Bisexuality, Religion and Spirituality: Critical Perspectives

Bisexuality, Religion and Spirituality: Critical Perspectives Andrew Kam-Tuck Yip and Alex Toft (Editors) Routledge, 2020 Hardback: £120.00 / eBook: £33.29 210 Pages 2 B/W Illustrations ISBN: 9780367030209

Bi+ men and their intimate partners: sexual identities, intimate relationships and binegativity

Bisexual men stand at a distinct intersection of stigmatisation, and binegativity is a unique social problem distinct from homophobia. This thesis scopes the breadth of binegativity and its various forms, developing a typology and exploring plural understandings of bisexuality. Drawing on 17 semi-structured interviews with bi+ men and their partners (25 participants overall), experiences of binegativity are explored, with romantic relationships analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Despite no explicit questions about prejudice, all participants reported experiencing binegativity, often unakin to homophobia, both implicitly and explicitly, the latter as threats or acts of violence from strangers. In contrast, implicit binegativity denies bisexuality’s existence, and was displayed by close family, whose understanding of bisexuality was overshadowed by stereotypes, and participants were burdened undoing misunderstanding through education. Romantic relationships were sites of safety, positivity and growth, with identities being explored and developed, mutual understandings reached and experimentation outside of monogamous, heteronormative and patriarchal relationship structures negotiated. Some participants relayed that their partner choice was in some way shaped by heteronormative family expectations. Identities were often expressed plurally, with participants often expressing at least two sexual identity labels simultaneously, some of them contextually used over others. I conclude that bisexual+ people suffer epistemic injustices which exclude them from articulations of LGBTQ equality and same-sex marriage debates which emphasise monosexuality, sameness to heterosexuality and fixity. I suggest that education is a possible avenue away from binegativity, along with everyday articulations of bisexuality that challenge a status quo characterised by binary thinking about gender and sexuality

The futile search for ‘physiological evidence’ of male bisexuality: a response to Jabbour et al. (2020)

“Robust evidence for bisexual orientation among men” (Jabbour et al., 2020) collates data from eight studies measuring the genital responses of bisexual-identified cisgender men to erotic stimuli. The goal of the article is to provide “empirical verification [of male bisexuality through] physiological processes rather than self-report.” (Jabbour et al., 2020, p. 1). Two questions emerge from this publication. First, is such research necessary? Second, can one physiologically ‘prove’ a sexuality’s existence using the penile plethysmograph (phallometry)? This paper will first discuss some of the scientific inaccuracies and methodological flaws with Jabbour et al. (2020), followed by a critical reflection on the social import of these studies in relation to the medicalisation of sexuality

Rates of At-risk Drinking among Patients Presenting to the Emergency Department with Occupational and Nonoccupational Injury

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/71604/1/S1069-6563_03_00538-4.pd

Risk of post-vasectomy infections in 133,044 vasectomies from four international vasectomy practices

ABSTRACT Objectives: To estimate the risk of post-vasectomy infections in various settings and across various surgical techniques and sanitization practices. Patients and Methods: Retrospective review of the records of 133,044 vasectomized patients from four large practices/network of practices using the no-scalpel vasectomy (NSV) technique in Canada (2011-2021), Colombia (2015-2020), New Zealand (2018-2021), and the United Kingdom (2006-2019). We defined infection as any mention in medical records of any antibiotics prescribed for a genital or urinary condition following vasectomy. Results: Post-vasectomy infection risks were 0.8% (219 infections/26,809 procedures), 2.1% (390/18,490), 1.0% (100/10,506), and 1.3% (1,007/77,239) in Canada, Colombia, New Zealand, and the UK, respectively. Audit period comparison suggests a limited effect on the risk of infection of excising a short vas segment, applying topical antibiotic on scrotal opening, wearing a surgical mask in Canada, type of skin disinfectant, and use of non-sterile gloves in New Zealand. Risk of infection was lower in Colombia when mucosal cautery and fascial interposition [FI] were used for vas occlusion compared to ligation, excision, and FI (0.9% vs. 2.1%, p<0.00001). Low level of infection certainty in 56% to 60% of patients who received antibiotics indicates that the true risk might be overestimated. Lack of information in medical records and patients not consulting their vasectomy providers might have led to underestimation of the risk. Conclusion: Risk of infection after vasectomy is low, about 1%, among international high-volume vasectomy practices performing NSV and various occlusion techniques. Apart from vasectomy occlusion technique, no other factor modified the risk of post-vasectomy infection

A diagnostic test accuracy study investigating general practitioner clinical impression and brief cognitive assessments for dementia in primary care, compared to specialized assessment

Background:Many health systems are interested in increasing the number of uncomplicated and typical dementia diagnoses that are made in primary care, but the comparative accuracy of tests is unknown. Objective:Calculate diagnostic accuracy of brief cognitive tests in primary care. Methods:We did a diagnostic test accuracy study in general practice, in people over 70 years who had consulted their GP with cognitive symptoms but had no prior diagnosis of dementia. The reference standard was specialist assessment, adjudicated for difficult cases, according to ICD-10. We assessed 16 index tests at a research clinic, and additionally analyzed referring GPs clinical judgement. Results:240 participants had a median age of 80 years, of whom 126 were men and 132 had dementia. Sensitivity of individual tests at the recommended thresholds ranged from 56% for GP judgement (specificity 89%) to 100% for MoCA (specificity 16%). Specificity of individual tests ranged from 4% for Sniffin’ sticks (sensitivity 100%) to 91% for Timed Up and Go (sensitivity 23%). The 95% centile of test duration in people with dementia ranged from 3 minutes for 6CIT and Time and Change, to 16 minutes for MoCA. Combining tests with GP judgement increased test specificity and decreased sensitivity: e.g., MoCA with GP Judgement had specificity 87% and sensitivity 55%. Conclusions:Using GP judgement to inform selection of tests was an efficient strategy. Using IQCODE in people who GPs judge as having dementia and 6CIT in people who GPs judge as having no dementia, would be a time-efficient and accurate diagnostic assessment.The original protocol for the study is available at https://bmcfampract.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12875-016-0475-