Cougars or kittens? The representation of celebrity cougars and their toyboys in gossip media

Abstract

Relationships involving a woman who is much older than her male partner have become increasingly visible in popular culture. These women are referred to as “cougars” and their partners as “toyboys.” This type of relationship has the potential to undermine elements of heteronormativity and intersectional gender/age performances, as women who are past their forties are not expected to engage in sexual relationships with (younger) men. The present study discusses the discourse found in Dutch gossip media (n = 138) on the relationships of preselected celebrity “cougars:” Demi Moore, Madonna, Patricia Paay, and Heleen van Royen. A qualitative content analysis reveals that certain aspects of heteronormativity are challenged: these women are depicted as financially and sexually empowered, whereas their partners are seen as interchangeable male suitors who are dependent on the female partner’s (financial/career) achievements. Yet, traditional understandings of intersectional performances (i.e., gender/age) are also found: a wise, caring mother, and a handsome, boyish, adventurous partner. Overall, these women are seen as both maintaining and challenging traditional roles that are typically associated with older women.     

Advice from working women with retired partners

ABSTRACT

In the 21st century, as more women are employed full-time and couples increasingly share egalitarian values, more women continue employment after their partners have voluntarily retired. However, we know very little about the experiences of this growing population of women. We asked working women with retired partners to share their advice for other women who may face this developmental transition. Open-ended responses from 97 women were analyzed to identify pertinent issues and themes. Four primary content areas were identified: time management, division of household labor, financial planning, and communication. Communication between partners was both a topic of concern as well as the solution suggested to resolve conflicts or differences that may arise when women live with a retired partner. It is expected that future changes in the workforce and improvements in the gender balance within relationships will continue to impact experiences for working women with retired partners.     

“How We Stay Together Without Going Crazy:” Reconstruction of Reality Among Women of Mixed-Orientation Relationships

Until recently, the literature that addressed the phenomenon of mixed-orientation relationships, in which the female partner is straight and the male partner is non-straight, has focused mainly on the men’s perspective. Most of the studies have employed a pessimistic tone, underscoring the obstacles faced by each of the partners. This study was designed to understand how women of mixed-orientation relationships construct their reality within such a relationship, focusing on elements that assist them in maintaining those relationships. Based on the phenomenological paradigm, in-depth interviews with eight women in mixed-orientation relationships were conducted. The findings indicate that in order to adapt to their newly constructed reality, women reframe various individual, marital, and social aspects in their lives. Those reframing processes constituted a point of departure to developing a conceptual model, which outlines the journey to reality reconstruction among women in mixed-orientation relationships.     

Negotiating who gives birth and the influence of fear of childbirth: Lesbians,bisexual women and transgender people in parenting relationships

BackgroundFear of childbirth (FOC) may affect family planning in lesbian, bisexual and transgender (LBT) couples with two potential carriers of a pregnancy. FOC has previously been researched in heterosexual women, while experiences of LBT people have remained unattended. The choice of birth-giving partner in same-sex couples has gained some attention in previous research, but the potential complexities of the decision have not been studied.AimThe aim is to explore how LBT people negotiate the question of who gives birth, in couples with two potential birth parents, and where one or both partners have a pronounced FOC.MethodsSeventeen self-identified LBT people were interviewed about their expectancies and experiences of pregnancy and childbirth. Data were analysed following a six-step thematic analysis.ResultsFOC was negotiated as one of many aspects that contributed to the decision of who would be the birth-giving partner. Several participants decided to become pregnant despite their fears, due to a desire to be the genetic parent. Others negotiated with their partner about who was least vulnerable, which led some of them to become pregnant despite FOC. Still other participants decided to refrain from pregnancy, due to FOC, and were delighted that their partner would give birth. Several participants described their partner's birth-giving as a traumatic experience for them, sometimes also when the birth did not require any obstetric interventions. The partner's experience was in some cases not addressed in postnatal care.ConclusionsIt is important that healthcare staff address both partners’ prenatal expectancies and postnatal experiences.     

Positives and negatives of online dating according to women 50+

ABSTRACT

To understand the positives and negatives of online dating according to the lived experience of older women, telephone interviews were conducted with 45 women ages 50+ who date online. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim, and thematically team coded. The opportunity to expand one’s social network for both friendships and romantic partners, the ability to control dating risks and pace of relationship formation, and knowing more about one’s partner were significant reported benefits of online dating. Dating online also includes unique risks, such as pervasive lying, attempted financial exploitation in the form of scammers, and unwanted electronic sexual aggression.     

Sexuality and relationship changes in married females following the commencement of bisexual activity

Some of the changes in sexual behavior and relationships with spouses and other females following the commencement of bisexual activity by women after the age of 30 were studied by conducting in-depth personal interviews with 50 women. Each participant, at the time of her first sexual activity with another female: (a) was married; (b) was at least 30; (c) was, with her spouse, engaging in consensual swinging activities; (d) was enjoying sex with males; and (e) had no history, prior to age 30, of sexual attraction to females. Generally, the subjects revealed high levels of participation in, and enjoyment of, sexual activity with other females, in addition to high levels of enjoyable heterosexual activity. Their generally happy and stable marriages tended somewhat to improve, as did their overall sex lives, and they saw their relationships with other females as significantly improved. Significant changes in sexual fantasies occurred. In all cases, sexual orientation became bisexual, but overall preference for male sex partners did not change.     

Pathways to pleasure: Older adult women’s reflections on being sexual beings

Older adult women make up a growing part of the population, and yet literature on the sexual activity over their life spans is lacking. This qualitative interview study explored the experience of 16 women aged 57–91 to better understand sexual pleasure over a lifetime. The participants described having to challenge cultural rules to create a supportive environment for sexual expression. Having access to Novel contexts in which to learn, cultivating Intimacy with partners and with oneself, being Creative with sexual activities, and Extending one’s sense of sexual possibility into advanced age (NICE) supported sexual pleasure as women aged.     

A qualitative study of the impact of adverse birth experiences on fathers

BackgroundBeing present during labour and birth can, for some fathers, result in feelings of fear, uncertainty, anxiety, and helplessness. Witnessing birth complications or adverse events may cause immediate and long-term anxiety and stress. In turn, this experience can impact on men’s sense of self and identity as a man and father and can affect his relationship with his infant and partner. The aim of this study was to explore the immediate and longer-term impact of witnessing a complicated or adverse birth experiences on men in heterosexual relationships and their role as a father.MethodsAn interpretive qualitative approach informed the design of this study. A total of 17 fathers, one from New Zealand and sixteen from Australia participated through face to face, telephone and email interviews. The ages of the men were between 24 to 48 years, and the time since the adverse birth experience ranged from 4.5 months to 20.5 years.FindingsThematic analysis revealed three major themes representing men’s experiences of witnessing a complicated birth or adverse event; ‘Worst experience of my life’, ‘Negotiating my place: communicating with health professionals’ and ‘Growing stronger or falling apart’. Men were unprepared and feared for the lives of their infants and partners, they expected and wanted to be involved in the birth and the maternity care journey, instead they were pushed to the side and excluded from the labour and birth during times of emergency. Being excluded from part or all of the birth perpetuated worry and vulnerability as, at times, men were left not knowing anything about what was happening to their partners. Midwives and other health professionals’ support was important to the way fathers adjusted and processed the complications of the labour and birth event. This experience impacted on their own mental health and their relationship with their baby and partner.ConclusionFindings demonstrate that following a complicated or adverse birth experience, men questioned their role as a father, their place in the family and their role at the birth. There is a need to include and inform the expectant father that help is available if they experience negative feelings of hopelessness or despair. Maternity services and care providers need to involve fathers so that they feel part of the maternity care system and journey which may mitigate feelings of helplessness.     

The Psychosocial Meaning of Menopause: Women's Experiences

ABSTRACT

This paper reports on a qualitative study of womens' experiences with menopause from a psychosocial perspective. Women give voice to the impact of menopause upon their sense of self and significant relationships in their lives. This study raises questions about the meaning of the reluctance of women and others to discuss menopause in a helpful, meaningful way.     

Older Women with Cardiovascular Disease: Perceptions of Initial Experiences and Long-Term Influences on Daily Life

ABSTRACT

In 2004, we conducted qualitative interviews with 29 White women diagnosed with cardiovascular disease (CVD) living in Southwest Virginia, aged 69 to 92 years (M age = 79.2 years; SD = 6.8); time since diagnosis ranged from 1 to 50 years (M = 14.3; SD = 11.2). We explored the women's initial illness episode and the influence of CVD on their current daily functioning, family activities and relationships, and social engagement. The women were slow to seek help for CVD symptoms. Postrecovery, 62% of women perceived their heart disease as influencing change in their daily lives. The influence of CVD varied depending on how congruent behavior changes were with their sense of self.     

Stigma,guilt and motherhood: Experiences of pregnant women with COVID-19 in Brazil

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic raises health issues worldwide. Infected pregnant women may have negative mental health outcomes, but little is known about their emotional experiences.AimWe aimed to understand the experience of women infected with COVID-19 during pregnancy, regarding their feelings, their relationships, and the influence of social media.MethodsWe conducted a qualitative study among 22 women infected with COVID-19 during pregnancy, from a tertiary hospital during the first wave of the pandemic in Brazil (May–August 2020). We applied semi-directed interviews, sociodemographic and health data sheets, and field diaries. We built the sample purposefully. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. We used thematic analysis and discussed data considering the health psychology framework.ResultsWe created five categories following a timeline perspective, from before infection to the experience after recovering. Pregnant women were resistant to believing the diagnosis. They described a fear of serious symptoms or death, concerns about the fetus, sorrow from being isolated, and worries about stigma. Family relationships were ambiguous, generating either support or tension. The attachment to the health team through telemedicine or support during hospitalization produced a feeling of security.ConclusionsParticipants psychologically denied the COVID-19 diagnosis and did not accomplish isolation properly, even upon medical recommendations. The illness may produce a traumatic experience, regardless of mild or severe symptoms, but family/friend support and contact with the health team helped them to cope. We offer important insights for the clinical approach and future research, emphasizing that infected pregnant women require emotional support.     

Crack users' intentions to use condoms with different partner types

Purpose. Evidence suggests that farmworkers are practicing high risk behavior, particularly crack cocaine use and unprotected sex, that consequently places them at an increased risk for HIV transmission. This study examined the intention to use condoms with four different sexual partner types (loved partner, casual partner, paying partner, and new partner) among a sample of farm workers who were also cr Methods. Personal interviews (n = 205) were conducted with male and female farm workers who were crack users (confirmed by urine test). Participants were recruited from a Florida homebase community for migrant farmworkers. The questionnaire assessed sexual activity (including number of partners and partner type), drug use and attitudes and beliefs about condoms. Results. Hispanic males reported a significantly lower likelihood of condom use for all partner types. For commercial partners, intention to use condoms was reduced dramatically for Hispanics but was markedly higher among steadily employed subjects. Finally, women were half as likely as men to report that they intended to use a condom with a loved partner. Conclusions. This study indicates that ethnicity and the nature of sexual relationships both play important roles in determining whether subjects report that they intend to use condoms, even in a population known for the presence of multiple partners and a widely perceived epidemic of AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.     

Latino Gay and Bisexual Men's Relationships with Non-Gay-Identified Men Who Have Sex With Men

This study investigated relationships between Latino gay-identified men in metropolitan New York City and their non-gay-identified male partners. Phase 1 consisted of in-depth interviews (N = 33), and Phase 2 consisted of quantitative surveys (N = 120) with Brazilian, Colombian, and Dominican men who have sex with men (MSM). A majority of participants reported having had sex with heterosexually identified men, and in many cases, the relationship was sustained over time. We found mixed results concerning an attitude sometimes attributed to Latinos that sexual orientation is defined by sexual role, with receptive MSM seen as gay and insertive MSM seen as straight. Although there were no significant associations between partner sexual orientation and unprotected anal intercourse, gay men were less likely to take the insertive role in oral or anal sex with straight-identified male partners than with gay partners.     

Older Women,Their Children,and Grandchildren: A Feminist Perspective on Family Relationships

SUMMARY

Using gerontological and feminist frameworks, we explored the relationships older women have with their children and grandchildren. In-depth, qualitative interviews were conducted with 34 women, ranging in age from 55 to 88. From our analyses of the women's perceptions of their family relationships, two themes were prevalent: the centrality of children and the peripherality of grandchildren in their everyday lives. The women had varying degrees of involvement with their children and grandchildren, and these relationships contributed to their sense of self and family. Their relationships were not stagnant, but were continually reshaped as both the women and their family members proceeded through the life course.     

Psychosocial maturity and teenage contraceptive use: An investigation of decision-making and communication skills

The developmental factors influencing teenage women's contraceptive decision-making with first sexual partner are investigated. A discriminant function analysis of results of a study of 17- to 19-year-old women shows the following: Pill users are distinguished from women who have not used any method by having had a longer relationship with their partner, having a more negative attitude towards becoming premaritally pregnant themselves, being older at the time of their sexual debut, engaging in more frequent sexual intercourse, being more trusting of their partner, and perceiving the risks of unprotected pregnancy as greater. Women who are protected by the use of condom are distinguished from women not protected by any method by having had more discussions with male friends about a variety of topics, having better role-taking skills, having a less negative attitude about becoming premaritally pregnant, and having discussed their sexual debut with their partner beforehand. Results are consistent with a conceptualization which distinguishes contraceptive methods on the basis of the psychosocial costs their use incurs for young women.Research supported by Grant #HD09813, National Institute of Child Health & Human Development. Thanks are due to Robin Halliday, Allyson Myhre, and Carolyn Scheve for help in conducing this investigation.     

An exploration of Australian midwives’ knowledge of intimate partner violence against women during pregnancy

BackgroundIntimate partner violence is recognised as a global public health issue. Living with intimate partner violence results in poorer health status with reduced quality of life and higher utilisation of health services. Increased awareness, education and training, and an understanding of multi-agency collaboration are vital in order for health practitioners to respond to women experiencing partner violence and abuse. Midwives are well placed to identify, provide immediate support, and refer women onto appropriate support agencies but may lack appropriate education, training or support.AimTo investigate midwives’ knowledge of intimate partner violence against women during pregnancy.MethodsAn online survey link was distributed through the Australian College of Midwives. The survey included personal, professional and practice details, and 25 questions that tested knowledge about intimate partner violence.Findings152 midwives completed the online questionnaire. Knowledge scores ranged from 27 to 48 (out of a possible 50), with the mean total score of 42.8 (SD = 3.3). Although 60% of participants scored 48, two-thirds did not know about the risks and signs of intimate partner violence. One-third of the midwives did not know about age risks associated with intimate partner violence. Around 25% incorrectly believed that perpetrators are violent because of alcohol or drug use. Nearly 90% (88%) of participants had some education or training about intimate partner violence. Those with some training achieved higher knowledge scores than those with no formal training (Mann–Whitney U = 1272, p = 0.003).ConclusionParticipating midwives generally reported a high level of knowledge about intimate partner violence but held misconceptions about risks and characteristics of perpetrators of violence. These knowledge gaps may adversely affect their ability to identify women at risk of violence. Education about intimate partner violence was associated with improved knowledge. Future training and education on intimate partner violence should target identified knowledge gaps.     

‘The calm before the storm’: A qualitative study of fathers’ experiences of early labour

BackgroundEarly labour care presents a challenge for maternity services and is a cause of dissatisfaction for women planning birth in an obstetric or midwifery unit who may feel unsupported or unwelcome at their planned place of birth. Little is known about the perspectives of men who support their partner during early labour.MethodsOpportunity sample offathers (n = 12) in the UK who had been present during their partner’s labour in the previous twelve months. Semi-structured interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed before thematic analysis.ResultsFathers learned about the stages of labour during antenatal education and felt well prepared for early labour but found their knowledge difficult to apply, and relied on their partners to decide when to travel to the planned place of birth. Early labour was described as the ‘calm before the storm’ during which they carried out practical tasks or rested to ensure they could fulfil their role when labour progressed. However, men frequently felt ‘like a spare part’ during the later stages of labour.DiscussionThe study has implications for antenatal educators, midwives and others supporting couples during pregnancy and labour. It supports reconsideration of how information about labour progress can be most usefully conveyed to couples. Professionals could acknowledge the value of supportive tasks carried out by fathers that might otherwise be experienced as doing ‘nothing’. Further research should recruit more diverse samples of men and same-sex couples. Dyadic data collection methods may be of value.     

The needs of women and their partners regarding professional smoking cessation support during pregnancy: A qualitative study

BackgroundDespite the health risks of smoking, some women continue during pregnancy. Professional smoking cessation support has shown to be effective in increasing the proportion of pregnant women who quit smoking. However, few women actually make use of professional support.AimTo investigate the needs of women and their partners for professional smoking cessation support during pregnancy.MethodsSemi-structured interviews were held with pregnant women and women who recently gave birth who smoked or quit smoking during pregnancy, and their partners, living in the north of the Netherlands. Recruitment was done via Facebook, LinkedIn, food banks, baby stores and healthcare professionals. The interviews were recorded, transcribed and thematically analysed.Results28 interviews were conducted, 23 with pregnant women and women who recently gave birth, and five with partners of the women. The following themes were identified: 1) understanding women’s needs, 2) responsibility without criticism, and 3) women and their social network. These themes reflect that women need support from an involved and understanding healthcare professional, who holds women responsible for smoking cessation but refrains from criticism. Women also prefer involvement of their social network in the professional support.ConclusionFor tailored support, the Dutch guideline for professional smoking cessation support may need some adaptations. The adaptations and recommendations, e.g. to involve women and their partners in the development of guidelines, might also be valuable for other countries. Women prefer healthcare professionals to address smoking cessation in a neutral way and to respect their autonomy in the decision to stop smoking.