How do nurses and midwives perceive their role in sexual healthcare?

BACKGROUND: Nurses and midwives role in sexual healthcare is essential to help patients, particularly women, ensure a satisfactory sexual wellbeing. Yet, these professionals often overlook this aspect of patients' health. Little is known regarding nurses and midwives' attitudes, views and experiences concerning sexual healthcare. Using a naturalistic inquiry approach, this qualitative study was conducted to overcome this limitation and gain insights into nurses and midwives' role in the delivery of sexual healthcare. METHODS: A purposive sample of nurses and midwives was chosen from different clinical sites. Data generated by focus group discussions were were analysed using the Framework Analysis while adopting different strategies to ensure rigour. The study aligns with the consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research checklist. RESULTS: Five themes illustrated the participants' views and experiences. These are: 'Perceptions of sexuality', 'Appreciating the discussion around the individuals' sexual issues', 'Muting the discussion around the individuals' sexual issues, 'Coping with embarrassment', and 'Promoting nurses' and midwives' roles sexual healthcare'. Nurses and midwives discussed the importance of sexuality in the couple's life. They reported controversial views and highlighted many challenges that make them reluctant in playing an efficient role in sexual healthcare. They discussed many suggestions, mainly getting a solid sexual health education to become better equipped to meet patients' sexual health needs. CONCLUSION: Findings are critical to empower nurses and midwives, break the barriers in discussing sexual healthcare and integrate this aspects of care more actively and confidently in daily practice.

Should I Seek Help for Sexual Difficulties? Middle-Aged Lebanese Women's Views.

This qualitative study explored the way middle-aged Lebanese women address their sexual difficulties. Data analysis revealed three overarching themes and subthemes. From these we developed a help-seeking behavior framework for sexual difficulties. The framework focuses on: the perception of the problem, the beliefs about help-seeking and the sources of help. This framework can be used to facilitate access to personalized sexuality-related care based on a better understanding of the complex interplay of personal, socio-cultural and service-related factors that influence help-seeking behavior for sexual problems.

Middle-aged Lebanese women's interpretation of sexual difficulties: a qualitative inquiry.

BACKGROUND: The study explores women's perception and experience of sexual difficulties. The need to address the subject was triggered by the scarcity of research that reflects on women's subjective views on sexual difficulties. This is particularly crucial for middle-aged women who frequently experience hormonal and psychosocial changes that may affect their sexual life. METHODS: Using in-depth individual and focus groups interviews, 52 Lebanese women aged 40-55 years discussed their thoughts, feelings and behaviours concerning sexual difficulties. Women were recruited purposefully from clinical and non-clinical settings to get maximum sampling variation that provided rich information and deep understanding of the subject. Recordings were transcribed verbatim and analysed about the framework analysis. Many strategies were adopted to ensure rigour. RESULTS: Women's narratives led to four themes: women's inability to communicate sexual desires and concerns; male sexual difficulties; marital conflicts; and sexual difficulties as context-bound. Women's sexual difficulties are driven by double standards and inhibiting sexual socialisation. Once married, many women had very challenging sexual experiences. They were obliged to silently bear their husbands' poor sexual performance to protect their masculinity and thus their social image and identity. Women's narratives also showed that marital conflicts, daily life problems as well as physical and psychological burdens further challenged their sexual wellbeing and contributed to their sexual difficulties. CONCLUSION: The study makes a unique contribution to voicing women's views and concerns as sexuality is insufficiently researched and reported in Lebanon. It emphasises the multidimensional nature of female sexual difficulties, particularly the gender-based norms that inhibit their sexual selves and profoundly affect their sexual wellbeing and capacity to claim their sexual likes and dislikes. Findings have implications on research and practice to help women prevent and overcome their sexual difficulties.

Molecular epidemiology and socio-demographic risk factors of sexually transmitted infections among women in Lebanon.

BACKGROUND: Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) cause a major public health problem that affect both men and women in developing and developed countries. The aim of the study was to estimate the prevalence of 11 STIs among women who voluntarily participated in the study, while seeking gynecological checkup. The existence of an association between the presence of pathogens and symptoms and various sociodemographic risk factors was assessed. METHODS: A total of 505 vaginal and cervical specimens were collected from women above 18 years of age, with or without symptoms related to gynecological infections. Nucleic acid was extracted and samples were tested by real-time PCR for the following pathogens: Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Mycoplasma genitalium, Ureaplasma urealyticum, Urealplasma parvum, Trichomonas vaginalis, Mycoplasma hominis, Mycoplasma girerdii, Gardnerella vaginalis, Candida albicans and Human Papillomavirus (HPV). Positive HPV samples underwent genotyping using a microarray system. RESULTS: Of the 505 samples, 312 (62%) were screened positive for at least one pathogen. Of these, 36% were positive for Gardnerella vaginalis, 35% for Ureaplasma parvum, 8% for Candida albicans, 6.7% for HPV, 4.6% for Ureaplasma urealyticum, 3.6% for Mycoplasma hominis, 2% for Trichomonas vaginalis, 0.8% for Chlamydia trachomatis, 0.4% for Mycoplasma girerdii, 0.2% for Mycoplasma genitalium and 0.2% for Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Lack of symptoms was reported in 187 women (37%), among whom 61% were infected. Thirty-four samples were HPV positive, with 17 high risk HPV genotypes (HR-HPV); the highest rates being recorded for types 16 (38%), 18 (21%) and 51 (18%). Out of the 34 HPV positives, 29 participants had HR-HPV. Association with various risk factors were reported. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study that presents data about the presence of STIs among women in Lebanon and the MENA region by simultaneous detection of 11 pathogens. In the absence of systematic STI surveillance in Lebanon, concurrent screening for HPV and PAP smear is warranted.

Lebanese women and sexuality: A qualitative inquiry.

OBJECTIVES: This study explores the meanings middle-aged Lebanese women attribute to sexuality and sexual life and how these constructs are shaped socially, culturally, and politically. STUDY DESIGN: Using a qualitative design, data generation comprised semistructured individual interviews (n = 18) and one focus group (n = 5) with Lebanese women aged 40-55 years. Framework analysis was used for data analysis. RESULTS: Inductive analysis identified four themes: Sexuality as imposed by sociocultural and gender norms; sexuality as a symbol of youthful femininity; sexual life as a fundamental human need; and sexual life as a marital unifier and family stabiliser. Findings show that women's sexual self is largely defined based on men's needs. Women sacrifice themselves to maintain family cohesiveness, which they regard as the core of society. However, some women challenged social norms and therefore bringing new meanings to their sexuality. CONCLUSION: This study offers new contextual information about the understanding of sexuality of middle-aged women within a Lebanese context, where the topic is not openly discussed. New insights are important to provide women with professional support that is culturally sensitive and appropriate.

Does administrative support negate the consequences of nurse abuse?

AIM: To assess the relationship between disruptive/abusive situations and the 'intention to leave' nursing. BACKGROUND: While every nurse deserves to feel safe in his or her working environment, nurse abuse remains a common occurrence worldwide. Only when hospitals are safe, is retention enhanced and patient care improved. METHOD: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 1053 nurses. RESULTS: Almost 70% of nurses experienced stressful disruptive/abusive situations that were mainly caused by patients/families. The majority felt skilled in dealing with these situations, yet around 40% considered leaving nursing because of disruption/abuse. Stress from disruption/abuse, the skill in dealing with abuse and the administrations' support were the best predictors for the 'intention to leave'. CONCLUSIONS: It may not be the amount of abuse per se that affects the nurses' intention to leave, but rather how the abuse is perceived, the skill in dealing with it and the support received from administration. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: The support received from nursing administration may negate the effect of stress and the 'intention to leave' because of disruptive/abusive situations. This should behove nurse managers and administrators to have a system in place to provide support for nurses, which in turn could improve job satisfaction and retention.

Patterns of help-seeking in women when problems arise in their sexual life: a discussion paper.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To explore patterns of help-seeking in women who have sexual dysfunction and the implications for nursing practice. BACKGROUND: Female sexual dysfunction is a common problem that is under-reported and untreated. Barriers to help-seeking reported in existing literature relate to the perception among many women that sexual dysfunction is: part of the normal ageing process; not bothersome or does not exist; an issue that health professionals are reluctant to address; a taboo subject. However, little is known about patterns of help-seeking in women with sexual problems. This leaves a potential gap in nursing knowledge regarding appropriate, supportive strategies. DESIGN: Discursive inquiry framed theoretically by Vogel's model. METHODS: A literature review was undertaken by searching relevant databases. A combination of keywords was used to identify peer-review papers relating to women's help-seeking behaviour for sexual dysfunction. Vogel's model was used as a framework to extract relevant information from the papers and structure the discussion. RESULTS: Vogel's model comprises four steps: encoding and interpreting, generating options, decision-making and evaluation of behaviour. Using this stepwise approach helped elucidate the complex mechanisms associated with help-seeking in a structured manner. The key issues associated with help-seeking intention are concerned with women's personal awareness of and interaction with the environment. CONCLUSIONS: Vogel's model offers a new approach to understanding the dynamics that underpin women's decisions to seek professional help when sexual concerns arise and also provides a useful framework for nurses to consider women's specific sexual concerns. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Implications for nursing practice are focused on public awareness, women's empowerment and the provision of effective sexual health care. Because sexual dysfunction is a global phenomenon, it is likely that the discussion in this paper will be relevant to an international, nursing readership.

Predictors of coping in parents of children with an intellectual disability: comparison between Lebanese mothers and fathers.

This cross-sectional study was designed to assess the predictors of coping behaviors of 147 Lebanese parents (101 mothers and 46 fathers) with a child with intellectual disability. It assessed the contribution of child's and parent's characteristics, informal social support, and stress on the coping behaviors of fathers and mothers. Multiple regression analysis confirmed that the father's education, informal social support, and stress were the best predictors of coping. The child's age, severity of illness, and parental health did not significantly contribute to predicting coping behaviors. Contrary to expectations in a Middle Eastern culture, both fathers and mothers reported similar levels of stress, perceived informal social support, and coping. Although informal social support cannot be forced on parents, health professionals can mobilize resources that are culturally sensitive, such as home visitation by nurses or support from other parents. This may especially be beneficial in developing countries with limited resources.

The adaptation of mothers of children with intellectual disability in Lebanon.

In many Middle Eastern countries, including Lebanon, there is a stigma attached to families who have an intellectually impaired child. These families complain of isolation and lack of community resources that could help them cope with their circumstances to optimize the child's abilities. Health professionals and researchers should be cognizant of factors related to the process of stress adaptation to help families cope with their circumstances. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to identify factors that play a role in mothers' adaptation to the care of their intellectually impaired children. The results, based on a sample of 127 mothers from Lebanon, reveal that a high percentage of mothers had depressive symptoms. Multiple regression analysis demonstrates that by order of importance, the factors that determine maternal depression are family strain, parental stress, and family income. The conclusions about nursing implications from a cultural perspective are discussed and recommendations proposed.