexual Behavior1

This study investigated the impact of anticipated regret on precautionary sexual behavior. Results show that anticipated regret predicts a significant and independent proportion of variance in expectations about future contraceptive behavior. A simple model combining attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and anticipated regret explained 65% of the variance in behavioral expectations. Behavioral expectations explained 34% of the variance in contraceptive behavior of respondents who had casual sex in the 4 weeks following the first session of the study. Implications for our understanding of precautionary sexual behavior and for campaigns aiming to increase safer sexual practices are discussed.     

A longitudinal evaluation of computer-assisted instruction on contraception for college students.

This study assessed changes in contraceptive knowledge of 58 white female undergraduate college students following use of a computer-assisted instruction (CAI) program on contraceptive methods. The CAI program consisted of a personal-computer-based instructional lesson covering facts about and appropriate use of oral contraceptives and barrier methods, and myths about sexuality and sexually transmitted diseases. Baseline contraceptive knowledge was first compared with 171 white female undergraduate students. This comparison indicated that, overall, there were knowledge deficits regarding the safety of oral contraceptives and what to do if oral contraceptives are not used correctly. At immediate posttest, significant knowledge gains were observed for danger signs associated with using oral contraceptives, the rationale for triphasic and biphasic pills, potential medication synergism, health benefits of using oral contraceptives, potential contraceptive effect of withdrawal, and the reasons women stop using the pill. At six-month follow-up, students evidenced long-term knowledge gains on duration of pill use, the rationale for triphasics and biphasics, appropriate contingencies for missing two days of the pill, danger signs associated with using contraceptives, medication synergism, and health benefits of using oral contraceptives. The results of the evaluation are considered in the context of the widely held assumption that young women's contraceptive failure is unrelated to knowledge deficits about methods of birth control.     

Conscientious objection and emergency contraception

This article argues that practitioners have a professional ethical obligation to dispense emergency contraception, even given conscientious objection to this treatment. This recent controversy affects all medical professionals, including physicians as well as pharmacists. This article begins by analyzing the option of referring the patient to another willing provider. Objecting professionals may conscientiously refuse because they consider emergency contraception to be equivalent to abortion or because they believe contraception itself is immoral. This article critically evaluates these reasons and concludes that they do not successfully support conscientious objection in this context. Contrary to the views of other thinkers, it is not possible to easily strike a respectful balance between the interests of objecting providers and patients in this case. As medical professionals, providers have an ethical duty to inform women of this option and provide emergency contraception when this treatment is requested.     

Educational needs relative to human sexuality and AIDS among secondary school students and teachers in Lima

Between November 1989 and January 1990, a pilot study was conducted among state secondary school students and teachers in Lima Peru by questionnaires with the objective of determining their knowledge about human sexuality, sexual behavior, pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), AIDS, drug abuse, and sexual activity. 110 students (64 boys and 46 women) aged 13-18 of low and medium-low socioeconomic background from metropolitan Lima participated. 40 teachers (70% females) aged 40.1 + or - 9.3 years also took part. THe adolescent focus groups were anxious to talk openly about sexuality to dispel their doubts. The levels of knowledge reached 46% for human sexuality, 50% for physiology and pregnancy, 35% for STDs and preventive sexual behavior, 50-60% for AIDS (transmission and risk groups), and only 35% for prevention. 21 had heterosexual experiences: 19 males and 2 females. 6 youngsters had homosexual experiences: 4 males and 2 females, 3 of these also had heterosexual sex. 20 of students without sexual experience expressed on interest, in engaging in sexual behavior if they fell in love. 33 adolescents reported using alcohol, 1/4 of these had consumed more than 6 bottles the previous week. The report on drug use was low, because 32% failed to answer this question. 60-70% of the teachers knew about human sexuality, while 72% knew about AIDS. 76.5% of them considered sex education in schools inadequate. 88.2% thought that adolescents need an explicit preventive program which should start in primary school and continue through all grades. This would require additional school resources. The teachers deemed daily life more educational about sexuality than information from schools and universities. 52% said that AIDS education messages had to be clear about preventive sexual behavior. 32% believed that correct use of the condom had to be demonstrated in class. 78% identified the mass media for dissemination of AIDS information, and only 15% judged their knowledge about AIDS sufficient for imparting it to students.     

Attitudes toward sex, arousal, and the retention of contraceptive information

Previous research has suggested that women with a negative emotional orientation toward sexuality (i.e., erotophobia) have difficulty learning and retaining sexually relevant material such as contraceptive information. It has been hypothesized that these women become aroused by this material and that this arousal interferes with their ability to learn it. The importance of this issue led us to conduct the current study. Erotophobic and erotophilic women viewed presentations about contraception while their physiological responses were being monitored. In addition, they were tested on the information contained in the presentation before, immediately after, and again 4-6 weeks after the presentation. The results indicated that the erotophobic women knew less contraceptive information before the presentation and were more aroused by the presentation. This arousal, however, did not interfere with retention of the material. These results are discussed in terms of individual differences in reactions to sexual material and the ability to learn, retain, and use contraceptive information.     

How common is sexual attraction towards clients? The experiences of sexual attraction of counselling psychologists toward their clients and its impact on the therapeutic process

This study investigated counselling psychologists' experiences of sexual attraction to their clients. Self-reported incidence of this phenomenon, the reaction that it provokes in therapists, the way they manage their feelings, and the potential impact of their sexual attraction on the therapeutic process, were assessed. On the basis of previous studies of psychotherapists, it was hypothesized that sexual attraction toward clients is common, and that these perceived feelings are not necessarily negative to the therapeutic process or professional relationship; also, it was hypothesized that the disclosure of these feelings to the client could nevertheless lead to a positive therapeutic outcome. Questionnaires were sent to the 286 chartered counselling psychologists included in the British Psychological Society Register. The results showed that significantly more therapists were attracted to at least one client than not. Furthermore, half of the respondents who reported attraction to clients believed that their feelings had a positive impact on the therapeutic process. Therapists who had disclosed their feelings to their clients found significantly more frequently that the impact of their sexual attraction had been positive to the therapeutic process (87.5%), than therapists who did not disclose their sexual attraction (47.1%). The implications of these results for training, supervision and professional issues are discussed.     

Unwanted Sexual Experiences in University Settings: Survivors’ Perspectives on Effective Prevention and Intervention Strategies

Unwanted sexual incidents on university campuses pose significant public health and safety risks for students. This study explored survivors’ perspectives on secondary prevention of campus sexual assault and effective strategies for intervention programs for unwanted sexual incidents in university settings. Twenty-seven student survivors of unwanted sexual experiences participated in semi-structured in-depth interviews. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis and a constructionist perspective. The findings were contextualized using the ecological model. Barriers to reporting included concerns about one’s story not being believed, personal minimization of the incident, belief that no action will be taken after reporting, confidentiality concerns, and other perceived costs of reporting. Survivors provided valuable insight on potentially effective prevention and intervention strategies to address the problem of unwanted sexual incidents on university campuses. These findings may be useful for prevention and intervention policies and programs in university settings and for providers who assist survivors of unwanted sexual experiences.     

School counselors' knowledge of eating disorders

The purpose of this study was to examine school counselors' knowledge of adolescent eating disorders, specifically anorexia and bulimia nervosa. Participants were drawn from the national membership of the American Association of School Counselors; they were requested to complete a 43-item questionnaire on eating disorders. Of the 500 participants randomly selected, 337 (67%) returned usable questionnaires. There were 220 female and 117 male counselors; the mean age was 45.2 years. The majority held a master's degree and counseled high school students; the mean number of years they had been school counselors was 12.2. When asked how competent they were in helping students with eating disorders, 11% rated themselves as very competent, 49% believed they were moderately competent, and 40% believed they were not very competent. The majority (75%) did not believe it was their role to treat students with eating disorders; they were instead referred to an eating disorders program (40%), their parents (34%), or a psychiatrist or other physician (34%). The majority of counselors (72%) had encountered anorexic or bulimic students; the most common method of discovering students with a problem was by being informed by fellow students (35%). The majority of respondents were very knowledgeable regarding the signs and symptoms of anorexia and bulimia nervosa. Examination of their general knowledge of eating disorders revealed that they knew more about anorexia than bulimia. The two sources of eating disorders information utilized by at least half of the respondents were professional journals (70%) and workshops/professional conferences (56%).     

Perceived Contraceptive Attributes and Method Choice1

This research investigated the relationship of perceived contraceptive attributes to contraceptive choice. More specifically, the study a) examined what attributes women perceive as important in their choice of a contraceptive method; b) compared women who use the vaginal sponge with women who use oral contraceptives or the diaphragm on perceived importance of attributes; and c) compared sponge users with pill users and diaphragm users on perceived characteristics of three contraceptive methods. Data were collected in telephone interviews from a national sample of 330 current sponge users and 330 women who use other forms of female contraception. Those attributes that were rated highest concerned effectiveness and safety, whereas those that were rated lowest focused on convenience of use and interference with sexual activity. Women differed somewhat by user status on the attributes they believe are important in contraceptive choice, with each group emphasizing those attributes characterizing their own method. Moreover. each user group perceived their own method more favorably than did users of other methods. Perceptions of specific contraceptive methods. particularly the sponge. were more predictive of user status than were general importance ratings.     

Is Teenage Sexual Behavior Rational?1

We evaluate the applicability of a decision making framework to the teenage contraceptive and sexual behavior of 1032 Philadelphia teenagers. We examine three reasons why the decision making perspective may not apply in this domain: (a) because the decision makers are teenagers, (b) because the decision concerns sexual behavior, and (c) because the costs of contraception and abstinence are immediate and certain, while the benefits are delayed and uncertain. Using multiple regression, we examine the predictors of sexual activity and contraceptive use. We find support for the decision making model in that the variables ordinarily included in decision analyses do significantly predict behavior. But respondents seem to place disproportionate weight on some considerations, such as the discomfort of using birth control, and very little on others, such as the effectiveness of birth control or their attitude toward motherhood.     

Investigating attitudes of Catholic priests toward the media and the US Conference of Catholic Bishops Response to the Sexual Abuse Scandals of 2002

Since 2002, researchers have investigated the incidence of clergy sexual abuse and the perceptions and attitudes of non-ordained Catholics toward the responses of the U.S. Catholic bishops. The perceptions of functioning Catholic priests were investigated in 2002. There has been little follow-up research about priests who have never been accused of sexual misconduct. Using non-probability sampling techniques, this study employed a structured format to confidentially interview 22 Catholic priests in 2006 and 2007. The interviews yielded themes around the reporting of the events of 2002 by the media, and the response of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) to the crisis and the media. Findings suggest that most priest-respondents believed that the media had accurately reported that the bishops had engaged in a cover-up. Most respondents believed that the media had portrayed all priests as pedophiles. Most priest-respondents believed the response of the USCCB was inadequate, poorly conceived, and generated to satisfy public pressure. Most respondents believed that bishops had abandoned their priests and compromised the canonical rights of priests. Finally, several priest respondents identified a double standard in the process and outcome by which allegations against priests and bishops are handled.