Response regarding Existential Issues in Sexual Medicine. The relation between death anxiety and hypersexuality

The recent article published by Dr Watter, “Existential Issues in Sexual Medicine: The Relation Between Death Anxiety and Hypersexuality,” deals with an interesting issue: the unique relation between death and sexuality

The Social Aspects of Sexual Health: A Twitter-Based Analysis of Valentine’s Day Perception

Sentiment analysis (SA) is a technique aimed at extracting opinions and sentiments through the analysis of text, often used in healthcare research to understand patients’ needs and interests. Data from social networks, such as Twitter, can provide useful insights on sexual behavior. We aimed to assess the perception of Valentine’s Day by performing SA on tweets we collected between 28 January and 13 February 2019. Analysis was done using ad hoc software. A total of 883,615 unique tweets containing the word “valentine” in their text were collected. Geo-localization was available for 48,918 tweets; most the tweets came from the US (36,889, 75.41%), the UK (2605, 5.33%) and Canada (1661, 3.4%). The number of tweets increased approaching February 14. “Love” was the most recurring word, appearing in 111,981 tweets, followed by “gift” (55,136), “special” (34,518) and “happy” (33,913). Overall, 7318 tweets mentioned “sex”: among these tweets, the most recurring words were “sexy” (2317 tweets), “love” (1394) and “gift” (679); words pertaining to intimacy and sexual activity, such as “lingerie”, “porn”, and “date” were less common. In conclusion, tweets about Valentine’s Day mostly focus on the emotions, or on the material aspect of the celebration, and the sexual aspect of Valentine’s Day is rarely mentioned

"Mask up to keep it up": preliminary evidence of the association between erectile dysfunction and COVID-19

Background: Erectile dysfunction (ED), as the hallmark of endothelial dysfunction, could be a short- or long-term complication of COVID-19. Additionally, being ED a clinical marker and predictor of Non-communicable Chronic Diseases, particularly cardiovascular, subjects with ED could potentially have a higher risk of contracting COVID-19. Objectives: To investigate the prevalence of ED among subjects with a reported diagnosis of COVID-19 and to measure the association of COVID-19 and ED. Materials and methods: We reviewed data from the Sex@COVID online survey (performed between April 7th and May 4th , 2020 in Italy) to retrieve a sample of Italian male sexually active subjects with reported SARS-CoV-2 infection. A matching sample of COVID-19 negative male sexually active subjects was also retrieved using propensity score matching in a 3:1 ratio. The survey used different standardized psychometric tools to measure effects of lockdown and social distancing on the intrapsychic, relational, and sexual health of Italian subjects. Results: 100 subjects were included in the analysis (25 COVID positive; 75 COVID negative). Prevalence of ED, measured with the Sexual Health Inventory for Men, was significantly higher in the COVID+ group (28% vs 9.33%; p = 0.027). Logistic regression models confirmed a significant effect of COVID-19 on the development of ED, independently of other variables affecting erectile function, such as psychological status, age and BMI [OR 5.66 ,95% CI: 1.50 - 24.01]. Likewise, subjects with ED were more likely to have COVID-19, once corrected for age and BMI [OR 5.27, 95% CI: 1.49 - 20.09]. Discussion and conclusion: On top of well-described pathophysiological mechanisms, there is preliminary evidence in a real-life population of ED as a risk factor of developing COVID-19 and possibly occurring as a consequence of COVID-19. Universal vaccination against the Covid-19 and the personal protective equipment could possibly have the added benefit of preventing sexual dysfunctions. Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; coronavirus; endothelial dysfunction; erectile dysfunction; testosterone

The psychosexual profile of sexual assistants: an internet-based explorative study

Sexual assistance may have some aspects that resemble prostitution and others that might lead one to think of sexual assistants as similar to a group of subjects whose sexual object is disability (devotees). In this study, we investigate whether a rigorous selection and training process on the part of specialised organisations may reduce the risk of training subjects with an atypical sexual interest and behaviours resembling prostitution

Male Sexual Health and Sexual Behaviors during the First National COVID-19 Lockdown in a Western Country: A Real-Life, Web-Based Study

Restriction measures enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic had severe effects on male sexual and reproductive health. We aimed to investigate the real-life impact and perception of sexual function in 2020 in Italy, as the first Western country experiencing a national lockdown by measuring relative search volume for keywords pertaining to sexual health and behaviors provided by Google Trends and sales data for pro-erectile treatments. No significant change was observed for erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation. Interest towards most phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors decreased significantly during lockdown (e.g., sildenafil, p = 0.0002; tadalafil p = 0.0016), then reverted to pre-lockdown levels (e.g., sildenafil, p p p = 0.0292). A subsequent recovery to previous levels at the end of the social confinement was also found (e.g., after vs. before lockdown, sildenafil, p = 0.8459; tadalafil p = 0.1166). During lockdown, interest towards pornography significantly increased during restrictions (p = 0.0053) and remained high (after vs. before lockdown, p = 0.0004), whereas interest towards paid and casual sex declined (p = 0.0015 and p = 0.049, respectively), then reverted to previous levels (after vs. before lockdown, p = 0.3969 and 0.8373, respectively). During the first Italian lockdown, we observed a transient but measurable decrease of sexual health-seeking behaviors and changes in sexual behaviors, with unknown impact for sexual medicine and public health

SENSHOME. ARCHITETTURA E SENSIBILITÀ ATIPICHE / ARCHITECTURE AND ATYPICAL SENSITIVITIES

Il libro presenta gli esiti di una ricerca internazionale finanziata dall’Unione Europea, sull’abitare delle persone con diagnosi di autismo, proponendo alla riflessione della progettazione architettonica un tema finora affrontato prevalentemente da altri ambiti del sapere e del progetto. Accogliendo non solo i presunti deficit ma anche le competenze e capacità di creazione di significato e narrazioni delle persone nello spettro autistico, la relazione tra architettura, autismo e neurodivergenze in generale, si rivela l’occasione per espandere punti di vista e possibilità dell’architettura più che limitarli, trascendendo convinzioni e convenzioni prevalenti

A psychosocial approach to erectile dysfunction: position statements from the European Society of Sexual Medicine

INTRODUCTION: Although erectile dysfunction (ED) involves an interaction between physiological and psychological pathways, the psychosocial aspects of ED have received considerably less attention so far. AIM: To review the available evidence on the psychosocial aspects of ED in order to develop a position statement and clinical practice recommendations on behalf of the European Society of Sexual Medicine (ESSM). METHOD: A comprehensive, narrative review of the literature was performed. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Specific statements and recommendations according to the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine 2011 Levels of Evidence criteria were provided. RESULTS: A multidisciplinary treatment, in which medical treatment is combined with a psychological approach, is preferred over unimodal treatment. There is increasing evidence that psychological treatments of ED can improve medical treatments, the patient's adherence to treatment, and the quality of the sexual relationship. The main components of psychological treatment of ED involve cognitive and behavioral techniques aimed at reducing anxiety, challenging dysfunctional beliefs, increasing sexual stimulation, disrupting sexual avoidance, and increasing intimacy and communication skills in a relational context. When applicable and possible, it is strongly recommended to include the partner in the assessment and treatment of ED and to actively work on interpartner agreement and shared decision-making regarding possible treatment options. To ensure a better integration of the biopsychosocial model into clinical practice, developing concrete treatment protocols and training programs are desirable. CONCLUSION: Because the psychosocial approach to ED has been underexposed so far, this position statement provides valuable information for clinicians treating ED. Psychological interventions on ED are based on existing theoretical models that are grounded in empirical evidence. However, the quality of available studies is low, which calls for further research. The sexual medicine field would benefit from pursuing more diversity, inclusivity, and integration when setting up treatments and evaluating their effect. Dewitte M, Bettocchi C, Carvalho J, et al. A Psychosocial Approach to Erectile Dysfunction: Position Statements from the European Society of Sexual Medicine (ESSM). Sex Med 2021;9:100434

Lifestyles and sexuality in men and women: the gender perspective in sexual medicine

Sexual health is strictly related with general health in both genders. In presence of a sexual dysfunction, the expert in sexual medicine aims to discover the specific weight of the physical and psychological factors can cause or con-cause the sexual problem. At the same time, a sexual dysfunction can represent a marker of the future development of a Non-communicable diseases (NCDss) as cardiovascular or metabolic diseases.In the evaluation phase, the sexual health specialist must focus on these aspects, focusing especially on the risk and protective factors that could impact on both male and female sexuality.This article presents a review of researches concerning healthy and unhealthy lifestyles and their contribute in the development of sexual quality of life in a gender-dependent manner.Among the unhealthy lifestyle, obesity contributes mostly to the development of sexual dysfunctions, due to its negative impact on cardiovascular and metabolic function. Tobacco smoking, alcohol - substance abuse and chronic stress lead to the development of sexual dysfunction in a med-long term.In order to guarantee a satisfying sexual quality of life, sexual health specialists have the responsibility to guide the patient through the adoption of healthy lifestyles, such as avoiding drugs, smoke and excessive alcohol, practicing a regular physical activity, following a balanced diet and use stress-management strategies, even before proposing both pharmaco- and/or psychotherapies

Dyadic Satisfaction and Shared Affectivity Are Associated with Psycho-Sexual Functioning in Elderly Men and Women

objectives the quality of sexual life of elderly people represents an understudied topic of sexual medicine and of psycho-sexology. hence, we aimed to evaluate the association of specific psycho-relational variables, such as intimacy, increased affective gestures towards a partner (AGtP), daily shared activities, and dyadic satisfaction, with the psychosexual wellbeing of elderly people, expressed in terms of sexual satisfaction. methods: a cohort of elderly people was selected from a sample of a broader study evaluating the role of sexual activity in protecting the emotional wellbeing of a population subjected to quarantine due to the COVID-19 pandemic. specifically, the presence of sexual dysfunctions, the emotional wellbeing (i.e., absence of anxiety and/or depression), and the quality of the partners' relationships were studied. For the study's purpose, the Sexual health Inventory for males (SHIM), the female sexual function index (FSFI), the orgasmometer and the orgasmometer-F, the generalized anxiety disorder scale (GAD-7), the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), and the Dyadic Adjustment Scale were adopted. results: a group of 124 elderly subjects (>= 60) was selected for the study's purposes. among these, 84% were males (120/124), and 16% were females (20/124). All the subjects declared to be in a stable relationship and to be sexually active during the first lockdown period. gender differences were found for the dyadic satisfaction subscale (males: 37.04 +/- 6.57; females: 32.85 +/- 10.04; p < 0.05) and the orgasmometer (males: 7.64 +/- 1.30; females: 6.60 +/- 2.46; p < 0.01). Linear regression analysis showed the association between higher orgasmometer scores and: (i) the absence of sexual dysfunctions (beta = -1.213; SE = 0.271; p < 0.0001), (ii) higher dyadic satisfaction (beta = 0.042; SE = 0.019; p < 0.05), and (iii) reduced shared activities with partner (beta = -0.463; SE = 0.143; p < 0.01) and increased affective gestures towards partner (DAS measured AGtP) (beta = 0.595; SE = 0.065; p < 0.0001). post hoc analysis of ANCOVA with the bonferroni correction method showed a significant difference in the orgasmometer scores between subjects with and without sexual dysfunction (mean difference: 2.102; SE = 0.340; p(Bonf) < 0.001), with healthy subjects reporting higher scores compared to dysfunctional ones. conclusions: It is reasonable to suppose that, beyond the presence of sexual dysfunctions, the sexual health of elderly people may benefit from the quality of the relationship, and, specifically, from the presence of affective gestures towards the partner and the dyadic satisfaction. to the contrary, the quantity of time spent together, sharing specific activities, may be considered a factor worsening relational and sexual health. these data should be considered during the evaluation of sexual health among elderly people