Maintaining vulvar, vaginal and perineal health: Clinical considerations.

Knowledge of female genital anatomy and physiology is often inadequate or incorrect among women. Precise patient-physician conversations can be inhibited by a reluctance or inability to speak accurately about the vulva and vagina, with the terms often being used interchangeably. There is a paucity of scientific evidence and clinical guidelines to support women and physicians in ensuring best practices in feminine hygiene. In this review, the unmet needs in the field are highlighted. Evidence is provided for the complex array of physiological and pathological systems, mechanisms and behaviours that either protect or, if inappropriate, predispose the vulva and vagina to infections, irritation or other conditions. The need for attention to perineal health is recommended, given the interdependence of perineal and vulvar microbiota and the risk of colonic pathogens reaching the vulva and the vagina. Differences in feminine hygiene practices can vary widely across the world and among varying age groups, and suboptimal habits (such as vaginal douching or the use of certain cleansers) can be associated with increased risks of vulvar and vaginal conditions. Critical areas for discussion when advising women on their intimate health include: advice surrounding aesthetic vulvar cosmetic trends (such as depilation and genital cosmetic surgery), bowel health and habits, and protection against sexually transmitted infections. Routine, once-daily (maximum twice-daily) washing of the vulva with a pH-balanced, mild cleanser is optimal, ideally soon after bowel voiding, when feasible. Due to the finely balanced ecosystems of the vulva, the vagina and the perineal area, a scientific and clinical perspective is essential when determining the most appropriate vulvar cleansers based on their components. Correct intimate care may contribute to improved genital and sexual health and overall well-being. An increased awareness of correct practices will empower women to be the advocates of their own intimate health.

[Obstetrical and neonatal prognosis of patients with a history of female genital mutilation]. / Pronostic obstétrical et néonatal des patientes ayant un antécédent de mutilation génitale féminine.

OBJECTIVE: Female genital mutilation (FGM) covers all procedures involving partial or total removal of the external genitalia for non-therapeutic purposes. The period of pregnancy and childbirth is probably more at risk of complications for these women. The main aim of this study was to compare obstetrical, maternal and neonatal outcomes in patients with a history of female genital mutilation with patients without such a history. METHODS: All deliveries taking place between January 2005 and June 2022 at Besançon University Hospital in patients with a history of FGM were included. This group was compared with a randomly selected group of deliveries of patients with no history of FGM. A total of 87 deliveries with a history of FGM were included and compared with 696 deliveries with no history of FGM. RESULTS: There were significantly more instrumental deliveries (27.6% vs. 17.5%, P=0.01), more caesarean sections (23% vs. 14.1%, P=0.01), more episiotomies (9.2% vs. 0.7%, P<0.01), more first-degree perineal tears (30.8% vs. 20.8%, P=0.02), second-degree (13.9% vs. 5.3%, P<0, 01), third-degree (3.1% vs. 0.2%, P=0.02), more anterior perineal tears (23.1% vs. 2.5%, P<0.01), increased duration of pushing efforts (13 min vs. 10 min, P=0.05) and greater blood loss (297 cc vs. 165 cc, P<0.01) in the group with a history of FGM. There was no statistically significant difference in neonatal outcome. CONCLUSION: The obstetrical prognosis of patients with a history of FGM is significantly poorer. Neonatal prognosis remains unchanged.

Recurrent Vulvovaginal Candidiasis: Assessing the relationship between feminine/vaginal washes and other factors among Ghanaian women.

INTRODUCTION: Vulvovaginal Candidiasis (VVC) is a public health problem, with approximately 30-50% of women affected at least once during their lifetime. Recurrent Vulvovaginal Candidiasis (RVVC) is diagnosed following three or four repeated episodes of VVC in a calendar year. This condition poses health concerns with significant impacts on the quality of life of women. This cross-sectional study estimated the prevalence of RVVC and assessed the relationship between feminine/vaginal washes and other factors on RVVC among Ghanaian women in the Sekondi/Takoradi Metropolis. METHODOLOGY: A cross-sectional study was employed to gather data from 304 women. Data were collected using a pretested questionnaire. Bivariate and multivariate analyses, including chi-square/Fisher's exact test and logistic regression, were performed using Jamovi (R Core Team 2021) software. Proportions were calculated, and odds ratios and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals were computed with the level of significance set at 0.05. RESULTS: The prevalence of RVVC was estimated as 48.4% (95% CI 42.6%, 54.1%). Feminine Vaginal wash use (aOR = 3.86; 95% CI = 2.18, 6.84); age 36-45 years (aOR = 0.36; 95% CI = 0.17, 0.76) marital status (aOR = 2.37; 95% CI = 1.17, 4.79) and Sexual activity (aOR:0.43: 95%CI = 0.21, 0.88) were significantly associated with RVVC with p < 0.005. CONCLUSION: RVVC is prevalent among women in the Sekondi/Takoradi Metropolis of Ghana. Feminine/Vaginal washes could be cautiously linked to the development of RVVC.

Examining differences in menstrual and intimate care product use by race/ethnicity and education among menstruating individuals.

Introduction: United States consumers spend over two billion dollars a year on intimate care products. These products, along with scented menstrual products, are marketed for odor control, perceived "freshness," and vaginal/vulvar cleanliness. However, these scent-altering products may increase exposure to carcinogenic and endocrine-disrupting chemicals. Prior research has not adequately characterized demographic differences in product use. The objective of our study is to examine racial/ethnic and educational differences in menstrual and intimate care product use among people who menstruate. Methods: We pooled data from two US-based cross sectional studies to examine demographic characteristics and product use in 661 participants aged 18-54 years. Participants reported use of scented and unscented menstrual products (tampons, sanitary pads, and menstrual cups) and intimate care products (vaginal douches, sprays, wipes, and powders). We examined differences by race/ethnicity and education using log-binomial regression and latent class analysis (LCA), which can identify groups based on product use patterns. Results: Our sample was 33.4% Black, 30.9% Latina, 18.2% White, and 16.2% another identity. Approximately half the population had a bachelor's degree or more; 1.4% identified as transgender and 1.8% as non-binary. In adjusted models, scent-altering products (i.e., scented menstrual and intimate care products) were more likely to be used by those with less formal education (p < 0.05). Unscented menstrual products were more likely to be used by those with more formal education. Compared to Black participants, White participants were more likely to use unscented tampons and menstrual cups and less likely to use douches and wipes (p < 0.05). Using LCA we identified two groups: one more likely to use scent-altering products, and a second more likely to use unscented menstrual products. Less education and older age, but not race/ethnicity, was significantly associated with membership in the group more likely to use scent-altering products. While sex/gender composition did not statistically vary across groups, all non-binary participants fell in the unscented menstrual product group. Discussion: Lower educational attainment was consistently associated with greater use of scent-altering menstrual and intimate care products. Future research should examine associations between body odor stigma, product use, and health risks at intersections of race, class, and gender.

Dating Violence and Mental Health in Emerging Adulthood.

Dating violence constitutes a serious social and health problem. This study aims to increase knowledge on dating violence in emerging adulthood by analysing the relevance of gender and of having or not having a current partner in the victimization and perpetration of such violence. It also analyses the association between dating violence and mental health, as well as the relevance of traditional gender role attitudes and the internalization of feminine/expressive and masculine/instrumental traits in the victimization and perpetration of such types of violence. The participants were 930 Spanish emerging adults who were assessed by six self-report questionnaires and scales. Men reported more psychological and physical violence victimization and physical violence perpetration than women, and women and men without a current partner reported more psychological and sexual violence than women and men with a current partner. Dating violence victimization was associated with more mental symptomatology, less life satisfaction, and lower self-esteem in men with a current partner and in women without a current partner. The main predictor of dating violence victimization was dating violence perpetration, and the main predictor of dating violence perpetration was victimization by such violence. More traditional gender role attitudes also predicted greater victimization and perpetration of dating violence, except among women without a current partner.

Red-pilled mama bears and enlightened power goddesses: Discursive constructions of feminine identities in a conspiracy theory space.

Previous research into the gendered social identity work involved in conspiracy theories (CTs) has largely focused on expressions of masculinity. The present study investigates the employment and mobilization of feminine identities in online Covid-19 conspiracy theory seminars through a critical discursive psychological perspective. The analysis finds three interpretative repertoires for representing the pandemic: the totalitarianism repertoire, the corrupt medical profession repertoire and the awakening repertoire. The most prominent feminine subject position constructed in relation to these repertoires is a maternal identity that functions as a category entitlement: mothers are represented as having a unique viewpoint on the purported pandemic conspiracy by virtue of their supposed inherent morality and concern for the welfare of children. Mothers are depicted as the cultural reproducers of the group, tasked with keeping the(ir) children safe from the influence of the conspiracy. Moreover, women are persuaded to take part in anti-conspiracy action by drawing on notions of empowerment, self-actualization, and sisterhood. These findings suggest that feminine identities, and maternal identities in particular, play a key role in the mobilizing power of CTs.

The Interplay of Strength and Content of Women's Gender Identity, Ambivalent Sexism Targeted at Men, and Attitudes Toward Gender Role Subtypes.

In this on-line study of adult women (N = 145), we performed a series of moderation analyses, including women's self-reported gender in-group identification as moderator, their traditional/progressive identity contents as predictors, ambivalent sexism targeted at men and attitudes toward male and female conforming and non-conforming gender roles as outcome variables. We found that both traditional and progressive identity contents were significant predictors of benevolent sexism but did not predict hostile sexism toward men. Moreover, traditional identity contents predicted more negative evaluations of both male and female gender non-conforming roles, while progressive identity contents predicted more positive evaluations of both male and female gender non-conforming roles. The results have also indicated that the less a woman identifies with her gender in-group while having highly traditional identity contents, the lower she evaluates gender non-conforming roles of other women. The present study adds to the existing research on the links between women's gender identity and perceptions of the opposite sex, as well as their evaluations of various gender roles of men and women.

Ideological Mate-guarding: Sexual Jealousy and Mating Strategy Predict Support for Female Honor.

Feminine honor dictates that women should cultivate a reputation for sexual purity via behaviors such as dressing modestly and maintaining virginity before marriage. The dominant explanation for people's support for feminine honor is that female infidelity threatens male partners' honor. Beyond this, the literature affords little understanding of the evolutionary and psychological origins of feminine honor. We propose that feminine honor functions as an ideological form of mate guarding that is shaped by sexual jealousy and mating strategy. Two correlational studies (N = 892) revealed support for predictions derived from this ideological mate-guarding account. In Study 1, dispositional jealousy and mating strategy (more monogamous orientation) predicted male participants' support for a mate's (especially a long-term mate's) feminine honor. Moving beyond mate preferences, in Study 2 male and female participants' dispositional jealousy and mating strategy predicted support for feminine honor of women in general. Results applied beyond masculine honor norms, religiosity, political conservativism, and age. These findings enhance the understanding of the origins and maintenance of feminine honor and related norms and ideologies that enable control over women's socio-sexual behavior.

Association of genital talc and douche use in early adolescence or adulthood with uterine fibroids diagnoses.

BACKGROUND: Genital talc and douching are practices that can involve exposure to chemical compounds linked to certain gynecologic cancers. However, it is unclear if they are associated with fibroid risk or age at fibroid diagnosis among women. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of early-adolescence genital talc use and douching on prevalence of fibroids diagnosed before the age of 35 and 50 years among Black/African American and non-Hispanic White women. STUDY DESIGN: Data were derived from the Sister Study (2003-2020), a prospective cohort of 50,884 US women aged 35 to 74 years at enrollment. Participants were asked if they ever had a fibroid diagnosis and at what age, and if they used genital talc and/or douched between the ages of 10 and 13 years or in the past 12 months. After applying predefined exclusion criteria, our analytical sample size was n=46,316 (Black, n=4310; non-Hispanic White, n=42,006). Multivariable logistic regression was used to compute adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for having vs not having early-onset fibroids diagnosed before age 35 among women aged 35 to 74 years at enrollment, and fibroids diagnosed before age 50 among women aged 50 to 74 years at enrollment. We adjusted for early life factors (in utero diethylstilbestrol exposure, singleton or multiple birth, fed soy formula during infancy), childhood socioeconomic status, and relative weight and height compared with peers at age 10. We used multiple imputation (<10% missing in all analyses). Results were stratified by race/ethnicity given that Black women are more likely to develop fibroids at a younger age than non-Hispanic White women. RESULTS: Among Black/African American women, 29% had fibroids diagnosed before age 35. Both genital talc use at age 10 to 13 (adjusted odds ratio, 1.23; confidence interval, 1.06-1.41) and douching (adjusted odds ratio, 1.19; 95% confidence interval, 0.95-1.48) were associated with higher odds of having a fibroid diagnosed before age 35. Douching without talc use was not associated with increased odds, but combined use of genital talc and douche was associated with 52% increased odds of fibroids (confidence interval, 1.14-2.01). Among non-Hispanic White women, 9% reported fibroids diagnosed before age 35. Genital talc use (1.31; 1.20-1.44) but not douching (0.96; 0.77-1.20) at age of 10 to 13 years was associated with having a fibroid diagnosed before age 35. We observed similar patterns for non-Hispanic White women when we considered fibroids diagnosed before age 50, but neither practice was associated with fibroids diagnosed before age 50 in Black women. CONCLUSION: Genital talc use in early adolescence, alone and in combination with douching (but not douching alone), is associated with prevalence of fibroids diagnosed before age 35 among Black/African American women and before ages 35 and 50 among non-Hispanic White women. Early adolescence may be a window of susceptibility for fibroid development, suggesting that adolescent girls should be educated on abstention from or alternatives to talc use and douching.

Where Does I Stand? Reflections on Home and Identity Ensnared in a Cultural Narrative.

In this paper the author explores a cultural narrative that she suggests rests on the concepts of the Feminine and Masculine as such, employing both as though they contain an agreed set of universal givens. These givens are extrapolated from an androcentric perspective on female and male bodies, in particular their biological functions regarding reproduction. The metaphors of the baby-in-womb, mother's preoccupation with child and heteronormative sexual relations are the primary cyphers for the narrative. She suggests that remaining unconscious of this narrative, such that it is taken as a universal given, can hamper a person's relation to themselves, the world and others. The author names two concepts, Home and Identity: Home being an hospitable and accommodating space with Identity denoting the one who inhabits the space. In the narrative these two are unhelpfully categorized as belonging to the Feminine and the Masculine respectively. For ease of understanding the author uses a capital letter to designate an abstract idea, and lower case when referring to the concrete or particular. Clinical examples are given throughout the paper to illustrate how acknowledgement and awareness of this narrative might free the analyst or therapist to think more broadly around issues pertaining to space and identity.

Dans cet article, l'auteur explore un récit culturel qui, selon elle, repose sur les concepts du Féminin et du Masculin en tant que tels, utilisant ces deux termes comme s'ils contenaient un ensemble convenu de données universelles. Ces données sont dérivées à partir d'une perspective androcentrique des corps féminins et masculins, en particulier leurs fonctions biologiques en matière de reproduction. Les métaphores du bébé dans le ventre de la mère, de la préoccupation de la mère pour les enfants et des relations sexuelles hétéro-normatives sont les principaux codes du récit. Elle suggère que si l'on reste inconscient de ce récit, et que l'on continue à le considérer comme une donnée universelle, cela peut entraver la relation d'une personne à elle-même, au monde et aux autres. L'auteur nomme deux concepts, « Home ¼ et Identité: « Home ¼ étant un espace hospitalier et accueillant, et « Identité ¼ désignant celui qui habite l'espace. Dans le récit, ces deux termes sont catégorisés comme appartenant respectivement au Féminin et au Masculin, ce qui pose problème. Pour faciliter la compréhension, l'auteur utilise une majuscule pour désigner une idée abstraite, et des minuscules lorsqu'elle se réfère au concret ou au particulier. Des exemples cliniques sont donnés tout au long de l'article pour illustrer que prendre la mesure de ce récit et développer la prise de conscience pourraient libérer l'analyste ou le thérapeute et lui permettre de réfléchir de manière plus large aux questions relatives à l'espace et à l'identité.

En este artículo la autora explora una narrativa cultural que, según sugiere, se basa en los conceptos de lo Femenino y lo Masculino como tales, empleando ambos como si contuvieran un conjunto consensuado de datos universales. Estas premisas se extrapolan desde una perspectiva androcéntrica de los cuerpos femenino y masculino, en particular de sus funciones biológicas en relación con la reproducción. Las metáforas del bebé en el vientre materno, la preocupación de la madre por el niño y las relaciones sexuales heteronormativas son las principales claves de la narrativa. Sugiere que permanecer inconsciente de esta narrativa, de modo que se tome como un hecho universal, puede obstaculizar la relación de una persona consigo misma, con el mundo y con los demás. La autora nombra dos conceptos, Hogar e Identidad: El hogar es un espacio hospitalario y acogedor, mientras que la identidad designa a la persona que lo habita. En la narrativa, estos dos conceptos se clasifican de manera infructuosa como pertenecientes a lo Femenino y lo Masculino, respectivamente. Para facilitar la comprensión, la autora utiliza la mayúscula para designar una idea abstracta, y la minúscula cuando se refiere a lo concreto o particular. A lo largo del artículo se ofrecen ejemplos clínicos para ilustrar cómo el reconocimiento y la toma de conciencia de esta narrativa pueden liberar al analista o al terapeuta para pensar de forma más amplia en torno a cuestiones relacionadas con el espacio y la identidad.

Delicate dining with a date and burger binging with buddies: impression management across social settings and consumers' preferences for masculine or feminine foods.

Consumers often use their food choices as an impression management strategy to signal desirable aspects about themselves to others, especially in public places like restaurants and cafeterias, where the presence of others can promote certain consumption choices and preference patterns. In mating contexts, people prefer gender-typical traits and characteristics in a potential partner. Food options can also be classified according to their gender typicality, with certain alternatives perceived as feminine (e.g., salad, seafood) and with other options perceived as more masculine (e.g., steak, burger). Drawing on impression management theories from the drinking and dining domain and literature on sex differences in human mate preferences, we present a high-powered experiment investigating whether consumers' preferences for masculine or feminine foods depend on the social setting in which the food consumption takes place: dining with an attractive date (mating) or meeting and eating with friends (non-mating). Participants (N = 162, 46.9% females, 53.1% males; age M = 41.8 years, SD = 14.5) were randomly assigned to one of the two experimental conditions (mating vs. non-mating) and were asked to indicate their food preferences for 15 dishes that differed markedly in perceived femininity/masculinity. Consistent with our theorizing, females (males) generally had a stronger preference for foods perceived as more feminine (masculine), thereby supporting the gender-typicality thesis at the aggregate level. Furthermore, females in the mating condition-but not females in the non-mating condition-reported significantly stronger preferences for more feminine food alternatives. However, in direct contrast to our theorizing, males preferred more masculine meals in the non-mating condition (i.e., when dining with friends), whereas this gender-typical tendency did not emerge in the mating condition (i.e., when dining with an attractive date). We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of these findings and present a set of fruitful avenues for future research.

Decision-making process for breast-conserving therapy from the perspective of women with breast cancer: A grounded theory study.

PURPOSE: To explore the decision-making and coping processes of women with newly diagnosed breast cancer receiving breast-conserving therapy. METHODS: The grounded theory methodology approach was employed in this study. Purposive and theoretical sampling methods were used to enroll 27 women with stage I-III breast cancer. Individual interviews were conducted using a semi-structured interview guide, and data were analyzed using open, axial, and selective coding. RESULTS: The core category is "limitations of boundaries," which includes three categories: feminine body boundary, emotional boundary, and knowledge boundary. Clusters, conflicts, and changeability were among the unique contextual conditions. The decision-making process became more challenging because of the differences between the levels of knowledge of physicians and patients receiving treatment information. Women's actions and interactions included information seeking, controlling, negotiating, and accepting nondecision-making support. The consequences of decisions included redecision and reoperation, and most women did not regret receiving breast-conserving therapy. CONCLUSION: Even after choosing breast-conserving therapy, some women may experience changes in treatment procedures. Medical professionals should identify women's challenges and limitations during their decision-making process, explain the benefits and drawbacks of different surgical modalities, address concerns about the outcome of breast-conserving surgery, and provide intellectual and emotional support for decision-making.

Trans-labial or introital ultrasounds for midurethral slings.

Stress urinary incontinence is common in adult women. The use of introital or trans-labial ultrasound can help the surgeon (urologist or gynecologist) to better assess the type of incontinence the patient presents in order to guide him in the management of the patient. Often, surgical treatment with a mid-urethral sling (MSU) placement can be chosen in case of failure of non-invasive therapies (such as local estrogen or physical therapy) and if the clinical examination shows an urethral hypermobility. The use of ultrasound can help in this choice. Although rare, complications of MSU can sometimes cause disabling symptoms and be difficult to diagnose. Introital or trans-labial ltrasound can help diagnose them. The objective of this work was to describe the realization of ultrasound of stress urinary incontinence before or after the placement of a MSU, in order to make their realization easier for young surgeons which can use them in current practice.

Degree of Breathiness in a Synthesized Voice Signal as it Differentiates Masculine versus Feminine Voices.

INTRODUCTION: Most studies determining speakers' perceived gender as binarily female or male are reliant on F0 perception, although other vocal parameters may also contribute to the perception of gender. The current study focused on the impact of breathiness on the perception of speakers' gender as a biological variable (feminine or masculine). METHODS: n = 31 normal hearing, native English speakers, 18 female, 13 male, mean age 23 (SD = 3.54), were auditorily and visually trained in and then took part in a categorical perception task. A continuum of nine samples of the word "hello", was created in an airway modulation model of speech and voice production. Resting vocal fold length, resting vocal fold thickness, F0, and vocal tract length were fixed. Glottal width at the vocal process, posterior glottal gap, and bronchial pressure were continually modified for all stimuli. Each stimulus was randomly presented 30 times within each of the five blocks (150 presentations in total). Participants rated stimuli as binarily female or male. RESULTS: Showed a sigmoidal shift in breathiness along the continuum between perceived feminine or masculine voicing. This shift was evident at stimuli four and five, indicating a nonlinear, discrete perception of breathiness among participants. Response times were also significantly slower in these two stimuli, suggesting a categorical perception of breathiness among participants. CONCLUSION: Breathiness created by the change in glottal width of at least 0.21 cm may influence the perception of a speaker's perceived gender.

El paisaje lingüístico en los baños de mujeres de la Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Mendoza - Argentina

R E S U M E N En este artículo se apunta a analizar los (micro)discursos que se encuentran en los baños públicos de la Facultad de Filosofía y Letras de la Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Mendoza - Argentina Se focalizan las temáticas que se abordan, la clase de diálogos que se establecen y las valoraciones que se ponen de manifiesto. Se trata de una investigación de tipo cualitativo y exploratorio. Se trabaja con un corpus de imágenes recopilado en los baños públicos de la Facultad de Filosofía y Letras de la Universidad Nacional de Cuyo en el mes de junio de 2022.

A B S T R A C T This article aims to describe and interpret the (micro)discourses that are found in the public bathrooms of the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters of the National University of Cuyo. In particular, the focus of this study is in the topics that are addressed, the kind of dialogues that are established and the assessments that are revealed. It is a qualitative and exploratory research. It works with a corpus of images collected in the public bathrooms of the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters of the National University of Cuyo in the month of June 2022.

Este artigo tem como objetivo analisar os (micro)discursos encontrados nos banheiros públicos da Faculdade de Filosofia e Letras da Universidade Nacional de Cuyo. Focalizam-se os temas que são abordados, o tipo de diálogos que se estabelecem e as avaliações que se revelam. Trata-se de uma pesquisa qualitativa e exploratória. O trabalho explora um corpus de imagens coletadas nos banheiros públicos da Faculdade de Filosofia e Letras da Universidade Nacional de Cuyo no mês de junho de 2020.

O feminino na fantasia: entre a dialética do desejo em Lacan e a fantasia social em Zizek / The feminine in fantasy: between the dialectic of desire in Lacan and social fantasy in Zizek / Lo femenino en la fantasía: entre la dialéctica del deseo en Lacan y la fantasía social en Zizek

Partindo do perceptível conflito entre as determinações fantasísticas do social, referentes ao feminino e o desejo da mulher enquanto sujeito, que chega à clínica materializado em um profundo sofrimento psíquico do qual ela parece incapaz de atravessar, questionamos: quais seriam os elementos da cena social atramados na fantasia social que apontam para o que consideramos representações do feminino? Assim, objetivamos articular o grafo do desejo em Lacan com a noção de fantasia social em Zizek para tentar responder o que haveria de feminino na fantasia, ou seja, como a dialética do desejo e a noção de fantasia social podem ajudar a compreender as construções fantasísticas do feminino. Para tanto, lançamos mão de uma investigação teórica com enfoque no texto lacaniano Subversão do sujeito e dialética do desejo no inconsciente freudiano (1960) e no texto de Slavoj Zizek Eles não sabem o que fazem - o sublime objeto da ideologia (1992), sem desconsiderar, contudo, comentadores de ambos os teóricos mencionados. Nessa perspectiva, este estudo desenvolveu a articulação dos conceitos - fantasia, desejo, feminino e fantasia social - procurando se organizar a partir de três questões: 1) De que forma as elaborações de Zizek sobre ideologia como fantasia social auxilia a compreender a dialética do desejo em Lacan?; 2) De que forma o desejo do Outro, enquanto social, resta na fantasia do sujeito, de modo a responder pela articulação fundamental entre a demanda e o desejo?; 3) Sob qual razão os elementos conjunturais são tomados na perspectiva estrutural que compõe o que entendemos por feminino na fantasia? Tomando por base a assertiva de que a sociedade não existe por si mesma, o feminino na fantasia poderia sustentar a própria fantasia de uma ordem social, ao cumprir a função de tamponar os hiatos deixados pela dissimetria entre o sujeito e o social.

Starting from the perceptible conflict between the fantastical determinations of the social referring to the feminine and the woman's desire as a subject who arrives at the clinic materialized in a deep psychic suffering that she seems unable to go through, we question: what would be the elements of the social scene strung in fantasy that point to what we consider representations of the feminine? Thus, we aim to articulate the graph of desire in Lacan with the notion of social fantasy in Zizek to try to answer what would be feminine in fantasy, that is, how the dialectic of desire and the notion of social fantasy can help us to understand the constructions feminine fantasies. For that, we make use of a theoretical investigation focusing on the Lacanian text Subversion of the subject and the dialectic of desire in the Freudian unconscious (1960) and on the text of Slavoj Zizek They do not know what they do - the sublime object of ideology (1992), without disregard, however, commentators of both theorists mentioned. In this perspective, this study developed the articulation of the concepts - fantasy, desire, feminine and social fantasy - seeking to organize itself from three questions: 1) How do Zizek's elaborations on ideology as social fantasy help us to understand the dialectic of the desire in Lacan?; 2) How does the Other's desire, as a social one, remain in the subject's fantasy, in order to respond to the fundamental articulation between demand and desire?; 3) Under what reason are the conjunctural elements taken in the structural perspective that compose what we understand by feminine in fantasy? Based on the assertion that society does not exist by itself, the feminine in fantasy could sustain the fantasy of a social order, by fulfilling the function of plugging the holes left by the dissymmetry between the subject and the social.

Partiendo del perceptible conflicto entre las determinaciones fantásticas de lo social referente a lo femenino y el deseo de la mujer como sujeto que llega a la clínica materializado en un profundo sufrimiento psíquico que parece incapaz de atravesar, nos cuestionamos: ¿cuáles serían los elementos de la escena social ensartadas en la fantasía que apuntan a lo que consideramos representaciones de lo femenino? Así, pretendemos articular el grafo del deseo en Lacan con la noción de fantasía social en Zizek para tratar de responder qué sería femenino en la fantasía, es decir, cómo la dialéctica del deseo y la noción de fantasía social pueden ayudarnos a comprender las construcciones fantasías femeninas. Para ello, nos valemos de una investigación teórica centrada en el texto lacaniano Subversión del sujeto y la dialéctica del deseo en el inconsciente freudiano (1960) y en el texto de Slavoj Zizek No saben lo que hacen - el objeto sublime de la ideología (1992), sin menospreciar, sin embargo, los comentadores de ambos teóricos mencionados. En esta perspectiva, este estudio desarrolló la articulación de los conceptos - fantasía, deseo, femenino y fantasía social- buscando organizarse a partir de tres interrogantes: 1) ¿De qué manera las elaboraciones de Zizek sobre la ideología como fantasía social nos ayudan a comprender la dialéctica del deseo? en Lacan?; 2) ¿Cómo el deseo del Otro, como social, permanece en la fantasía del sujeto, para responder a la articulación fundamental entre demanda y deseo?; 3) ¿Bajo qué razón se toman los elementos coyunturales en la perspectiva estructural que componen lo que entendemos por femenino en la fantasía? Partiendo de la afirmación de que la sociedad no existe por sí mismo, lo femenino en la fantasía podría sustentar la fantasía de un orden social, cumpliendo la función de tapar los agujeros dejados por la disimetría entre el sujeto y lo social.

The relationship between women's breastfeeding empowerment and conformity to feminine norms.

BACKGROUND: Women empowerment is effective in successful breastfeeding. Hence,identifying the relationship between psychosocial factors, such as acceptance of feminine norms, and empowerment can be beneficial in designing interventions.. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the relationship between breastfeeding empowerment and conformity to feminine norms. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 288 primiparous mothers in the postpartum period using validated questionnaires of conformity to gender norms and breastfeeding empowerment in the following domains: "sufficient knowledge and skills for breastfeeding," "a sense of breastfeeding competence," "conscious belief in the value of breastfeeding," "overcoming breastfeeding problems," "negotiation and obtaining family support" and "self-efficacy in breastfeeding" which were completed through the self-report method. Data were analyzed using the multivariate linear regression test. RESULTS: The mean score of 'conformity to feminine norms' and 'breastfeeding empowerment' were 142.39 and 144.14, respectively. The score of breastfeeding empowerment was positively related to conformity to feminine norms (p = 0.003). Among the dimensions of breastfeeding empowerment, 'mothers' adequate knowledge and skills for breastfeeding' (p = 0.001), 'belief in the value of breastfeeding' (p = 0.008), and 'negotiation and obtaining family support' (p = 0.01) were positively related to conformity to feminine norms. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate a positive relationship between the level of conformity to feminine norms and breastfeeding empowerment. Accordingly, it is recommended that supporting breastfeeding as a valuable role of women be considered in programs designed to improve breastfeeding empowerment.

Use of nasal tampons for on-field management of nasal bleeds (epistaxis) in sports.

In a medical setting, such as the treatment of post-operative nosebleeds, nasal packing, including the use of nasal packs, nasal plugs or nasal tampons (NTs), is widely used to temporarily control anterior epistaxis. Although some literature has documented the use of NTs as a quick, easy and temporary solution to deal with anterior epistaxis in sports-induced nasal injuries, additional research is needed to appreciate on-field versus off-field efficacy, as well as the efficiency of different brands of NTs and packing materials.

Who Do You Think You Are? A Personal Response to Adrienne Harris's "Gender as a Soft Assembly: Tomboys' Stories".

Two decades ago, Adrienne Harris published "Gender as a Soft Assembly," a refreshing, far-reaching paper that intertwines both traditional and cutting-edge psychoanalytic gender theory with anecdotes from Harris's own life as a tomboy in the 1970s. In broadening staid models of development, "Gender as a Soft Assembly" provides the potential for freedom, fluidity, and creativity as an antidote to the rigid, binary constructions of masculinity and femininity. In response, I've summarized the most striking aspects of her paper that coincidentally commingle with my having been a tomboy and offer an opportunity for a reconsideration of my own history.

The network structure of psychopathic personality traits in a community sample of young adult females.

Despite the growing body of research on the core characteristics of psychopathy, the potential gender differences in the expression and structuration of psychopathic traits have not received adequate attention. Aimed at testing the tacit supposition that the behavioral manifestations and structural architecture of this personality type as it can be observed in men are transposable to women, the present study investigated the network organization of psychopathic traits in a general population sample of young adult women (n=789; 18-20years old) who completed the Youth Psychopathic Traits Inventory - Short Version (YPI-S). We first estimated a network model based on the facets of the YPI-S. We then calculated centrality indices (i.e., strength, expected influence, closeness, and betweenness) in order to identify central and peripheral features of female psychopathy, and finally we performed a bootstrapping procedure to evaluate the accuracy of edge weights as well as the stability of the centrality indices. These last were quite stable and highlighted that unemotionality was the most central trait in the network, followed by manipulation, callousness, and dishonest charm. Our findings therefore corroborate previous results regarding the key contribution of affective characteristics and suggest that the so-called callous-unemotional traits are at the heart of psychopathy regardless of gender. But this research also emphasizes the cardinal role of interpersonal features (and especially manipulation tendencies) in female psychopathy. The centrality of the unemotionality facet-which is not found in male and/or mixed samples - lead us to discuss the links, in women, between psychopathic traits and emotional experience.