Sexual Fantasies and Stereotypical Gender Roles: The Influence of Sexual Orientation, Gender and Social Pressure in a Sample of Italian Young-Adults

Differences in gender and sexual orientation are suggested to be linked to differences in the way individuals think and behave. The aim of the current study is to evaluate the effect of gender and sexual orientation on sexual fantasies and gender roles in heterosexual and gay and lesbian people. The sample was composed of 547 participants, 246 men (Mage = 28.85; SD = 9,27) and 301 women (Mage = 25,97; SD = 7,141). Within this sample, 61.8% of men and 79.4% of women were heterosexual, whereas 38.2% of men and 20.6% of women were gay and lesbian. Participants completed an online battery of questionnaires to assess their sexual orientation, sexual fantasies, and gender roles on three different dimensions. It was hypothesized that the heterosexual group would report more normative sexual fantasies (H1) and that women in general would report androgynous characteristics, which would be linked to a low degree of reported feminine ideal roles and high social pressure to conform to feminine social expectations (H2). The results showed that lesbian women scored slightly higher than heterosexual women on transgressive sexual fantasies and lower on emotional-romantic ones. Moreover, heterosexual women, but not lesbian women, showed a pattern of high social pressure to conform to feminine expectations together with lower scores in the IRQ. We found the same results on gay men but not for heterosexual men. The overall results suggest that sexual fantasies and gender roles are relatively independent concepts and are influenced by different mechanisms

Monkeypox spread among men who have sex with men: how do people explain this relationship? A quali-quantitative study of beliefs among heterosexual and non-heterosexual Italian individuals

The majority of monkeypox (Mpox) cases in the 2022 outbreak have been traced back to mass gathering events in May, primarily among men who have sex with men (MSM). While some quantitative studies exist in the literature, focusing mainly on the link between Mpox knowledge, conspiracy theories, and vaccination hesitancy, there is a dearth of qualitative or mixed-method research that examines the beliefs surrounding this phenomenon, particularly including LGBTQIA+ groups. This study's primary objective is to delve into the beliefs associated with the media's portrayal of a connection between Mpox and MSM during the initial outbreak period. A total of 333 participants, including 212 cisgender women, 110 cisgender men, and 11 individuals identifying with other genders, took part in an online quali-quantitative survey conducted in June 2022 in Italy. This survey aimed to explore participants' perceptions of Mpox, their knowledge about it, and their attitudes towards LGBTQIA+ individuals and sexuality. The final thematic structure revealed a hierarchical arrangement of themes, encompassing: (1) The linkage between Mpox and MSM, elucidated through risky sexual behaviours or contextual factors; (2)The absence of any connection, explained through causal effects and a general mistrust of society. Individuals identified as male at birth and cisgender men tended to attribute the primary reason behind Mpox contagion to sexual promiscuity. Conversely, non-heterosexual participants were more inclined to consider both sexual promiscuity and the presence of stigma. The results demonstrated a diverse range of opinions concerning Mpox, spanning from objective behavioural risks to the stigmatising notion that MSM constitute a socially hazardous group. It is incumbent upon researchers and scientific organisations to disseminate lucid, non-alarmist, and destigmatizing information aimed at curbing risky behaviours.The opinions of both LGBTQIA+ and non-LGBTQIA+ people regarding Mpox during the 2022 outbreak were diverse, often expressing scientific misconceptions and stigmatising beliefs.To address misconceptions and fake news surrounding Mpox infection, it is the responsibility of researchers and scientific organisations to promote clear, non-alarmist information aimed at preventing risky behaviours and protecting against stigma.Health messages related to Mpox prevention should employ sensitive and affirmative language, providing useful information about prevention and care

Rossi V., Tripodi F., NIMBI F.M., Simonelli C., Porpora M.G. (2018). Psychological functioning of vulvodynia and endometriosis patients: a comparative study. 14th Congress of the European Federation of Sexology

Objective: The DSM 5 category “Genito-Pelvic Pain/Penetration disorder” (GPPPD) collects clinical conditions characterized by different psychological profiles. Vulvodynia and endometriosis are diseases related to genital sexual pain whose etiologies is still unclear. The objective of the present study was to investigate the differences between vulvodynia and endometriosis patients in terms of psychological functioning. Design and Method: 32 women with genito-pelvic pain, 16 with vulvodynia (VG, mean age 31.75±6.92) and 16 with endometriosis (EG, mean age 31.25±6.38), were recruited at the Institute of Clinical Sexology and at the Gynecology-Obstetrics & Urology department of “Sapienza” University in Rome. Participants completed a socio-demographic questionnaire and the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R). Results: VG achieved significant worse scores than EG in almost all domains: global severity index (t=-2.42; df=26; p<.05), depression (t=-2.37; df=24; p<.05), anxiety (t=-2.23; df=25; p<.05), paranoid ideation (t=-2.33; df=29; p<.05) and psychoticism (t=-2.58; df=29; p<.05). VG obtained clinical scores in all these areas, compared to EG who did not. Both groups got clinical scores in somatization, whereas VG achieved clinical scores also in obsessive compulsive and interpersonal sensitivity domains. Conclusions: Vulvodynia patients have a psychological functioning more impaired than endometriosis ones. Therefore, psychological factors may play an important role in vulvodynia, more than in endometriosis, or in other genito-pelvic pain diseases. Professionals should take into account the differences and the peculiarities of each genito-pelvic pain condition in order to improve the assessment and treatment process

699 Genito-pelvic pain disorders and psychological functioning: a comparative study between patients with vulvodynia and endometriosis

Objective: DSM 5 collects in the category “Genito-Pelvic Pain/ Penetration disorder (GPPPD)” some clinical conditionscharacterized by different psycho-somatic profiles and symptoms. There is also a lack of research that clarify such peculiarities. Vulvodynia and Endometriosis are diseases associated with genital sexual pain whose etiologies remain still unclear. The aim of the present study was to explore the differences in psychological functioning between vulvodynia and endometriosis participants. Material and Method: 32 patients with genito-pelvic pain, 16 with vulvodynia (VG, mean age 31.75±6.92) and 16 with endometriosis (EG, mean age 31.25±6.38), were recruited at the Institute of Clinical Sexology and at the Gynecology-Obstetrics & Urology department of “Sapienza” University in Rome. Participants completed a socio-demographic questionnaire and the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R). Result: VG achieved significant worse scores than EG in the following SCL-90-R domains: global severity index (t¼-2.42; df¼26; p<.05), depression (t¼-2.37; df¼24; p<.05), anxiety (t¼-2.23; df¼25; p<.05), paranoid ideation (t¼-2.33; df¼29; p<.05) and psychoticism (t¼-2.58; df¼29; p<.05), with VG obtaining clinical scores in all these areas, compared to EG who did not. Both groups got clinical scores in somatization, whereas VG achieved clinical scores also in obsessive compulsive and interpersonal sensitivity domains. Conclusion: Results underline that there are important differences in psychological profiles of patients complaining genito-pelvic pain. Vulvodynia participants seem to be more impaired than Endometriosis ones. Data could suggest that psychological factors may be involved in the onset or in the maintenance of vulvodynia, more than in others disease, such as Endometriosis. It is important to take into account these differences in order to provide amore specific and appropriate assessment and treatment to women with GPPPD. Disclosure: Work supported by industry: no

Endometriosis, sexuality and satisfaction: a pilot study on women with and without infertility

Objectives The aim of this study was to explore whether women with endometriosis-related infertility had poorer psychological, sexual and relational scores compared with endometriosis without infertility. Methods Seventy-one endometriosis women (32 with associated infertility and 39 without) completed a survey assessing sexual functioning, relational satisfaction, anxiety and quality of life. Results Both groups scored clinical in sexual functioning and anxiety. Comparing to infertile women, fertile participants obtained worse scores in all areas assessed except for anxiety. Conclusions Beyond our expectations, infertile endometriosis women showed to feel more understood and supported than the others. Possible explanations and implications are discussed

Endometriosis and sexual functioning: How much do psycho-emotional factors matter?

Endometriosis is a gynecological condition often associated with genito-pelvic pain. Psycho-emotional factors, such as lack of emotional awareness and/or presence of negative emotions, have an important role on sexual dysfunctions. These factors could be associated with higher pain perception and worse sexual outcomes in endometriosis women. The aim of the present study was to compare the psycho-emotional profile and the sexual functioning of women with and without endometriosis. Methods 35 endometriosis women (Endometriosis Group EG), recruited in the Gynecological Department of the University Hospital of Rome (age 35.49±7.64), and 41 healthy women (Control Group CG) of the general population (age 34.27±7.81), completed a socio-demographic questionnaire, the McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ), the Female Sexual Functioning Index (FSFI), the Symptoms Checklist (SCL-90-R), the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), the Positive and Negative Affects Scale (PANAS). Factorial one-way MANOVAs and Independent Samples Test were used to analyze differences between groups. Results EG reported general worse sexual functioning and higher levels of genital pain compared to CG [F(1,73)=7.43 p&lt;.01]. Regarding psycho-emotional profile, EG got worse scores than CG only in Somatization subscale of SCL-90-R [F(1,73)=12.52 p&lt;.006], explaining the 14.6% of variance. Moreover, EG reported more negative emotions toward sexuality, reaching higher scores on Negative Affections Scale of PANAS (t=2.34; df=31; p&lt;.05). No significant differences were found on TAS-20 domains, but some tendencies were highlighted. Conclusion Endometriosis women experienced more negative emotions toward sexuality and a tendency to somatization comparing to healthy women. These aspects may be implicated in their worse sexual functioning. Physical symptoms, such as pain, could imply negative feelings, and lack of emotional awareness could lead to body’s symptoms. Therefore, Results suggest the importance of an integrated approach; treatments should involve also mind-body techniques (pelvic floor exercise, mindfulness, bioenergetics techniques etc.) in which both somatic and mental components of emotions could be taken into account

Sexological Aspects Related to Tinder Use: A Comprehensive Review of the Literature

Tinder is the most popular and used meeting application for dating. However, its impact on sexual behavior and sexual health has not yet been thoroughly investigated

Italian validation of the Hypersexual Behavior Inventory (HBI): Psychometric characteristics of a self-report tool evaluating a psychopathological facet of sexual behavior

Introduction Hypersexuality is characterized by excess of sexual activities, obsession of sex and related consequences. On the other hand, the assessment of problematic sexuality includes several psychometric tools to screen hypersexual behavior. Hypersexual Behavior Inventory is one of these, although its Italian version is not current available. Objectives Therefore, we aim to validate the Italian version of the Hypersexual Behavior Inventory (HBI) in a sample of Italian people. Methods A study population composed by a convenience sample of 1000 subjects (females: 71.1%) aged 18-60 was recruited from an online platform. Sociodemographic information was collected and a psychometric protocol composed by the Italian version of Hypersexual Behavior Inventory (HBI) to assess hypersexuality, Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) for depression, General Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) for anxiety and Relationship Questionnaire for Attachment Styles (RQ) was administered. Results The analysis of internal consistency of HBI showed Cronbach’s α coefficients in overall and subscales ranged from 0.81 to 0.92. In the confirmatory analysis fit indices were: c2/df = 5.951, SRMR = .046, CFI =.92, RMSEA =.070, suggesting a good fit. Positive correlations were found among the three subscales coping factor, control factor and consequences factor, and all these subscales positively correlated with the total score of HBI (Pearson r coefficients ranged from .526 to .883; p-values &lt; .0001). Discriminant validity revealed significant Pearson r correlations ranged from -.086 to .407. Conclusions Hypersexuality represents the tip of the iceberg of a more severe condition of psychological suffering. For this reason, the evaluation of hypersexual behavior is fundamental for subjects with a dysfunctional sexuality, and HBI offers a satisfactory evaluation of this phenomenon in all its facets. Moreover, on the basis of psychometric characteristics, HBI can be considered an efficient tool to accurately detect and circumscribe the hypersexual behavior in vulnerable people suffering from psychological and sexological issues, also among Italian population