Journal of Sexual Health Psychology
Volume:2 Issue: 1, Winter and Spring 2023

Up to 50 percent of pregnancies in the United States are unintended with the highest rates occurring among women between the ages of 18 and 24 years old. Only 52 percent of sexually active college students used a method of contraception during their most recent sexual intercourse with male condoms and female birth control pills being the most common methods. Both methods however are used inconsistently and incorrectly. These challenges create a need for alternative methods of contraception. Male-directed contraception (MDC) is seen as a potential solution to this challenge. The purpose of this study was to assess college students’ attitudes towards various developmental methods of MDC including male birth control pills, transdermal gels, injections, and implants. Data were collected from college students at one Midwestern University. Females had higher attitudes towards each method of MDC compared to males. Identifying as female, agnostic, Jewish, and being single but in a monogamous relationship were associated with more positive attitudes towards various MDC methods. Being on a government healthcare policy and race were associated with more negative attitudes towards MDC. The number of sexual partners and condom use were not significant predictors of attitudes towards MDC. This analysis provides additional evidence to the growing literature of attitudes towards and acceptability of MDC. Despite this evidence, research remains inconsistent. These inconsistences provide researchers with opportunities to continue our understanding of factors associated with attitudes towards and acceptability of MDC methods in college students and other populations.

Sexual function of women is affected by physical and psychological factors. Pregnancy and childbirth are important factors affecting women’s sexual function. This study aimed to compare the sexual function and satisfaction between primiparous and multiparous women. A cross-sectional-analytical study was performed on women 3 to 12 months after delivery recruited from the health centers of Kerman province, Iran, by cluster random sampling method. Study instruments included a demographic information form and two Persian versions of the Female Sexual Function Inventory and Sexual Satisfaction Questionnaire, through self-reporting. In total, 225 primiparous and 225 multiparous women were recruited. There were significant differences in women’s age, the spouse’ age, women’s education level, spouse’s education level, and spouse’s occupations between the groups. The domains of sexual desire (P <0.001), arousal (P <0.001), orgasm (P = 0.001), and satisfaction (P <0.001) were scored higher in the primiparous than the multiparous women. The sexual satisfaction score was also higher in primiparous women. The sexual health support care for primiparous and multiparous women need to address their specific needs in the short- and long-term after childbirth.

Multiple sclerosis is a progressive and common chronic disease that affects about 2.8 million of the world's population. It has a series of neurological and psychological symptoms, one of which is sexual dysfunction. This symptom is more common in multiple sclerosis than other neurological diseases and is 5 times more common than in the general population. This study aimed to compare the sexual dysfunction in women with and without MS. 95 women were in the experiment group and 93 in the control group. Demographic features were collected. The Persian version of the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) questionnaire was used to investigate the subjects’ sexual function. EDSS was used to evaluate the disability of the subjects with multiple sclerosis. The average FSFI in women with multiple sclerosis was 21.47, and that in the control group was 22.37. This difference in the obtained score was not significant. (p=0.088) Also, a significant difference was observed in the scores obtained in the areas of sexual desire, arousal, and lubrication. In general, this study indicated the presence of sexual dysfunction in the studied women. However, there was no significant difference in the presence of sexual dysfunction between the multiple sclerosis patients and the control group. Impairment in sexual function as well as the areas of desire, arousal, and lubrication were more common in women with multiple sclerosis. It is recommended that further studies should be conducted to confirm the results of this study.