This dissertation is presented in two articles derived from the same project about sexuality in the adolescence. The first article explain the descriptive behaviors of sexuality in a group of 560 adolescents from the city of Porto Alegre, Brazil. This part examines the behaviors and characteristics related to sexual initiation, the partner of the first sexual encounter, protection, and family orientation, as well as the parent’s responses to the sexual initiation of the adolescents. Among the results, we found that the means of the age of the first relation was 14.81 years; 82.1% was report uses of contraception at the first sexual intercourse; 60% of the parents know about the sexual life of his children and 72.3% of parents gave advice and guide young people about responsible sexual behavior. The second article discusses the sexual risk behaviors and gender differences presented by 365 adolescents who have already started their sexual life. The risk behaviors were: the age of sexual initiation, age difference with sexual partner, the frequency of condom use, use of contraceptives, number of partners in the last year and the history of pregnancies. Results indicated that 39.6% of this sample started their sexual activity between 14 and 15 years old; 69.8% of adolescents have until two years apart with their sexual partner; 52.6% use condoms in all their sexual relations; 54.2% use effective contraceptive methods; 60.3% have until two sexual partners in the last year and only 3.9% have a history of pregnancies. This result allow understand and describe the sexual behaviors in adolescence. In addition, the data provide empirical bases for the elaboration of projects and policies for the improvement of the health and prevent sexual risk behaviors. / Esta disertación está dividida en dos artículos que integran un mismo proyecto que trata sobre la sexualidad en la adolescencia. El primero artículo aborda comportamientos descriptivos de la sexualidad en un grupo de 560 adolescentes de la ciudad Porto Alegre, Brasil. En esta sección se estudian las conductas y características relacionadas con el inicio sexual, el compañero del primer encuentro, protección, y la orientación familiar, así como la respuesta de los padres frente al inicio sexual de los menores. Entre los principales resultados se encontró que la media de la edad de la primera relación fue de 14,81 años; el 82,1% de los adolescentes reportaron que hicieron uso de algún método anticonceptivo en la primera relación sexual; el 60% de los progenitores saben sobre la vida sexual de los adolescentes y el 72,3% de los padres dieron consejos y orientaciones a los jóvenes sobre conductas sexuales responsables. El segundo artículo aborda los comportamientos sexuales de riesgo y las diferencias de género presentadas en los 365 adolescentes que ya habían comenzado su vida sexual. Los comportamientos de riesgo que fueron considerados están: edad del inicio sexual, diferencia de edad con el compañero sexual, frecuencia del uso del preservativo, uso de anticonceptivos, numero de compañeros en el último año y histórico de embarazos. Entre los resultados se encontró que el 39,6% de esta muestra comenzó su actividad entre los 14 y los 15 años; el 69,8% de los adolescentes tenían hasta dos años de diferencia con sus compañeros; el 52,6% usan preservativo en todas sus relaciones sexuales; el 54,2 % usan métodos anticonceptivos eficaces; el 60,3% hasta 2 compañeros sexuales en el último año y solo el 3,9% presentan histórico de embarazos. Los datos encontrados permiten entender y describir los comportamientos sexuales en la adolescencia y dar bases empíricas para subsidiar la elaboración de proyectos y políticas hacia la mejora de la salud de los jóvenes y prevenir comportamientos sexuales de riesgo.

Submitted by (lucia.rodrigues@ufrpe.br) on 2016-06-16T15:06:01Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Renata Valeria de Lucena.pdf: 2152732 bytes, checksum: 21bf7f2753f3484fbe46899a1c0b9e0b (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-16T15:06:01Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Renata Valeria de Lucena.pdf: 2152732 bytes, checksum: 21bf7f2753f3484fbe46899a1c0b9e0b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-02-13 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / Since the Council of Trent in the sixteenth century, the Catholic Church seeks to combat clandestine relationships, the bigamias, adulteries, the concubines/amasiamentos, kidnapping and a whole range of sexual relationships that were not sheltered in private. Therefore, the Church made use of a large body of laws aimed at regulating the live-house, watching the steps, the moral and sexual behaviors and even thoughts, the Church was present in Recife daily life, however, such monitoring does not departed the company said the crime of prostitution sin, committed by individuals who do not put into practice the sacraments, particularly marriage. The Catholic goal was to finally ditch that separated men and women, immersed in his daily chores of the sacraments. In this endeavor, clerical procedures were also put into question, revealing the deviations of some parish priests and vicars, who did not meet the expectations tridentine differentiation and decorum ducts. Many of the complaints, the correspondences between the parishes and the Vicar General, pointing to the failure of the canonical laws by prelates part, which opened gaps in the ecclesiastical norms regarding the establishment of irregular marriages. The issues of honor also joined the church staff as a constitutive element of social structure itself and part of sexual politics. In this perspective, the notions of honor acquire a social boundary, moving away from its purely biologizing elements, and virginity. Be honored in the nineteenth Recife, was, above all , meet the woman model created by a misogynistic society that understand the female figure only as a daughter, wife and mother, and all of them, submissive, honest and devout. However, not all women are passively shaped the social norms and brought many social, moral and sexual conflicts, indulging in men who had promised marriage, abandoning them deflowered and, most often, pregnant. Deviations of women's behaviors, which left deflower under promises of marriage, and defloradores men paved the way for the institutions of social control such as the Church and the State, enter therein the sacred precincts of home, making private events public quarrels it should be penalized mediated and not to become commonplace. So many men were required to repay the honor of deflowered women through marriage, but not all were worthy of such benefit. Only those who attended the social and moral expectations were honored by the presumed benevolence of mediators, who understood the refund honor these women as an act of justice, morality, and to underpin the sacrament of marriage, avoiding the conception of illegitimate children. / Desde o Concílio de Trento, no século XVI, a Igreja Católica procura combater as relações clandestinas, ou seja, as bigamias, os adultérios, os concubinatos/amasiamentos, os raptos e toda uma gama de relações sexuais que não foram abrigadas no âmbito privado. Para tanto, a Igreja lançou mão de um vasto corpo de leis direcionadas a regulamentação do viver de portas adentro, vigiando os passos, as condutas morais e sexuais e, até, pensamentos, a Igreja esteve presente no cotidiano recifense, contudo, essa vigilância não afastou a sociedade do dito pecado crime da prostituição, cometido por indivíduos que não colocavam em prática os sacramentos, sobretudo o matrimônio. O objetivo católico foi por fim ao fosso que separava os homens e mulheres, submersos nos seus afazeres cotidianos, da prática dos sacramentos. Nessa empreitada, as condutas clericais também foram colocadas em xeque, descortinando os desvios de condutas de alguns párocos e vigários, que não atenderam as expectativas tridentinas de diferenciação e decoro. Muitas das queixas, nas correspondências entre as paróquias e Vigária Geral, apontam à inobservância das leis canônicas, por parte prelados, que abriram brechas na normatividade eclesiástica para o estabelecimento de matrimônios irregulares. As questões de honra também entraram na pauta eclesiástica, como um elemento constitutivo da própria estrutura social e integrante da política sexual. Nessa perspectiva, as noções de honra adquirem um contorno social, afastando-se dos seus elementos puramente biologizantes, como a virgindade. Ser honrada, no Recife oitocentista, era, antes de tudo, atender ao modelo de mulher criado por uma sociedade misógina, que entendia a figura feminina apenas como filha, esposa e mãe, sendo, todas elas, submissa, honrada e devota. Contudo, nem todas as mulheres se moldaram passivamente a normatividade social e muitas delas trouxeram conflitos sociais, morais e sexuais, entregando-se a homens que lhes tinham prometido casamento, abandonando-as defloradas e, na maioria das vezes, grávidas. Os desvios de condutas de mulheres, que se deixaram deflorar sob promessas de casamentos, e de homens defloradores abriram caminho para que as instituições de controle social, como a Igreja e o Estado, adentrasse no sagrado recinto do lar, tornando os acontecimentos privados querelas públicas, que deveriam ser mediadas e penalizadas para que não se tornassem corriqueiras. Sendo assim, muitos homens foram obrigados a restituir a honra das mulheres defloradas mediante o casamento, mas nem todas foram dignas de tal benefício. Apenas àquelas que atenderam as expectativas sociais e morais foram agraciadas pela pelas presumidas benevolência dos mediadores, que entenderam a restituição da honra dessas mulheres como um ato de justiça, de moral e para alicerçar o sacramento do matrimônio, evitando a concepção de filhos ilegítimos.

Magister Scientiae (Physiotherapy) - MSc(Physio) / The incidence of HIV/AIDS appears to be stabilizing in South Africa. However, it is stabilizing at an extremely high number. The South African youth are the most vulnerable to the virus with the main route of transmission being heterosexual intercourse. In South Africa KwaZulu-Natal is the epicenter for the virus, while in the Western Cape has the lowest HIV/AIDS prevalence. The aim of the study was to determine the knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, behaviours and sources of HIV/AIDS information among university students at two tertiary institutions in South Africa. Method: The study was a quantitative, cross - sectional, descriptive and comparative survey. Students from the University of the Western Cape and the University of KwaZulu Natal (Westville Campus) participated in the study. The study instrument was a questionnaire which was complied from other questionnaires based on literature. The questionnaire consisted of questions to gather information pertaining to the students’ knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, behaviours and sources of HIV/AIDS information. The questionnaires were then tested for validity and reliability for South African students.The response rate for the questionnaires was 66% (N = 663). The main findings from the study showed that university students had a good general knowledge on HIV/AIDS.However students scored poorly in modes of HIV transmission. UKZN students scored higher than UWC students in the knowledge questionnaire. Males scored lower than females and there was also a significant association noted between age and knowledge.Students from both universities had a positive attitude towards people living with HIV/AIDS. There was a significant association between age and gender in terms of attitudes. Students from UWC deemed themselves as having less of a chance of contracting the disease compared to students from UKZN. UWC on the other hand students participated in more riskier behaviours than UKZN students. The media was the main source of HIV/AIDS information for students (79.9%). In terms of religiosity many students stated that the attend places of worship infrequently (35%).Recommendations: campus health care facilities need to be more proactive in informing the students about HIV/AIDS; alcohol and substance abuse needs to be addressed along with HIV/AIDS; campuses should draw up a full course on HIV/AIDS, courses to empower female students need to be offered and ongoing research needs to be done in this area to evaluate the effectiveness of the programmes being run.

The research assumes a narrative constructionist and feminist perspective in order to explore stories concerning men and women's first sexual experience. Such a metatheoretical stance is concerned with the ways that lives are constructed and storied through language. There is a concern for the myriad voices, both personal and social, that speaks through individuals' stories and for the manner in which these voices are represented. Three men and three women were interviewed to elicit narratives of first sexual experience. The analysis of interview transcripts tells first sexual experience as a rite of passage described in terms of certain mythic elements. That is, the experience of first sex concerns three stages. Firstly the individual is detached from the experience of sex while still a virgin. Secondly the experience itself is one that is ineffable and diffuse. Thirdly the individual must make sense of the experience. Participants' experience could be characterised as containing elements of demonic, heavenly or earthly myths about sexual relationships: demonic elements concerned the base , physical and painful experiences of first sex; the myth of heavenly love emphasises the mental and emotional connection between partners; an earthly myth tells sex as a predestined meeting of two partners. The manner in which stories were constructed was different for male and for female participants, and these differences have implications for the power dynamics at play between genders in the context of sexual interaction, especially first sex. Further the research's storied and ritualised approach to these gender differences suggests the performative aspect of gender. / KMBT_363 / Adobe Acrobat 9.54 Paper Capture Plug-in

Men who have sex with men continue to be at highest risk of HIV infection, with Black and Latino men who have sex with men [BLMSM] disproportionately at risk. The impact of alcohol consumption on condomless anal intercourse [CAI] is compounded for BLMSM by unique risk factors like internalized homophobia and racial stigma, reinforcing barriers to treatment. The traditional formats of existing HIV interventions fail to address heightened confidentiality concerns of BLMSM and few target both CAI and alcohol use. Existing interventions may be modified with mobile health [mhealth] technologies to improve outcomes for BLMSM. The current study examined the feasibility and acceptability of a novel mhealth intervention to reduce heavy drinking episodes [HDE], reduce CAI, and increase intentions to use pre-exposure prophylaxis medication [PrEP]. METHODS: Enrollment criteria included (1) Black and/or Latino man, (2) at least one episode of CAI with another man in the past six months, (3) at least one HDE in the past month and (4) no current PrEP use. Twelve participants completed a brief videoconferencing session then four weeks of interactive mobile messages. Outcome assessment was completed 8-weeks post-baseline. To assess feasibility and acceptability (primary outcomes), message response rates, ratings of intervention satisfaction (Client Satisfaction Questionnaire-8, CSQ), and ratings from a 10-item acceptability measure were used. RESULTS: Message response rates (M= 96%, SD = 0.04, Mdn = 98%) indicated high engagement. Ratings at follow-up indicated high acceptability (item rating M = 1.77, SD = 0.73, Mdn = 1.45; scores range from 1-5, lower ratings indicate higher acceptability) and high satisfaction (CSQ M = 26.7, SD = 4.08, Mdn = 27.5; scores range from 8-32, higher scores indicate higher satisfaction). Descriptive statistics were used to characterize post-intervention outcomes. HDEs decreased by 45% from baseline while PrEP use intentions remained largely unchanged (decreased by 5%). Only three of twelve participants reported CAI at post-intervention. DISCUSSION: Results show high engagement, acceptability, and satisfaction with the mhealth modality and support the feasibility of this approach to address HDE among BLMSM. Future efficacy testing of this novel mhealth intervention via randomized controlled trial is warranted.

Limited data exists on intimate partner violence (IPV) among transgender women (TW), though global trends suggest IPV is associated with HIV risk in this population. We describe the prevalence of verbal, physical, and/or sexual violence as well as participant- and partner-level correlates of IPV among TW in Lima, Peru. Among 389 respondents, 15.2% reported IPV with one or more of their last three sexual partners: 9.2% verbal, 8.2% physical, and 2.3% sexual violence. Physical and verbal violence were more common with stable partners (aPR 3.46, 95% CI 1.17–10.25, aPR 2.46, 95% CI 1.14–5.28, respectively). Physical violence was associated with condomless receptive anal intercourse (cRAI) (aPR 2.22, 95% CI 1.19–4.13) and partner alcohol use (aPR 4.38, 95% CI 1.56–12.33) while verbal violence correlated with participant inebriation (aPR 4.86, 95% CI 1.63–14.46). Our results link IPV with stable partnerships, alcohol use, and cRAI, suggesting TW in Peru may benefit from multidimensional IPV prevention strategies to foster supportive relationships and reduce HIV transmission. / amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research / Revisión por pares

In the field of forensic biology, the term “time since intercourse (TSI)” is used to describe the approximate time elapsed between an alleged sexual assault and the collection of a Sexual Assault Evidence Collection Kit (SAECK) from a victim. The estimation of TSI, or Post Coital Interval (PCI), can be crucial information for particular cases in which the time between offense and the collection of a SAECK is in question. Oftentimes, forensic scientists must evaluate the significance of biological test results from evidence in SAECKs, but the variability in current literature complicates interpreting these results. Developing a reliable framework to estimate TSI based on a more extensive review of forensic casework would provide investigators with a fundamental tool for estimating a general timeline in which the offense occurred. This information may play an important role in supporting or refuting a narrative, or weighing the significance of the evidence at hand. This study aims to develop a dependable framework for estimating TSI in living victims based on casework received by Boston Police Department (BPD) Crime Laboratory, Boston, MA. Additionally, this study seeks to determine if any significance exists between the victim’s reported post coital activities and the collection of evidence, including the presence of intact sperm cells. The need to expand research on estimating TSI for sexual assault victims using actual forensic casework is crucial to provide a more reliable method for TSI estimation, compared to previous studies, which have generally been based on fertility studies. Between the years of 2009 and 2017, over 1,800 reported SAECKs were submitted to the Boston Police Department for evidence processing. More than 500 of these kits met the qualifications for this study, including: a living victim, smear slides prepared by a medical professional, and the identification of sperm cells during original kit processing. In order to estimate TSI, the smear slides from these cases were microscopically examined for the presence of intact sperm cells with the aid of Kernechtrot Picroindigocarmine (KPIC) stain. Based on casework received by the BPD, the maximum TSI reported for observing intact spermatozoa on vaginal smear slides was 105 hours, with an average collection time of 15 hours. The maximum TSI in which intact spermatozoa were observed on anorectal smear slides was 17.75 hours, with an average collection time of 7.9 hours. The average collection time in which intact spermatozoa on oral smear slides were observed was 6.9 hours, with a maximum reported TSI of 13.5 hours. Moreover, data from this study indicates a positive relationship between the total number of post coital activities completed before kit collection and the passage of time. Overall, this study provides reliable evidence based on actual casework samples for more accurately estimating the timeframe in which sperm evidence can be recovered after intercourse in living victims of sexual assault crimes.

With the spread of the Human Immuno-Deficiency Virus and sexually transmitted diseases, it is extremely important for sexually active individuals to protect themselves properly if they decide to engage in sexual intercourse. Knowledge of HIV and the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome has been associated with safer sexual practices, but knowledge alone does not totally explain risky sexual practices. This study examined how 154 college students' knowledge of HIV/AIDS, relationship status, perceptions of condom use, and perceptions of personal risk affect condom use during sexual intercourse. The impact of trust and love justifications along with the approval of peers were also examined. Perceptions of condom use and perceptions of personal risk were compared by gender and ethnicity; how perception of personal risk is related to condom use and condom use intentions was also examined. Condom use intention was found to be a significant predictor of condom use, and a significant difference of means for condom use intentions was reported between individuals who used condoms during their last experience with sexual intercourse and those who did not use condoms during their last sexual experience

The present study is an interpretation of the two myths copied in the Old Babylonian period in which the Sumerian mother goddess is one of the main actors. The first myth is commonly called “Enki and Ninḫursaĝa”, and the second “Enki and Ninmaḫ”. The theoretical point of departure is that myths have society as their referents, i.e. they are “talking about” society, and that this is done in an ideological way. This study aims at investigating on the one hand which contexts in the Mesopotamian society each section of the myths refers to, and on the other hand which ideological aspects that the myths express in terms of power relations. The myths are contextualized in relation to their historical and social setting. If the myth for example deals with working men, male work in the area during the relevant period is discussed. The same method of contextualization is used regarding marriage, geographical points of reference and so on. Also constellations of mythical ideas are contextualized, through comparison with similar constellations in other Mesopotamian myths. Besides the method of contextualization, the power relations in the myths are investigated. According to this latter method, the categories at issue, their ranking, as well as their changed ranking, are noted. The topics of the myths are issues important for the kingship and the country, such as irrigation, trade, health and healing, birth, collective work, artisanry and rivalry. All these aspects are used in order to express what the power relations between the goddess Ninḫursaĝa/Ninmaḫ and the god Enki look like. The relations are negotiated and recalibrated, which leads to the goddess getting a lowered status. Part of the negotiations and recalibrations is gender behavior, which is related to historical developments in society. The present work points to the function of these myths as tools of recalibrating not only deities, but also men and women in society.

The problem of the youth’s sexual behaviour is one of the most serious problems. The following juvenile problems have lately become especially urgent: early sexual relationships, pregnancy, abortion, diseases that are spread through sexual intercourse. Thus it is not surprising that the problem of juvenile sexual behaviour receives so much attention in pedagogy. In most cases love is understood as physical satisfaction. It is compared to sex. The true secret of sexual life is not realized properly. The problems of irresponsible sexual behaviour cause a number of other problems that have a negative impact on the future of adolescents. On the basis of the research results it is possible to draw the conclusion that the problem of early sexual experience in Lithuania is becoming more and more urgent. The number of teenagers who have had early sexual experience is increasing. It has been noticed that over a half of pupils who took part in the survey have had sexual relationships. According to the research data, the majority of sexually active adolescents acquired their first sexual experience at the age of 16-17. Most male adolescents have begun their sexual life at the age of 16 and the majority of female adolescents – at the age of 17. Thus, the hypothesis of the research that male adolescents start their sexual life earlier than female ones has been confirmed.