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Sexuality, Health, and Gender
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Sexuality, Health, and Gender

A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Global Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2025 | Viewed by 10197

Special Issue Editors

Dr. María Isabel Ventura-Miranda

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Nursing, Physiotherapy and Medicine, University of Almería, 04120 Almería, Spain
Interests: community health; carers; compassion; quality of professional life
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. María Dolores Ruiz-Fernández

E-Mail Website
Co-Guest Editor
Department of Nursing, Physiotherapy and Medicine, University of Almería, 04120 Almería, Spain
Interests: community health; carers; compassion; quality of professional life
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Isabel María Fernández Medina

E-Mail Website
Co-Guest Editor
Department of Nursing, Physiotherapy and Medicine, University of Almería, 04007 Almeria, Spain
Interests: neonatology; pediatric; nursing students; quality of life; qualitative research
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues, 

Sexual health is a right for all people; it is fundamental to the overall health and well-being of individuals, couples and families, and to the social and economic development of communities and countries. We are witnessing a problem of enormous social impact related to gender (a state originating in culture and society). Therefore, the ability of men and women to achieve sexual health and well-being depends on their access to comprehensive and quality information about sex, their knowledge of the risks they may face, and their vulnerability to the consequences. This vulnerability is affected by the adverse effects of unprotected sexual activity, the ability to access sexual health care, and living in an environment that affirms and promotes sexual health.

Sexual health issues are wide-ranging and include sexual orientation and gender identity, sexual expression, relationships, and pleasure. They also include negative consequences or conditions, such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and reproductive tract infections (RTIs) and their adverse outcomes (such as cancer and infertility). We are pleased to invite you to submit to this Special Issue on Sexuality, Gender, and Health.  

This Special Issue aims to investigate the sexuality, health, and gender of the population. 

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following: 

  • Unprotected sexual activity.
  • The ability to access sexual health care.
  • Living in an environment that affirms and promotes sexual health.
  • Sexual orientation and gender identity
  • Sexual expression, relationships, and pleasure.
  • Negative consequences or conditions, such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections.
  • Sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
  • Reproductive tract infections (RTIs) and their adverse outcomes (such as cancer and infertility).
  • Unwanted pregnancies and miscarriages.
  • Sexual dysfunction
  • Sexual violence and harmful practices (such as female genital mutilation).
  • Sexual and reproductive health.
  • Gender-based violence.
  • LGTBQ+ collective.
  • Cancer and sexuality.

We look forward to receiving your contributions. 

You may choose our Joint Special Issue in Healthcare.

Dr. María Isabel Ventura-Miranda
Prof. Dr. María Dolores Ruiz-Fernández
Dr. Isabel María Fernández Medina
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • sexual health
  • gender
  • sexual education
  • identity
  • Sexual violence
  • LGTBQ+ Collective
  • community health

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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23 pages, 885 KiB  
Article
Sexual Violence against Adults Aged 50 Years and Older and Implications for Prevention: A Thematic Analysis of Service Providers’ Perceptions
by Michelle D. Hand, Mo Yee Lee, Michelle L. Kaiser, Cecilia Mengo and Holly Dabelko-Schoeny
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2024, 21(9), 1220; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21091220 - 17 Sep 2024
Viewed by 678
Abstract
At-risk older adults and older survivors of sexual violence (SV) remain largely absent from SV prevention and intervention, owing to ageism and sexism, as well as other intersectional forms of prejudice, including among service providers (e.g., social workers, healthcare professionals, practitioners in SV [...] Read more.
At-risk older adults and older survivors of sexual violence (SV) remain largely absent from SV prevention and intervention, owing to ageism and sexism, as well as other intersectional forms of prejudice, including among service providers (e.g., social workers, healthcare professionals, practitioners in SV organizations, and practitioners who serve older adults). This study explored perceptions, knowledge and experiences with SV against adults 50 years and older. Service providers who work with older adults and/or survivors were recruited, owing to where SV in later life is reported (e.g., healthcare, long-term care, and social service organizations, and to police in addition to SV service organizations), to contribute to the limited research in this area and to advance prevention and intervention. A survey was conducted on SV in later life, exploring knowledge, perceptions and experiences with SV in later life along with potential solutions for prevention and intervention among 126 service providers who worked with survivors and/or older adults. Their responses were thematically analyzed. Five themes were identified: (a) misconceptions of SV in later life and unique barriers to preventing it; (b) needs for knowledge, awareness, research and education; (c) policy and resource development; (d) victim blame and internalized stigma, and (e) ageism, intersectional prejudice and rape culture. The findings offer an in-depth understanding of barriers to prevention, and intervention, and multi-level recommendations for addressing them, which are provided by a diverse group of service providers who have worked with older adults and/or with survivors, reflecting multidisciplinary practice wisdom and experience. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sexuality, Health, and Gender)
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9 pages, 338 KiB  
Article
Impact of Cervical Cancer on Quality of Life and Sexuality in Female Survivors
by Lucia Membrilla-Beltran, Diana Cardona, Laura Camara-Roca, Adrian Aparicio-Mota, Pablo Roman and Lola Rueda-Ruzafa
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(4), 3751; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20043751 - 20 Feb 2023
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 4648
Abstract
Cervical cancer is the fourth most frequent cancer in women worldwide, and the 11th most frequent neoplasm in Spain. Despite the optimization of treatments and a 5-year survival rate of 70%, side effects and sequelae are described after treatment. The treatments have physical, [...] Read more.
Cervical cancer is the fourth most frequent cancer in women worldwide, and the 11th most frequent neoplasm in Spain. Despite the optimization of treatments and a 5-year survival rate of 70%, side effects and sequelae are described after treatment. The treatments have physical, psychological and sociocultural consequences that deteriorate the quality of life of patients. One of the sequelae that worries patients is the impairment of sexual function and satisfaction, considered a fundamental dimension of the human being. The aim of this study was to examine quality of life and sexual function and satisfaction among Spanish cervical cancer survivors. A retrospective case-control study was conducted between 2019 and 2022. The sample consisted of 66 patients who completed the Female Sexual Function Index, the Golombok Rust Sexual Satisfaction Inventory and European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer quality of life questionnaire. The control group consisted of women without cervical cancer and gynecological pathologies obtained using the so-called online virtual sampling method. The patient group consisted of women with cervical cancer who completed treatment. Cervical cancer survivors reported sexual dysfunction and impaired sexual satisfaction in almost half of the domains. Quality of life was also affected, with pain and fatigue being the most frequent symptoms in these patients. Our results indicate that there is dysfunction, sexual dissatisfaction and a lower level of quality of life in cervical cancer survivors than in healthy women without pathology. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sexuality, Health, and Gender)
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Graphical abstract

11 pages, 355 KiB  
Article
Attention Given to Victims of Gender Violence from the Perspective of Nurses: A Qualitative Study
by María Dolores Ruiz-Fernández, Rocío Ortiz-Amo, Andrea Alcaraz-Córdoba, Héctor Alejandro Rodríguez-Bonilla, José Manuel Hernández-Padilla, Isabel María Fernández-Medina and María Isabel Ventura-Miranda
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(19), 12925; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191912925 - 9 Oct 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2534
Abstract
Women victims of gender violence consider the health system an appropriate place to seek help. Aims and Objectives: to describe and understand how nurses perceive gender-based violence in health care for women victims of gender-based violence. Qualitative descriptive study. The recommendations of the [...] Read more.
Women victims of gender violence consider the health system an appropriate place to seek help. Aims and Objectives: to describe and understand how nurses perceive gender-based violence in health care for women victims of gender-based violence. Qualitative descriptive study. The recommendations of the COREQ guide for qualitative research reporting were followed. Sixteen nurses who were working in different health services, both primary and specialized care, were selected to take part in the study. Three focus groups and a semi-structured interview were conducted. The ATLAS.ti 9 computer programme was used. The nurses highlighted that when caring for women who are victims of gender violence, they encounter two types of violence: invisible or latent, and visible or patent. Part of the nurses’ role is based on the skill of knowing how to act and being trained to do so. In addition, there are certain controversies around the concept and origin of violence. On the one hand, they refer to gender violence as a universal phenomenon with strong cultural and educational roots, and, on the other hand, it is difficult to characterize. The findings report how nurses play a fundamental role in caring for victims of gender-based violence, but they encounter certain difficulties regarding this concept. It is therefore essential to continuously train and educate nurses on gender-based violence. Gender violence should be a competency in nursing curricula. Health systems must offer training and awareness programmes that teach nurses to detect and make decisions regarding female victims of gender violence. It is also necessary to set up spaces in the different services so that the nurses can attend to the victims. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sexuality, Health, and Gender)

Review

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19 pages, 717 KiB  
Review
A Scoping Review of Bystander-Based Sexual Violence Prevention Training for College Students in Fraternities and Sororities
by Caterina DeFazio, Samantha I. Moyers-Kinsella, Elizabeth A. Claydon, Michelle D. Hand, Christa Lilly, Keith J. Zullig and Danielle M. Davidov
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2024, 21(6), 797; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21060797 - 19 Jun 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1299
Abstract
Bystander-based sexual violence (SV) prevention trainings are offered on college campuses across the United States to meet federal Title IX requirements, as they have proven to be an effective strategy for violence prevention. Greek-affiliated students (fraternity and sorority members) are at a higher [...] Read more.
Bystander-based sexual violence (SV) prevention trainings are offered on college campuses across the United States to meet federal Title IX requirements, as they have proven to be an effective strategy for violence prevention. Greek-affiliated students (fraternity and sorority members) are at a higher risk of sexual assault than their peers; however, few trainings consider the specific needs of this population, and program adaptations for this high-risk group may be needed. This scoping review identifies and describes the bystander trainings delivered to Greek-affiliated students in the US and Canada. An eight-database search was conducted following PRISMA-ScR guidelines. The review identified 81 unique sources, with 18 meeting the inclusion criteria. Eleven specific training programs were identified, encompassing qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-method studies. The thematic analysis revealed best practices, including the importance of peer leaders, interactive sessions, and tailored content to Greek culture, as well as barriers such as a lack of engagement and an inadequate session length. The review underscores the need for tailored interventions to effectively address the unique cultural characteristics and high-risk nature of Greek-affiliated students. These findings provide valuable insights for improving the design and implementation of bystander interventions to enhance their efficacy in preventing sexual violence within this population. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sexuality, Health, and Gender)
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