Plant use and perceptions in the context of sexual health among people of Congolese descent in Belgium.

BACKGROUND: The use of medicinal plants is integral to global healthcare systems, with Sub-Saharan Africa maintaining a robust tradition of herbal medicine alongside Western-oriented healthcare. As migrant communities tend to continue traditional herbal practices after migration, documenting this use is vital to develop culturally sensitive healthcare. This study investigates plant usage and perspectives in the context of sexual and reproductive health among the Congolese community in Belgium, particularly in the Matongé quarter of Brussels. Our research questions were: (1) What is the current knowledge of medicinal plants among the Congolese community in Belgium in the context of sexual health, and what are the applications and commonly employed administration methods of these plants? (2) What role does herbal medicine play in the context of sexual health for people of Congolese descent in Belgium and how this is influenced by perceptions of sexuality? and (3) Is there a gender bias in the use of medicinal plants, and if so, can this be related to perceived gender norms? METHODS: We conducted 22 semi-structured interviews with people of Congolese descent currently living in Belgium. Participants were selected using both snowball sampling and purposive sampling. Plant use in the context of sexual health was recorded through freelisting. Data on narratives, ideas, and perceptions of this plant use in the context of sexual health were collected. Interview transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: We identified 17 plant species used for sexual health. Three overarching themes emerged from our data. Plants were used with a notable gender bias favoring male sexual potency enhancement. Men used these plants for both remedying potency issues and enhancing sexual prowess. In contrast, knowledge about plants for female sexual health was limited. Gender norms reinforced the importance of male sexual potency, while stigmatizing open discussions of female sexuality. CONCLUSIONS: The use of medicinal plants for sexual health raises health, social, and conservation concerns, underscoring the need for further research in this area. This study contributes to understanding medicinal plant use within the Congolese community in Belgium and highlights the necessity for future research on herbal practices for female sexual health in this context.

Mindful-Gratitude Practice Reduces Prejudice at High Levels of Collective Narcissism.

This research tested the hypothesis that mindful-gratitude practice attenuates the robust association between collective narcissism and prejudice. In Study 1 (a between-subjects study using a nationally representative sample of 569 Polish adults; 313 female), 10 min of mindful-gratitude practice-compared to mindful-attention practice and control-did not decrease prejudice (anti-Semitism), but weakened the positive link between collective narcissism and prejudice. In Study 2 (a preregistered, randomized, controlled-trial study using a convenience sample of 219 Polish adults; 168 female), a 6-week mobile app supported training in daily mindful-gratitude practice decreased prejudice (anti-Semitism, sexism, homophobia, anti-immigrant sentiment) and its link with collective narcissism compared to a wait-list control. The hypothesis-consistent results emphasize the social relevance of mindful-gratitude practice, a time- and cost-effective intervention.

Evaluation of Culture Conducive to Academic Success by Gender at a Comprehensive Cancer Center.

INTRODUCTION: The primary objective of this study was to determine whether workplace culture in academic oncology differed by gender, during the COVID-19 pandemic. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We used the Culture Conducive to Women's Academic Success (CCWAS), a validated survey tool, to investigate the academic climate at an NCI-designated Cancer Center. We adapted the CCWAS to be applicable to people of all genders. The full membership of the Cancer Center was surveyed (total faculty = 429). The questions in each of 4 CCWAS domains (equal access to opportunities, work-life balance, freedom from gender bias, and leadership support) were scored using a 5-point Likert scale. Median score and interquartile ranges for each domain were calculated. RESULTS: A total of 168 respondents (men = 58, women = 106, n = 4 not disclosed) submitted survey responses. The response rate was 39% overall and 70% among women faculty. We found significant differences in perceptions of workplace culture by gender, both in responses to individual questions and in the overall score in the following domains: equal access to opportunities, work-life balance, and leader support, and in the total score for the CCWAS. CONCLUSIONS: Our survey is the first of its kind completed during the COVID-19 pandemic at an NCI-designated Cancer Center, in which myriad factors contributed to burnout and workplace challenges. These results point to specific issues that detract from the success of women pursuing careers in academic oncology. Identifying these issues can be used to design and implement solutions to improve workforce culture, mitigate gender bias, and retain faculty.

Microbial Regulation of Vitamin D Linked to Colorectal Cancer: A Sex Bias.

In a recent issue of Cancer Cell, Li and colleagues revealed that Carnobacterium maltaromaticum (C. maltaromaticum) was significantly depleted in the stool samples of patients with colorectal cancer in a female-specific manner. C. maltaromaticum actively participated in the generation of vitamin D intermediary metabolites, which together with Faecalibacterium prausnitzii and Lachnispiraceae bacterium produce an active metabolite of vitamin D that protects against colorectal cancer development. C. maltaromaticum supplementation induced in a female-specific manner an increase in vitamin D levels that would activate its receptor in the colonic epithelium, protecting against the development of colorectal cancer.

Implementation of a Holistic Review Process of US Allopathic Medical Students Eliminates Non-Comparable Metrics and Bias in General Surgery Residency Interview Invitations.

OBJECTIVE: Use of traditional scoring metrics for residency recruitment creates racial and gender bias. In addition, widespread use of pass/fail grading has led to noncomparable data. To adjust to these challenges, we developed a holistic review (HR) rubric for scoring residency applicants for interview selection. DESIGN: Single-center observational study comparing the proportion of underrepresented in medicine (URM) students and their United States Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE) scores who were invited for interview before (2015-2020) and after (2022) implementation of a holistic review process. SETTING: General surgery residency program at a tertiary academic center. PARTICIPANTS: US allopathic medical students applying for general surgery residency. RESULTS: After initial screening, a total of 1514 allopathic applicants were narrowed down to 586 (38.7%) for HR. A total of 52% were female and 17% identified as URM. Based on HR score, 20% (118/586) of applicants were invited for an interview. The median HR score was 11 (range 4-19). There was a fourfold higher coefficient of variation of HR scores (22.3; 95% CI 21.0-23.7) compared to USMLE scores (5.1; 95% Cl 4.8-5.3), resulting in greater spread and distinction among applicants. There were no significant differences in HR scores between genders (p = 0.60) or URM vs non-URM (p = 0.08). There were no significant differences in Step 1 (p = 0.60) and 2CK (p = 0.30) scores between those who were invited to interview or not. On multivariable analysis, USMLE scores (OR 1.01; 95% CI 0.98-1.03), URM status (OR 1.71 95% CI 0.98-2.92), and gender (OR 0.94, 95% CI 0.60-1.45) did not predict interview selection (all p > 0.05). There was a meaningful increase in the percentage of URM interviewed after HR implementation (12.9% vs 23.1%, p = 0.016). CONCLUSION: The holistic review process is feasible and eliminates the use of noncomparable metrics for surgical applicant interview invitations and increases the percentage of URM applicants invited to interview.

Female naturalists and the patterns of suppression of women scientists in history: the example of Maria Sibylla Merian and her contributions about useful plants.

BACKGROUND: This work reunites many women naturalists who registered knowledge about native flora in scientific expeditions around the globe between the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries. Since male naturalists are more recognized in this period of time, we aimed to list female naturalists that published plant descriptions and observations, focusing on the work of Maria Sibylla Merian and to analyze her trajectory as an example to discuss the patterns of the suppression of women scientists. A second aim was to inventory the useful plants described in Maria Sibylla's Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensium and find pharmacological evidence about the traditional uses described for those plants cited as medicinal and toxic. METHODS: A survey of female naturalists was carried out by searching information in Pubmed, Scielo, Google Scholar and Virtual Health Library. Once Maria Sibylla published her book Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensium by her own, without male co-authors, and also this book is one of the only to have text and illustrations altogether and there are reports indicating information on useful plants in this work, she and her book were chosen as subject of this research. All the information was tabulated by dividing the plants into food, medicinal, toxic, aromatic or other uses. Finally, with the combinations of the scientific name of medicinal and toxic plants with information about their popular uses, a search was carried out in databases in order to indicate current pharmacological studies that reported evidences about the traditional uses described. RESULTS: We found 28 women naturalists who participated in scientific expeditions or trips, or in a curiosity cabinet, or who were collectors of Natural History between the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries. All these women illustrated botanical species and/or recorded their everyday or medicinal use or reported their observations in the form of a published work, letters or diaries. Also, the trajectory of Maria Sibylla Merian revealed that her scientific relevance has been neglected from the eighteenth century by mechanisms of suppression, most of the time by male depreciation, which can be seen as a pattern for suppression of women in science. However, Maria Sibyllas' contributions have been valued again in the twenty-first century. In Maria Sibylla's work, 54 plants were identified, 26 of them used for food, 4 of them aromatic, 8 medicinal, 4 toxic and 9 other uses. CONCLUSION: This study evidences that there are female naturalists whose work could be an important source for ethnopharmacological studies. Researching about women scientists, talking about them and highlighting the gender bias present in the scientific academy about the way the history of science is told is essential for the construction of a more diverse and richer scientific academy. The traditional use of 7 of 8 medicinal plants and 3 of 4 toxic plants reported was correlated with pharmacological studies, highlighting the importance of this historical record and its potential to direct strategic research in traditional medicine.

Gender-Based Differences in Language Used by Students to Describe Their Noteworthy Characteristics in Medical Student Performance Evaluations.

PURPOSE: The noteworthy characteristic (NC) section of the medical student performance evaluation (MSPE) was introduced to facilitate holistic review of residency applications and mitigate biases. The student-written aspect of the characteristics, however, may introduce biases resulting from gender differences in self-promotion behaviors. The authors conducted an exploratory analysis of potential gender-based differences in language used in NCs. METHOD: The authors performed a single-center cohort analysis of all student-written NCs at the Perelman School of Medicine (2018-2022). NCs were converted into single words and characterized into word categories: ability (e.g., "talent"), standout ("best"), grindstone ("meticulous"), communal ("caring"), or agentic ("ambitious"). The authors qualitatively analyzed NC topic characteristics (i.e., focused on scholarship, community service). Logistic regression was used to identify gender differences in word categories and topics used in NCs. RESULTS: The cohort included 2,084 characteristics from 783 MSPEs (47.5%, n = 371 written by women). After adjusting for underrepresented in medicine status, honor society membership, and intended specialty, men were more likely to use standout (OR = 2.00; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.35, 2.96; P = .001) and communal (OR = 1.40; 95% CI = 1.03, 1.90; P = .03) words in their NCs compared with women but less likely to use grindstone words (OR = 0.72; 95% CI = 0.53, 0.98; P = .04). Men were more likely than women to discuss scholarship (OR = 2.03; 95% CI = 1.27, 3.23; P = .003), hobbies (OR = 1.45; 95% CI = 1.07, 1.96; P = .02), and/or awards (OR = 1.59; 95% CI = 1.16, 2.16; P = .004) and less likely to highlight community service (OR = 0.66; 95% CI = 0.48, 0.92; P = .02). CONCLUSIONS: The self-written nature of NCs permits language differences that may contribute to gender bias in residency application.

Sex bias in social deficits, neural circuits and nutrient demand in Cttnbp2 autism models.

Autism spectrum disorders caused by both genetic and environmental factors are strongly male-biased neuropsychiatric conditions. However, the mechanism underlying the sex bias of autism spectrum disorders remains elusive. Here, we use a mouse model in which the autism-linked gene Cttnbp2 is mutated to explore the potential mechanism underlying the autism sex bias. Autism-like features of Cttnbp2 mutant mice were assessed via behavioural assays. C-FOS staining identified sex-biased brain regions critical to social interaction, with their roles and connectivity then validated by chemogenetic manipulation. Proteomic and bioinformatic analyses established sex-biased molecular deficits at synapses, prompting our hypothesis that male-biased nutrient demand magnifies Cttnbp2 deficiency. Accordingly, intakes of branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) and zinc were experimentally altered to assess their effect on autism-like behaviours. Both deletion and autism-linked mutation of Cttnbp2 result in male-biased social deficits. Seven brain regions, including the infralimbic area of the medial prefrontal cortex (ILA), exhibit reduced neural activity in male mutant mice but not in females upon social stimulation. ILA activation by chemogenetic manipulation is sufficient to activate four of those brain regions susceptible to Cttnbp2 deficiency and consequently to ameliorate social deficits in male mice, implying an ILA-regulated neural circuit is critical to male-biased social deficits. Proteomics analysis reveals male-specific downregulated proteins (including SHANK2 and PSD-95, two synaptic zinc-binding proteins) and female-specific upregulated proteins (including RRAGC) linked to neuropsychiatric disorders, which are likely relevant to male-biased deficits and a female protective effect observed in Cttnbp2 mutant mice. Notably, RRAGC is an upstream regulator of mTOR that senses BCAA, suggesting that mTOR exerts a beneficial effect on females. Indeed, increased BCAA intake activates the mTOR pathway and rescues neuronal responses and social behaviours of male Cttnbp2 mutant mice. Moreover, mutant males exhibit greatly increased zinc demand to display normal social behaviours. Mice carrying an autism-linked Cttnbp2 mutation exhibit male-biased social deficits linked to specific brain regions, differential synaptic proteomes and higher demand for BCAA and zinc. We postulate that lower demand for zinc and BCAA are relevant to the female protective effect. Our study reveals a mechanism underlying sex-biased social defects and also suggests a potential therapeutic approach for autism spectrum disorders.

Gender Bias in Risk Management Reports Involving Physicians in Training - A Retrospective Qualitative Study.

OBJECTIVE: Gender bias, which contributes to burnout and attrition of female medical trainees, may manifest as disparate workplace evaluations. Here, we explore gender-based differences in perceived competence and professionalism as described in an institutional electronic risk management reporting system. DESIGN: In this retrospective qualitative study, recurring themes were identified from anonymous entries reported to an electronic institutional risk management database from July 2014 to July 2015, and from July 2019 to July 2020 using inductive methods. This electronic system is often used by hospital staff to document complaints against physicians under the pretext of poor patient care, regardless of whether an adverse event occurred. Two individuals independently coded entries. Themes were determined from event indicator codes (EIC) using Delphi methodology and compared between gender and specialty using bivariate statistics. SETTING: A multi-center integrated healthcare delivery system. PARTICIPANTS: Risk management entries pertaining to physician trainees by hospital staff as written submissions to the institution's electronic risk management reporting system. Main outcomes included themes defined as: (1) lack of professionalism (i.e., delay in response, attitude, lack of communication), (2) perceived medical error, (3) breach of institutional protocol. RESULTS: Of the 207 entries included for analysis, 52 entries identified men (25%) and 31 entries identified women (15%). The gender was not available in 124 entries and, therefore, categorized as ambiguous. The most common complaint about men involved a physician-related EIC (n = 12, 23%, EIC TX39) and the most common complaint about women involved a communication-related EIC (n = 7, 23%, EIC TX55). Eighty-eight (43%) entries involved medical trainees; 82 (40%) involved surgical trainees. Women were more often identified by their name only (n = 8, 26% vs. n = 3, 6%; p < 0.001). This finding was consistent in both medical (n = 0, 0% vs. n = 5, 31%; p < 0.001) and surgical (n = 2, 7% vs. n = 3, 25%; p = 0.006) specialties. In entries involving women, a lack of professionalism was most frequently cited (n = 29, 94%). Entries identifying medical errors more frequently involved men (n = 25, 48% vs. n = 7, 23%; p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Gender-based differences exist in how hospital staff interpret trainees' actions and attitudes. These differences have consequences for training paradigms, perceptions of clinical competence, physician burnout, and ultimately, patient outcomes.

Relatos da pandemia: ser mulher e mãe em tempos de covid-19 / Pandemic reports: being a woman and mother in covid-19 times / Relatos de la pandemia: ser mujer y madre en tiempos del covid-19

Partindo da pergunta "Como tem sido ser mulher e mãe em tempos de pandemia?", o presente estudo convidou mulheres que são mães, em redes sociais virtuais, a partilhar um relato de suas experiências com a readaptação parental em função do distanciamento social causado pela pandemia de covid-19. O objetivo foi refletir sobre a experiência de ser mulher e mãe em tempos de covid-19 e distanciamento social, apontando algumas ressonâncias do cenário pandêmico na subjetividade dessas mulheres. O estudo teve como base o referencial psicanalítico, tanto na construção da pesquisa e análise dos relatos quanto na sua discussão. A análise dos cerca de 340 relatos coletados, os quais variaram de uma breve frase a longos parágrafos, apontou para uma série de questionamentos, pontos de análise e reflexões. A pandemia, e o decorrente distanciamento social, parece ter colocado uma lente de aumento sobre as angústias das mulheres que são mães, evidenciando sentimentos e sofrimentos sempre presentes. Destacaram-se, nos relatos, a sobrecarga das mulheres com as tarefas de cuidado dos filhos e da casa, a culpa, a solidão, a exaustão, e o sentimento de que não havia espaço nesse contexto para "ser mulher", sendo isso entendido especialmente a questões estéticas e de vaidade.(AU)

Starting from the question "How does it feel to be a woman and a mother in pandemic times?", this study invited women who are mothers, in virtual social networks, to share their experiences regarding parental adaptations due to social distancing caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The objective was to reflect on the experience of being a woman and a mother in the context of COVID-19 and of social distancing, pointing out some resonances of the pandemic scenario in the subjectivity of these women. The study was based on the psychoanalytical framework, both in the construction of the research and analysis of the reports and in their discussion. The analysis of about 340 collected reports, which ranged from a brief sentence to long paragraphs, pointed to a series of questions, analysis topics, and reflections. The pandemic, and the resulting social distancing, seems to have placed a magnifying glass over the anguish of women who are mothers, showing ever-present feelings and suffering. The reports highlighted women's overload with child and house care tasks, the guilt, loneliness, exhaustion, and the feeling that there was no space in this context to "be a woman," and it extends to aesthetic and vanity related questions especially.(AU)

A partir de la pregunta "¿cómo te sientes siendo mujer y madre en tiempos de pandemia?", este estudio invitó por las redes sociales a mujeres que son madres a compartir un relato de sus experiencias sobre la readaptación parental en función del distanciamiento social causado por la pandemia del covid-19. Su objetivo fue reflexionar sobre la experiencia de ser mujer y madre en tiempos del covid-19 y el distanciamiento social, señalando algunas resonancias del escenario pandémico en la subjetividad de estas mujeres. Este estudio se basó en el marco psicoanalítico, tanto en la construcción de la investigación y análisis de los informes como en su discusión. El análisis de los casi 340 relatos, que variaron de una pequeña frase a largos párrafos, generó en las investigadoras una serie de cuestionamientos y reflexiones. La pandemia y el consecuente distanciamiento social parece haber agrandado las angustias de las mujeres que son madres, evidenciando sentimientos y sufrimientos siempre presentes. En los relatos destacan la sobrecarga de las mujeres con las tareas de cuidado de los hijos y del hogar, la culpa, la soledad, el cansancio, así como el sentimiento de que no hay espacio em este contexto para "ser mujer", relacionado principalmente a cuestiones estéticas y de vanidad.(AU)

Encarceramento feminino: um debate entre criminologia e perspectivas feministas / Female incarceration: a debate between criminology and feminist perspectives / Encarcelamiento femenino: un debate entre la criminología y las perspectivas feministas

Este ensaio teórico-reflexivo tem como objetivo discutir sobre as contribuições dos estudos da criminologia e sua crítica para as diversas formas de aprisionamento feminino, e mais atualmente para o encarceramento em massa no sistema prisional, além de abrir espaço para o debate sobre as diferentes perspectivas feministas e as relações com os estudos criminológicos, sobretudo com os posicionamentos da chamada criminologia crítica. Reconhecem-se importantes avanços e conquistas feministas no debate sobre a estruturação masculinizada do direito penal e do seu fazer jurídico, mas também a manutenção de diversas formas de violência de gênero que configuram um sistema penal antropocêntrico, seletivo, racista e discriminatório. Indica-se a urgência de estudos interseccionais que considerem as particularidades e reinvindicações das mulheres no cárcere e suas formas de militância, sobretudo diante de população carcerária feminina composta majoritariamente por mulheres negras, pobres e periféricas. Faz-se visível a necessidade de uma análise dos fatores que atravessam o encarceramento feminino por uma ótica feminista plural, adequada às realidades que se estudam e atenta às múltiplas perspectivas que podem existir dentro do feminismo.(AU)

This theoretical-reflexive essay aims to discuss the contributions of criminological studies and their critique of the various forms of imprisonment of women, and more recently of mass incarceration in the prison system, in addition to opening space for the debate on the different feminist perspectives and their relations with criminological studies, especially with the positions of the so-called critical criminology. Important feminist advances and conquests are recognized in the debate about the masculinized structure of penal law and its legal practice, but also the maintenance of diverse forms of gender violence that configure an anthropocentric, selective, racist, and discriminatory penal system. It indicates the urgency of intersectional studies that consider the particularities and claims of women in prison and their forms of militancy, especially in the face of the female prison population composed mostly of black, poor, and peripheral women. The need for an analysis of the factors that cross women's imprisonment from a plural feminist perspective, adequate to the realities under study and attentive to the multiple perspectives that may exist within feminism, becomes visible.(AU)

Este ensayo teórico-reflexivo pretende discutir las aportaciones de los estudios criminológicos y su crítica a las distintas formas de encarcelamiento femenino, y más recientemente de encarcelamiento masivo en el sistema penitenciario, además de generar debate sobre las distintas perspectivas feministas y sus relaciones con los estudios criminológicos, especialmente con las posiciones de la Criminología Crítica. Se reconocen importantes avances y logros feministas en el debate sobre la estructuración masculinizada del derecho penal y su práctica jurídica, además del mantenimiento de diversas formas de violencia de género que configuran un sistema penal antropocéntrico, selectivo, racista y discriminatorio. Se necesitan estudios interseccionales que consideren las particularidades y reivindicaciones de las mujeres en prisión y sus formas de militancia, principalmente ante la población penitenciaria femenina compuesta mayoritariamente por mujeres negras, pobres y periféricas. Se hace evidente la necesidad de analizar los factores que inciden en el encarcelamiento femenino desde una perspectiva feminista plural, adecuada a las realidades que se estudian y atenta a las múltiples perspectivas que pueden existir dentro del feminismo.(AU)

Militância enquanto convite ao diálogo: o caso da militância monodissidente / Activism as an invitation for the dialogue: the case of monodissident activism / La militancia como invitación al diálogo: el caso de la militancia monodisidente

Este artigo é uma produção teórica de caráter reflexivo que focaliza a relação entre pesquisa e militância a partir do construtivismo semiótico-cultural em psicologia, tendo como base o caso da militância monodissidente. A noção de monodissidência foi cunhada no percurso da militância bissexual para se referir a uma ferramenta analítica de ordem político-comunitária que contempla todas as pessoas que se atraem sexual e/ou romanticamente por mais de um gênero. São contrapostas concepções distintas de militância político-social em psicologia: de um lado, militância é entendida a partir de um autocentramento do militante, vinculado a uma rede de exclusões, negações, vedação e defesas psicológicas em relação à experiência; de outro, há uma compreensão dialógica de militância. Metodologicamente, a proposta de pesquisa se fundamenta no campo da participação observante, entendendo que o pesquisador está, primeiro, na condição de participante de certo campo sociocultural, a partir do qual passa a observar e refletir sobre fenômenos que ocorrem nele. Tomamos como ilustração a trajetória de construção da militância monodissidente do primeiro autor, trazendo tensionamentos dialógicos para a análise, postos em discussão com outras reflexões situadas sobre o tema. O conjunto de tensionamentos dialógicos emergidos nesse percurso foi mapeado e compreendido como um processo de multiplicação dialógica no encontro de self pesquisador com o self militante.(AU)

This paper is a theoretical production of reflective character that focuses on the relationship between research and activism from the semiotic-cultural constructivism in psychology, based on the case of monodissident activism. The notion of monodissent was coined during bisexual activism to refer to an analytical tool of a political-community order that includes all people who are sexually and/or romantically attracted to more than one gender. Different conceptions of political-social activism in psychology are opposed: on the one hand, activism is understood from the militant's self-centeredness, linked to a network of exclusions, denials, gatekeeping, and psychological defenses regarding experience; on the other hand, there is a dialogical understanding of activism. Methodologically, the research proposal is based on the field of observant participation, understanding that the researcher is, first, in the condition of a participant in a certain sociocultural field, from which he starts to observe and reflect on phenomena that occur there. We take as an illustration the trajectory of the construction of the monodissident activism of the first author, bringing dialogical tensions to the analysis, discussed with other reflections on the subject. The set of dialogic tensions that emerged in this path was mapped and understood as a process of dialogic multiplication in the encounter of the researcher self with the activist self.(AU)

Este artículo realiza una producción teórica y reflexiva sobre la relación entre investigación y activismo desde el constructivismo semiótico-cultural en Psicología, a partir del caso del activismo monodisidente. La noción de monodisidencia fue acuñada en el transcurso de la militancia bisexual para referirse a una herramienta analítica de orden político-comunitario que incluye a todas las personas que se sienten atraídas sexual y / o románticamente por más de un género. Se contraponen distintas concepciones de la militancia político-social en Psicología: por un lado, la militancia se entiende desde el egocentrismo del militante, vinculado a un entramado de exclusiones, negaciones, sellamientos y defensas psicológicas con relación a la experiencia; por otro, existe una comprensión dialógica de la militancia. La investigación utiliza como metodología la participación del observador, entendiendo que el investigador se encuentra, en primer lugar, en la condición de participante de determinado campo sociocultural, desde donde comienza a observar y reflexionar sobre los fenómenos que allí ocurren. Tomamos como ilustración la trayectoria de la construcción de la militancia monodisidente del primer autor, trayendo tensiones dialógicas al análisis, discutidas con otras reflexiones sobre el tema. El conjunto de tensiones dialógicas que surgieron en este camino se caracteriza y se comprende como un proceso de multiplicación dialógica en el encuentro del self investigador con el self militante.(AU)

Cisnormatividad, un compromiso dañino en el diseño de las investigaciones en salud humana / Cisnormatividade, um compromisso prejudicial na concepção da investigação em saúde humana e nas iniciativas de mudança de paradigma / Cisnormativity, a harmful compromise in human health research design and paradigm shift initiatives

Resumen La bibliografía especializada ha presentado objeciones éticas a la exclusión de las mujeres embarazadas en los ensayos clínicos y ha llamado a cambiar de paradigma. Aunque indudablemente se trata de una causa justa, esta iniciativa está vertebrada por una compren- sión cisnormativa del género y, por consiguiente, reproduce sus problemas. En este artículo breve desplegamos estos problemas, que incluyen el borramiento epistémico e institucional de las personas trans, aplicándonos particularmente a la investigación en salud y la clínica médica, y defendemos que las iniciativas de cambio de paradigma se verían beneficiadas si adoptaran una noción de género más robusta y empíricamente informada.

Resumo A literatura levantou objeções éticas à exclusão de mulheres grávidas de ensaios clínicos e exigiu uma mudança de paradigma. Embora seja sem dúvida uma causa justa, esta iniciativa é sustentada por uma compreensão cisnormativa do gênero e reproduz assim seus problemas. Neste breve artigo desdobramos estes problemas, que incluem o apagamento epis- têmico e institucional das pessoas trans, aplicando-se particularmente à pesquisa em saúde e à clínica médica, e argumentamos que iniciativas de mudança de paradigma se beneficiariam da adoção de uma noção de gênero mais robusta e empiricamente informada.

Abstract Specialized literature has raised ethical objections to the exclusion of pregnant women in clinical trials and has called for a paradigm shift. While undoubtedly a just cause, this initiative is rooted in a cisnormative understanding of gender and therefore reproduces its problems. In this brief article we unfold these problems, which include the epistemic and institutional erasure of trans people, applying particularly to health research and medical clinic, and argue that paradigm-shift initiatives would benefit from adopting a more robust and empirically informed notion of gender.

Conhecimentos, percepções e itinerários terapêuticos de travestis e mulheres trans no cuidado a infecções sexualmente transmissíveis em Salvador, Brasil / Knowledge, perceptions and therapeutic itineraries of travestis and transgender woman in the care of sexually transmitted infections in Salvador, Brazil / Conocimientos, percepciones e rutas terapéuticas de travestis y mujeres trans en la atención de enfermedades de transmisión sexual en Salvador, Brasil

Resumo O artigo objetivou analisar conhecimentos, percepções, práticas de cuidado e Itinerrários Terapêuticos (IT) para o diagnóstico e tratamento das Infecções Sexualmente Transmissíveis (IST), com destaque para sífilis, entre Travestis e Mulheres Trans (TrMT) em Salvador, Brasil. Foram realizados 05 grupos focais e 06 entrevistas semiestruturadas com 30 TrMT. Os achados apontam amplo desconhecimento e percepções contraditórias sobre as IST, especialmente a sífilis; identificação de duas importantes trajetórias de cuidado às IST e o destaque para IT marcados por estigmas e discriminação nos serviços de saúde. Sugere-se a ampliação das ações de saúde para essa população reconhecendo suas necessidades e a construção de novas estratégias de prevenção e tratamento para IST, dialogadas com as TrMT, e garantia de autonomia, ética e sigilo na produção do cuidado.

Abstract The article aimed to analyze knowledge, perceptions, care practices and Therapeutic Itineraries (TI) for the diagnosis and treatment of Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD), with emphasis on syphilis, among travesti and transgender women (TGW) in Salvador, Brazil. 05 focus groups and 06 semi-structured interviews with travesti/TGW were carried out with a total of 30 participants. The findings point to a wide lack of knowledge and contradictory perceptions about STD, especially syphilis; identification of two important trajectories of care for STD and the emphasis on TI marked by stigma and discrimination in health services. The expansion of health actions for this population is suggested, recognizing their needs and the construction of new prevention and treatment strategies for STD, in dialogue with the travesti/TGW, and guaranteeing autonomy, ethics and confidentiality in the production of care.

Resumen El artículo tuvo como objetivo analizar conocimientos, percepciones, prácticas de atención y Rutas Terapêuticas (RT) para el diagnóstico y tratamiento de las Enfermedades de Transmisión Sexual (ETS), con énfasis en la sífilis, entre las travestidas y mujeres trans (TrMT) en Salvador, Brasil. Se realizaron 05 grupos focales y 06 entrevistas semiestructuradas con 30 TrMT. Los hallazgos apuntan a una amplia falta de conocimiento y percepciones contradictorias sobre las ETS, especialmente la sífilis; identificación de dos importantes trayectorias de atención a las ETS y el énfasis en las RT marcadas por el estigma y la discriminación en los servicios de salud. Se sugiere ampliar las acciones de salud para esta población, reconociendo sus necesidades y la construcción de nuevas estrategias de prevención y tratamiento de las ETS, en diálogo con el TrMT, y garantizando la autonomía, ética y confidencialidad en la producción de cuidados.

Feminicídio Brasil-México: experiências das colonizações violentas dos corpos de mulheres negras e indígenas / Brazil-Mexico feminicide: experiences of violent colonization of the bodies of black and indigenous women

O feminicídio é um crime de gênero que pode ocorrer tanto no âmbito privado como no público, em diversos contextos societários, e a motivação se dá pelo desprezo à mulher, ou seja, é um crime misógino. Os autores do crime, em sua maioria, são do gênero masculino e possuem algum tipo de laço afetivo, consanguíneo ou não com a vítima. Tanto no Brasil como no México, há uma tendência de morrerem/serem assassinadas um tipo específico de raça/etnia/cor de pele por feminicídio. No Brasil, conforme o Atlas da Violência de 2020, 68% das que são assassinadas por feminicídio são mulheres negras e, no México, 59% das mulheres que sofrem de feminicídio são indígenas (INEGI, 2015). Nesse sentido, o artigo trata da falta de atenção do Estado em ambos os países para essas mulheres que padecem mais, pois as instituições públicas são omissas em protegê-las, ou seja, há a ausência de políticas públicas específicas, configurando-se como uma ação necropolítica em que o Estado autoriza quais corpos podem ser assassinados: os corpos das mulheres negras e das mulheres indígenas. Deste modo, o método utilizado é o materialismo-histórico dialético a partir de uma revisão bibliográfica para fazer as leituras da conformação sócio-histórica dos países e através da perspectiva de colonialidade, neocolonialidade, decolonialidade, associando-as a outros elementos fundantes, como a interseccionalidade, a fim de correlacionar a incidência de feminicídio de mulheres negras e a sua negligência no Brasil, e, no México, em relação às mulheres indígenas, buscando as causas de tal ausência de políticas públicas na formação histórica de cada país, bem como tratando aqui daquelas que não se encontram nos dados estatísticos em ambos os países, em que, neste trabalho, tal situação foi chamada de ponto cego

Femicide is a gender crime that can occur both in the private and public spheres, in different societal contexts, and the motivation is given by contempt for women, that is, it is a misogynistic crime. The perpetrators of the crime, for the most part, are male and have some kind of affective bond, consanguineous or not. In both Brazil and Mexico, there is a tendency for a specific type of race/ethnicity/skin color to be killed/murdered by femicide. In Brazil, according to the 2020 Atlas of Violence, 68% of those killed by femicide are black women, and in Mexico, 59% of women who suffer femicide are indigenous (INEGI, 2015). In this sense, the article deals with the lack of State attention in both countries for these women who suffer the most, as they fail to protect them, that is, there is a lack of specific public policies, configuring itself as a necropolitical action in that the State authorizes which bodies can be murdered: the bodies of black women and indigenous women. In this sense, the method used is the dialectical historical-materialism from a bibliographic review to make the readings of the socio-historical conformation of the countries and through the perspective of coloniality, neocoloniality, decoloniality, associating them with other founding elements such as intersectionality in order to correlate the incidence of femicide of black women and its negligence in Brazil, and, in Mexico, in relation to indigenous women, seeking the causes of such absence of public policies in the historical formation of each country, as well as dealing here with those that do not are found in the statistical data in both countries, where, in this work, this situation was called a "blind spot"

The Impact of Gender on the Effectiveness of an Auricular Acupressure Intervention Administered to Community-Dwelling Poor Sleepers: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Women report a higher incidence of sleep problems than men. Few studies addressing the effect of gender on the efficacy of administering auricular acupressure (AA) at shenmen points (heart meridian 7 [HT7]) on sleep quality have been published. PURPOSE: The primary aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a 4-week AA intervention applied at the HT7 points on sleep quality, perceived physical health, and perceived mental health in community-dwelling individuals with poor self-reported sleep quality. Additional analyses were used to evaluate the gender-specific effects of this intervention. METHODS: A cluster randomized controlled trial with repeated-measures design was used. One hundred seventy-nine eligible participants were randomly assigned to either the AA group (n = 88; 47 women, 41 men) or the sleep hygiene instruction (SHI) group (n = 91; 52 women, 39 men). The AA group self-administered acupressure at HT7 on both ears for a 4-week period, whereas the SHI group received an SHI information sheet. Outcome measures included the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the Short-Form Health Survey-12 Version 2, with data collected at baseline and at 2, 4, and 8 weeks posttest. RESULTS: Linear mixed-model analysis revealed that the participants in the AA group experienced significantly greater reductions in mean PSQI global score and the three indices of sleep latency, subjective sleep quality, and daytime dysfunction than the SHI group at 2 and 4 weeks posttest. The improvements in subjective sleep quality and daytime dysfunction remained at 4 weeks posttest in the AA group, but not in the SHI group. The PSQI global score decreased significantly more in men than women in the AA group between baseline and 4 weeks posttest. CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Four weeks of self-administered acupressure at HT7 on both ears is an effective intervention for community-dwelling poor sleepers who are over 45 years old. Moreover, the improvements in subjective sleep quality and daytime dysfunction persist for up to 4 weeks after the end of the intervention. This self-administered acupressure intervention is more effective in men than in women in terms of improving sleep quality. Gender bias is known to influence research results and may lead to inappropriate generalizations. Thus, future studies that are performed to build basic scientific evidence should include considerations of the effects of gender in the study design.

Men's Facial Moisturizers in the Metrosexual Era.

BACKGROUND: Manufacturers are increasingly branding personal care products (PCPs) specifically for men. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to characterize ingredients and claims of facial moisturizers marketed to men. METHODS: Men's facial moisturizers from 7 different online retailers were identified in June-September 2018. Ingredients were grouped and identified per the Ingredient Database of the Personal Care Products Council. Potential allergens were identified using the 2017 American Contact Dermatitis Society (ACDS) Core Allergen Series and 2017-2018 North American Contact Dermatitis Group Screening Series. RESULTS: Sixty-five men's facial moisturizers were identified with a total of 1930 ingredients. On average, there were 12 ACDS Core and 9 North American Contact Dermatitis Group Screening allergens per product. A total of 70.8% of products contained between 6 and 15 ACDS Core allergens. The most notable allergens were fragrances (present in 98.5% of products), propylene glycol/derivatives (32.3%), parabens (29.2%), and alkyl glucosides (26.2%). Interestingly, less than 10% of products contained the most common allergenic preservatives in PCPs: formaldehyde releasers and methylisothiazolinone. CONCLUSIONS: Men's facial moisturizers commonly contain fragrances, emulsifiers, and glucosides but relatively few allergenic preservatives. This may reflect changes in modern PCP preservation. These findings are important for modern dermatologists to be aware, especially in a new era of male skincare.