South African Men Who Have Sex With Both Men and Women and How They Differ From Men Who Have Sex With Men Exclusively

The label “men who have sex with men” (MSM) is used to categorize a diverse population exclusively on the basis of its sexual behavior. Understanding the diversity that this label comprises is critical for the development of health interventions that effectively reach the various populations subsumed under this label. In this cross-sectional study of South African MSM (N = 480) recruited through respondent-driven sampling (RDS), we explored differences between men who had sex with both men and women (MSMW) and men who had sex with men exclusively (MSME). We found significant differences between these two groups in terms of sexual attraction, sexual identity, sexual preferences, sexual histories, and current sexual practices. MSMW were more likely to be confused about their same-sex attraction, to experience internalized homophobia, and to have paid for sex in the previous year, while MSME were more gender nonconforming and more likely to have been forced to have sex in the previous year. These findings underscore that the MSM label comprises a diverse population and that exclusive sexual engagement with other men is a critical distinction to take into account in understanding this diversity and fully grasping the lived experiences of men who have sex with men.     

Correlates of Engaging in Survival Sex among Homeless Youth and Young Adults

Using a sample of 1,625 homeless youth and young adults aged 10 to 25 from 28 different states in the United States, this study examines the correlates of having engaged in survival sex. Findings suggest that differences exist based on demographic variables (gender, age, race, and sexual orientation), lifetime drug use (inhalants, Valium?, crack cocaine, alcohol, Coricidin?, and morphine), recent drug use (alcohol, ecstasy, heroin, and methamphetamine), mental health variables (suicide attempts, familial history of substance use, and having been in substance abuse treatment), and health variables (sharing needles and having been tested for HIV). In addition to replicating previous findings, this study's findings suggest that African American youth; gay, lesbian, or bisexual youth; and youth who had been tested for HIV were significantly more likely to have engaged in survival sex than White, heterosexual youth, and youth who had not been tested for HIV, respectively. Implications for interventions with youth and suggestions for future research are discussed.     

Index

Drawing on a three-year multimethod study of civic engagement within “Dewey Elementary,” this article identifies the contextual supports of civic efficacy. In particular, it works to map the role of the teacher in supporting the civic action and efficacy of six fifth-grade girls who requested changes to the school's existing lunch plan. An analysis presents four supports for the development of civic efficacy: building curriculum from life, asking questions, working in a diverse group, and practicing skills of civic activism. The author's conclusions point to particular social spaces and processes that facilitate civic efficacy, which can lead to better practices and policies for civic education in the younger years.     

Rolling forward: addressing needs in the homeless community

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this pilot study was to use a bottom up, or grounded, approach to understand, from the perspective of the individuals living in the homeless community, what they feel would enable them to become housed and stay permanently housed. Organizations which serve homeless individuals often use a top down approach and implement programs without asking the homeless what they most need to find permanent housing. This project used intensive interviews to determine the needs of unhoused individuals in a mid-sized city with a tourist-centered economy in the south eastern United States. Working local homeless shelters, and various other intermediaries we collected data from 102 homeless individuals and 11 service providers. The major theme that emerged in our research is that the homeless individuals we interviewed were, for the most part, they were able to meet many of their basic needs, such as securing food, clothing, a place to bathe and wash their clothes, as well as obtain physical and mental care. However, they perceived lack of reliable and affordable transportation to be a significant barrier to obtaining and maintaining employment, making and keeping appointments, and maintaining their social support network.     

“Getting pregnant might make me seem more normal to them”: Attitudes,experiences, and gendered nuances regarding pregnancy and parenting among youths experiencing homelessness

Homelessness among youths exacerbates an array of challenging life experiences, notable examples of which are pregnancy and parenting. Research is lacking on young men’s attitudes and experiences, and also the influences which homeless youths’ gender identities and sexualities may have on their pregnancy and parenting outcomes and trajectories. This study qualitatively explores gender differentials, including youths’ gender identities and sexual orientations, with regard to their attitudes and experiences of pregnancy and parenting while homeless. Qualitative data were obtained from interviews with a diverse sample of 30 female, male, and transgender homeless youths, ages 18 to 21. Findings revealed that topics of pregnancy and parenting represent a wide range of complexities, different standards, and threats for homeless youths. Although pregnancy is often viewed positively within this community, it is received and experienced differently for each gender and sexuality. Results demonstrate that youths’ unimpeded access to and knowledge of all available reproductive and sexual health care services is essential. These services must be designed and delivered for youths of all gender identities and sexual orientations. Interventions and resources on parenting and co-parenting, particularly models that more inclusively engage a greater diversity of young parents’ involvement, are also urgently needed.     

Hospice and Self-Assessed Quality of Life in the Dying: A Review

This review summarizes the impact of hospice and palliative end-of-life care on the self-assessed quality of life (QoL) in terminally ill persons. Articles were included if researchers utilized at least two observations post–hospice admission and were published in English between January of 2000 and December 2012. Findings from included studies synthesize results of a variety of terminal patients (n = 1,017) across settings. Only one study utilized a non-treatment control group. The remaining studies compared variations of program inclusions, settings, or QoL scores across carcinoma site. The studies included indicated mixed outcomes related to the effect of hospice on QoL in the dying.     

Introduction

This essay contrasts two different modes of iconic appropriation and organizational symbolism, with reference to a single physical structure: on the one hand, that of a local folk society, seeking to define itself and preserve its distinctiveness as against the wider nation state of which it is a part; and, on the other hand, that of the nation-state itself, seeking to incorporate the diverse elements out of which it is constituted into a coherent synthesis. Both modes operate by selecting particular elements out of the material remains and recoding them within specific ideologies, although they go about their “symbolic work” in strikingly different ways, the one technologically passive and the other technologically proactive. Moreover, of these two appropriations, one (that of the nation) is hegemonic, in that it imposes itself and pre-empts the other. By reference to diverse historical examples, the discussion in the latter part of the paper attempts to elucidate the salient features of symbolic hegemony.     

Practice note

Abstract

Virtual therapy in the online space.