A commentary on the role of the female sexological examination and the personnel who should perform it

The sexological examination of the female patient, as performed in our Center, has proved to be an essential and almost indispensable diagnostic and therapeutic tool for the treatment of female sexual dysfunction. When performed by an adequately trained gyneco‐sexologist, in the presence of the patient's sexual partner (if available), this examination helps the patient to proceed through the process of gradually assuming self‐responsibility in searching and feeling for her specific “sexual nerve endings,” also enhancing communication between the spouses. The format and technique of the “female sexological examination” is described and the scientific background, indications, results, and reservations are discussed. Special emphasis is placed on the personnel who should carry out such an examination.     

Essay in review

Miriam Kochan, Britain's Internees in the Second World War (Macmillan, 1983). Pp.xiii + 182. £17.50.     

A rejoinder to the comments of Hartman & fithian and pomeroy & brown on the female sexological examination

The spread of the international AIDS pandemic has drawn attention to the urgent need for data on human sexual behavior; yet the absence of an established tradition of theory and method in sex research has limited the development of initiatives in this area. This has been particularly evident in the lack of attention given to the ways in which cross‐cultural differences structure the meaning of sexual experience. While survey research can play an important role in documenting sexual behavior, qualitative research on sexual culture is equally important in order to develop a framework for the comparative analysis of behavioral data. This article seeks to contribute to the development of theory and method in sex research by outlining key research issues and possible methodologies for the qualitative investigation of sexual culture in relation to HIV/AIDS.     

Reconsidering Scale: Using Geographic Information Systems to Support Spatial Planning Conversations

How do planners compose plans that fit complex environmental systems? How do they align mismatched ecological and governance landscapes? We studied a small group of practitioners planning for groundwater sustainability to explore these questions. We recorded and transcribed their talk as they worked with geovisualization tools to diagnose and resolve future water shortages. Our findings showed how these planners crossed scales and levels as they reconsidered the relationships between groundwater supplies and consumers. While they recognized the urgency of aquifer overdraft, they complained about a lack of fine-grained hydrogeologic data, which they rely on for managing local water shortages.     

Famine, disease, and mortality patterns in the parish of Borshevka, Russia, 1830-1912

Scholars have projected a dismal image of nineteenth-century, rural Russia as a society repeatedly punctuated by crop failures, famine, starvation, and epidemics of famine-related diseases. But there has been no rigorous attempt, using appropriate methods, to assess the nature of demographic crises in Russia and their contribution to overall mortality and population growth. The pattern of mortality evident in the parish under examination is distinguished by an extremely high incidence of infant, diarrhoeal diseases and childhood, infectious diseases. This unfavourable disease environment and resulting high rates of infant and early childhood mortality were more closely related to fertility levels, household size, housing conditions, and weaning practices than to annual or seasonal food availablity and the nutritional status of the population. In a disease-driven society, the susceptibility to infection and the force of infection can, to a considerable extent, be determined by demographic factors, familial norms, and climatic constraints.     

Famine,Disease, and Mortality Patterns in the Parish of Borshevka,Russia, 1830–1912

Scholars have projected a dismal image of nineteenth-century, rural Russia as a society repeatedly punctuated by crop failures, famine, starvation, and epidemics of famine-related diseases. But there has been no rigorous attempt, using appropriate methods, to assess the nature of demographic crises in Russia and their contribution to overall mortality and population growth. The pattern of mortality evident in the parish under examination is distinguished by an extremely high incidence of infant, diarrhoeal diseases and childhood, infectious diseases. This unfavourable disease environment and resulting high rates of infant and early childhood mortality were more closely related to fertility levels, household size, housing conditions, and weaning practices than to annual or seasonal food availability and the nutritional status of the population. In a disease-driven society, the susceptibility to infection and the force of infection can, to a considerable extent, be determined by demographic factors, familial norms, and climatic constraints.