Our understanding of humoral immune response to human papillomavirus (HPV) infection has been mainly derived from studies in women. Very little is known about humoral immune response to HPV in men. There is also a growing interest in understanding the burden of HPV exposure in the subgroups of the male population, including men who have sex with women (MSW), men who have sex with men (MSM) and men who have sex with both men and women (MSMW). This dissertation was undertaken to understand and characterize humoral immune response, measured by detectable serum antibody IgG, to HPV 6, 11, 16 and 18 infection, to estimates seroprevalence of HPV 6, 11, 16 and 18, to determine the associations of sociodemographic and sexual behavioral factors with seroprevalence of individual HPV types, and to evaluate the role of serum antibodies in the subsequent acquisition of infection with the same HPV type, genetically related and un-related HPV types. Three studies that compose of this dissertation were conducted within the framework of two longitudinal studies of HPV infection in men: a single-site natural history study of male residents of Tucson, Arizona (the 1st study: N=285); and a multinational natural history study of healthy men residing in São Paulo, Brazil, Cuernavaca, Mexico, and Tampa, Florida (the 2nd study: N=1477; the 3rd study: N=2187). Men were recruited using similar eligibility criteria in both natural history studies and followed every 6 months for a maximum of 18 months in the single-site study and 48 months in the multi-national study. HPV DNA status was assessed using the PGMY09/11 L1 consensus primer system and the Linear Array HPV Genotyping Protocol. Testing of serum antibodies to HPV 6, 11, 16 and 18 was performed with virus-like particle-based ELISA assays. Data from our studies indicate that exposure to HPV 6, 11, 16 and 18, the four HPV types targeted in the currently license HPV vaccines, is common. Of 285 male residents of Tucson, Arizona, 28.8% of them were seropositive to HPV 16 and/or 18 at study entry. Similarly, approximately one third of 1477 participants of the multi-national male HPV natural history study were seropositive to at least one vaccine HPV type, with the percentage of 21.8% in U.S. site, 33.4% in Mexico site, and 49.1% in Brazil site. It is also noted that seroprevalence of individual vaccine HPV types is greatly elevated among men of different sexual practices. Seroprevalence of HPV 6, 11, 16 and/or 18 was twice as high among MSM and MSMW compared to MSW. Likewise, seroprevalence of individual HPV types was two fold or higher among MSW and MSMW. Our findings suggest that the predominant predictors of seropositivity to HPV 6, 11, 16 and 18 are age and same-sex sexual behaviors. Seroprevalence increased with age among young-to-middle-aged men with significant upward age trends observed for HPV 11, 16 and 18. MSM, compared to MSW, more likely to be seropositive to HPV 16 or 18. Similarly, men who practiced same-sex anal sex, compared to those who did not, were significantly more likely to be seropositive to HPV 6, 11, 16 and 18, respectively. Among 276 men free of HPV 16 at enrollment in Tucson, We did not detect statistically significant associations between the baseline serum antibodies to HPV 16 and/or 18 and subsequent risk of infection with homogeneous HPV types or related-HPV types. Of 2187 men residing in three countries who tested HPV 16 negative at enrollment, the risk of subsequent HPV 16 infection was not associated with enrollment HPV 16 serum antibodies status. Our data provide important estimates of population exposure to vaccine HPV types for future studies modeling potential vaccine impact and vaccine cost effectiveness in men. Our findings also support strategic vaccination of males as an effective preventive measure for HPV-related diseases and cancers in men and their sex partners, men and women alike.

The purpose of this study is to gain a better understanding of women who have been abused by their partners. The study also examines how violence takes shape in a relationship. Based on a qualitative text analysis of three autobiographies and one novel, we have obtained the material for this study. The three selected autobiographies are; "I have not told you everything" by Jessie Andersson, "The nightmare" by Maria Dahlén and "It would be a pleasure to kill you" by Magdalena Graaf and the novel "Hidden" by Liza Marklund. To gain a better understanding of this topic, we have used the following theories; the process of normalization of violence, gender and masculinity. The analysis of the study is divided into two chapters. In the first chapter we are going to analyze the "Women's experiences as subjects to violence in relationships", where similarities in the four books are revealed, as well as the women’s experiences. The second chapter highlights "The underlying reasons why abuse exists in these relationships". This chapter shows what the gender roles of a man and a woman are, as told in the relationships described in the books. The results of this study show that women first become exposed to psychological violence which later also becomes physical. Women, who live in these conditions, adapt to the men’s behavior and feel shame, guilt, fear and powerlessness about their lives. Furthermore we discuss the society’s influential role towards women who are abused. The society and the social workers, should have an understanding of this problem, in order to help the women and understand why they stay in abusive relationships. / Syftet med denna studie är att få en ökad förståelse för kvinnor som levt i våldsutsatta relationer. Studien undersöker även hur våldet tar sin form i ett förhållande. Utifrån en kvalitativ textanalys av tre självbiografier och en roman får vi fram studiens textmaterial. De tre utvalda självbiografierna är; "Jag har inte berättat allt" av Jessie Andersson, "Nattmaran" av Maria Dahlén och "Det ska bli ett sant nöje att döda dig" av Magdalena Graaf samt romanen "Gömda" av Liza Marklund. För att få förståelse kring ämnet har vi använt oss av teorierna; Våldets normaliseringsprocess, genus och maskulinitet. Studiens analys är indelad i två kapitel. I det första kapitlet analyserar vi "Kvinnors upplevelser i ett våldsutsatt förhållande" där likheter i de fyra böckerna framkommer samt kvinnornas upplevelser. Det andra kapitlet belyser "De bakomliggande faktorerna till den våldsutsatta relationens existens" visar på att könsroller angående vad som är "man" och "kvinna" existerar i relationerna i de fyra böckerna. Resultatet för denna studie visar att kvinnor först blir utsatta för psykiskt våld och som sedan även övergår till fysiskt. Kvinnorna som lever i dessa förhållanden anpassar sig efter männen och känner skam, skuld, rädsla och maktlöshet över sin livssituation. Vidare redovisas samhällets påverkande roll gentemot kvinnor som blir misshandlade. Samhället och de professionella socialarbetare bör ha kunskaper om denna problematik för att kunna hjälpa kvinnan samt förstå varför hon stannar kvar i förhållandet.

Background of the Study The aims of this study was to specifically investigate the differences in culture, attitude towards life and social networks between Australian and Taiwanese men and women in addition to determining the factors that predict midlife men and women's quality of life in both countries. Because individualism and collectivism are the two most thoroughly researched constructs in inter-cultural and cross-cultural studies we should look at how these construct affects societies. The theme for individualist cultures (such as Western cultures) is autonomy, while the theme for collectivist cultures (such as Asian cultures) is connection. Most literature available on individualism and collectivism note all cultures have different values that influence their society and ultimately a person's individual health outcome. Very little work has been undertaken in this domain in Australia or Taiwan, particularly in the area of midlife transition and from a cultural perspective. Methodology Data was collected from a cross-sectional, supervised self-administered survey using census data and a probability proportional sampling (PPS) strategy on a general population of men and women aged 40-59 years old who live permanently in Brisbane, Australia and Taipei, Taiwan. The study population was divided into 163 Statistical Local Areas (SLAs) in Brisbane, and 449 Local Government Communities (LGCs) in Taipei. Sixty clusters were randomly selected using probability proportional sampling (PPS) to obtain 30 Australian clusters and 30 Taiwanese clusters. In this study, the 30 (areas) by 7(people) method was used with an additional strategy. The variables were measured including: culture (vertical and horizontal individualism and collectivism), attitude towards life (the total score of optimism), social networks (the total score of emotional, informational, affectionate, tangible, and positive social interaction) and quality of life (physical, psychological, social, and environmental health), social demographical factors and religion and spiritualty. The data analysis procedure included descriptive, bivarite and multivariate multiple regressions and classifications and regression trees (CART). A comparison of the linear regression and regression tree results were discussed. All data analysis was performed by SPSS and S-Plus softwares. Results The overall response rate for the study was 84.2% for midlife Australian men and women and 88.4% for midlife Taiwanese men and women this resulted in 278 Australians (45.3% men) and 398 Taiwanese (35.4% men) providing data to be analysed. Findings in this study indicated country of residence has an overwhelming impact on quality of life with significant differences seen between midlife Australian and Taiwanese men and women (F4, 666= 59.31, P< .001). Results suggest midlife Australian men and women have a better quality of life than midlife Taiwanese men and women. In addition, a comparison of the linear regression and regression tree results reveals that two models identified the same major affect variable for different countries of residence: which was attitude towards life in midlife Australians and social networks in midlife Taiwanese. However, regression trees were able to capture important nonlinear effects as well as interactions between cultural attribute variables. This study demonstrated culture significantly involves multiple functions and interacts with attitude towards life, social networks and individual factors to influence a person's quality of life. The interaction of cultural circumstances and the internal and external factors involved, show less comparative attributes and increased equality attributes, defining the need for people to have a good social networks and a healthy positive disposition. Conclusion Because of the ever increasing flexibility of world travel and a global population, people have much more opportunity to interact with many other cultures which would create improvement in learning opportunities and better health management effectiveness for people the world over. This study has addressed and contributed to the assessment of multi-cultural quality of life research and has important implications for all health professions in addition to government departments and organisational policy makers of both countries. And finally, this study has identified that there needs to be a concerted effort to implement major policy shifts in the near future because of the changing fabric of modern societies. At the same time technology and globalisation have advanced rapidly and point to new opportunities within and across countries for more diverse approaches in research and the implementation of policy initiatives to occur. This study has highlighted that opportunities exist to reflect on current policies for Australian and Taiwanese societies to provide enhanced opportunities to care for the growing midlife populations.

In my diploma thesis on subject The wiew of man´s and woman´s role in present Czech society I aimed to gender analyse of the value orientation, among others regarding spending free time ? with the view to find out mechanisms and possible reasons of a gender aspect. The aim of my work is to map out and to analyse the researches that have already been done in this field and to find answers to the following questions: what are the differences between man and woman role in the present Czech society? What is the difference between man´s and woman´s value orientation? What can cause these differences? How do the differences come out? The first chapter is dedicated to the definition of the basic concepts, this part introduces the problems of values, theories of value orientation and leasure time spending, it characterises family from the view of living values including leasure time, it explains the gender aspect. The second chapter maps out the researches done in the field of women´s and men´s roles in the family including the leasure time, it also introduces their results. The third chapter interprets the reasons for gender differencies in the view of structural functionalism and feminist sociology, it brings general overwiev of analysis results.

The thesis deals with the history of feminism both in the world and in the Czech Republic, its trends and waves. Some distinguished male and female feminism representatives whose works and opinions have influenced the development of feminist ideology are introduced. It also gives a survey of permeation as well as influence of feminism and gender on certain areas of private and social life in the European Union and in the Czech Republic. In the thesis legitimacy or illegitimacy of feminist demands and possibilities to meet those demands are discussed. The terms such as equality, discrimination, agenda on equality between men and women and family politics are mentioned, because they refer to areas of a prominent concern of feminism.

Analisa a participação de homens e mulheres negros no processo de desmonte da escravidão e de conquista da liberdade antes da Abolição e no pós-abolição no município de São Carlos-SP. A historiografia sobre a participação dos negros no processo de extinção do sistema escravista no Brasil vem se tornando cada vez mais vasta e percebendo-os a partir de uma perspectiva não passiva. Mesmo assim, ainda são praticamente desconhecidas as formas pelas quais o negro organizou sua vida após a liberdade. Através da documentação primária, de recursos da história oral e da análise do território urbano de ocupação negra, são cotejados os aspectos culturais, sociais e simbólicos, que permitem conhecer as lutas, conquistas e trajetórias de vida desses sujeitos. Toma por base os principais teóricos da história social que se debruçam sobre a abolição e pós-abolição no Brasil, entre eles, Robert Slenes, Maria Helena Machado, Maria Odila Leite, Sidney Chalhoub, Ana Lugão Rios, Hebe Mattos e Walter Fraga Filho. Sendo assim, investiga e analisa as estratégias de sobrevivência da população negra no espaço urbano de São Carlos, com o objetivo de reconstruir suas histórias, partindo da hipótese de participação ativa desses atores no processo de conquista e manutenção da liberdade. / This thesis analyzes black men and women transition from slavery to freedom in the city of São Carlos (São Paulo), before and after abolishing of slavery. The historiography about participation of blacks in Brazil\'s disintegrating slavery is increasingly expanding, also from a non-passive perspective. Even though, the way which blacks organized their life after freedom is still little known. Through primary documentation, oral history resources and black urban territory occupation analysis, cultural, social and symbolic aspects related to struggles, achievements and individual trajectories are highlighted. The analysis is based on social history theorists such as Robert Slenes, Maria Helena Machado, Maria Odila Leite, Sidney Chalhoub, Ana Lugão Rios, Hebe Mattos and Walter Fraga Filho, which deal with Brazils abolition and post-abolition. Therefore, assuming that blacks were active in the achievement and maintenance of freedom, in order to rebuild their stories, the thesis investigates and analyzes their strategies of survival in Sao Carlos\'s urban space.

The diploma thesis deals with the status of women in the labour market. The thesis outlines gender issues and focuses on the principle of equal opportunities for men and women, which has become largely a public issue. The thesis aims to explore two areas in the sphere of employment. The first aim is to detect differences in the status of women in the labour market regarding the level of employment equality and to identify factors that affect them. The second aim is focused on finding differences in the gender pay gap and to identify factors that determine them. The situation of women in the labour market and the wage differences is a statistical examination of data on the Czech Republic. The thesis presents a conclusive explanation of gender inequality in the labour market and the problem of harmonizing work and family life. The legislation is also presented, which represents the efforts of the state to eliminate unequal access to women. Results of the analysis made comprehensive findings of developments and current status of women in the labour market set in a European context.

The aim of this thesis is to analyse how the concept of work-life balance (and reconciliation policies in general) is constructed and defined at the European Union level. In order to analyse these often implicit definitions, the European Commission's working documents from 1995 to 2016 are gathered and subjected to category and content analysis. Reconciliation policies and work-life balance are stable concepts, occurring in 152 documents over the studied 22 years period. Annual Reports on gender equality and documents connected to the European Employment Strategy are specifically analysed. Even though the "reconciliation policies are part of equality policies" argumentation is often stressed, the expressed goals are usually connected to the goals of employment policies and economic policies, with economic growth being behind this argumentation. The most represented policy areas are leave policies, mainly parental leave, and services for childcare and other dependants, usually connected to the same goal - bringing more women into the labour market.

Sexmissbruk inom frikyrkan har länge varit ett tabubelagt ämne, präglat av skam och spår från en tid i Sverige då kyrka och stat var tätt sammankopplade och lagar kring utomäktenskapligt sex existerade. År 2022 belystes problemet i en artikel från Dagen, författad av representanter från den kristna stödorganisationen "Starta Om," som uppmanade till förlåtelse för den historiska skambeläggningen. Stigmatiseringen av sexmissbruk har varit en understuderad fråga, där den tidigare forskningen antyder att kristna individer ser pornografi som en beroendeframkallande faktor och en huvudsaklig orsak till sexmissbruk, i motsats till mindre religiösa personer. En studie från 2021 visade även att män med sexmissbruk mötte strängare bedömningar än kvinnor. Syftet med vår studie var att analysera attityder inom frikyrkan kring sexmissbruk, med frågor om förklaringar, förståelse, acceptans samt synen på män och kvinnor i relation till sexmissbruk. Metoden innefattade semistrukturerade intervjuer med ledare inom frikyrkan, där vi använde delar av analysmetoden grundad teori. Resultaten visade att frikyrkan kopplade sexmissbruk till pornografi som både en öppning samt en huvudsaklig orsak. Okunskap, från brist på diskussion om sexmissbruk både inom frikyrkan och samhället i stort, framkom också. Dessutom visade resultaten att kvinnor med sexmissbruk möttes med mindre förståelse än män med samma problem. Vidare indikerade resultaten en skillnad i synen på manligt och kvinnligt sexmissbruk, där män tillskrevs hög sexuell lust medan kvinnor associerades med emotionella problem och möjliga psykiska svårigheter. / Sex addiction within the Swedish free church has historically been a taboo subject, characterized by shame and remnants of a period when the church and the state were closely intertwined with strict laws on extramarital sex. In 2022, the issue gained attention in a Dagen article by representatives from the Christian support organization "Starta Om," advocating forgiveness for the shame-induced stigmatization. The stigmatization of sexual addiction remains a neglected topic, with past research indicating that Christians often view pornography as an addictive factor and a primary cause of sexual addiction, in contrast to less religious individuals. A 2021 study highlighted that men facing sexual addiction encounter harsher judgments than women. Our study aimed to explore the Swedish free church attitudes toward sexual addiction, covering explanations, understanding, acceptance, and perceptions of men and women in relation to this issue. Conducted through semi-structured interviews with church leaders, the results revealed that the free church associated sexual addiction with pornography as both an entry point and a significant cause. The findings also uncovered ignorance resulting from a lack of discourse on sexual addiction within the church and society, with women receiving less understanding than men with the same problem. Moreover, the results hinted at a disparity in the perception of male and female sexual addiction, attributing high sexual desire to men while associating women with emotional and potential mental challenges.

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