Associations between sexual health and well-being: a systematic review.

Objective: To investigate the associations between sexual health dimensions, and overall health and well-being.

Methods: In February 2024, we systematically searched Scopus, PsyArticles, PsycINFO®, PubMed®, Web of Science and LILACS for articles reporting on associations between sexual health, health and well-being indicators. We applied no language restrictions and followed the 2020 Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines.

Evaluating the User Experience of a Smartphone-Delivered Sexual Health Promotion Program for Older Adults in the Netherlands: Single-Arm Pilot Study.

Background: Sexual health is an important component of quality of life in older adults. However, older adults often face barriers to attaining a fulfilling sexual life because of issues such as stigma, lack of information, or difficult access to adequate support.

Objective: We aimed to evaluate the user experience of a self-guided, smartphone-delivered program to promote sexual health among older adults.

Promoting Sexual Health in Colorectal Cancer Patients and Survivors: Results from a Systematic Review.

Background: Colorectal cancer diagnosis and treatment negatively impact sexual health. However, there is still a lack of interventions targeting the sexual healthcare needs of colorectal cancer patients and survivors. This systematic review aimed to identify and summarize the efficacy of available psychological interventions aimed at improving colorectal cancer patients' and survivors' sexual health.

Validation of the Portuguese version of the supportive care needs survey short-form questionnaire (SCNS-SF34-Pt) and the breast cancer supplementary module (SCNS-BR8-Pt).

Objective: This study aimed to test the psychometric properties of the Portuguese Supportive Care Needs Survey-Short Form-34 (SCNS-SF34-Pt) and its breast cancer-specific complementary module (SCNS-BR8-Pt). A further aim was to characterize Portuguese Breast Cancer Survivors' (BCS) unmet supportive care needs, using these measures.

Methods: A convenient sample of BCS was recruited from five hospitals in Portugal and invited to complete SCNS-SF34-Pt and SCNS-BR8-Pt, EORTCQLQC30 and QLQBR23, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and the Patient Health-Questionnaire.

Psychometric Validation of the Portuguese Version of the Sexual Self-Consciousness Scale (SSCS).

The Sexual Self-Consciousness Scale (SSCS) is an instrument for assessing dispositional propensities for self-consciousness experienced in a sexual context, with wide application in both clinical and research settings. The objective of the current study was to test some psychometric characteristics of the Portuguese version of the SSCS using a convenience sample of 210 men and 210 women. Participants completed a sociodemographic questionnaire and the Portuguese version of the SSCS.

A Smartphone-Delivered Program (Anathema) to Promote the Sexual Health of Older Adults, Colorectal Cancer Survivors, and Stroke Survivors: Protocol for a Feasibility Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Despite the prevalence of sexual distress and dysfunction in older adults in general and stroke and colorectal cancer survivors in particular, access to specialized care is limited by organizational barriers and stigma, embarrassment, and discrimination. The internet allows reaching services that would otherwise be difficult or impossible to reach, and as smartphones are personal (intimate) technologies, they are a promising vehicle to close this gap. However, research focusing on smartphone-delivered sexual health promotion programs is scarce.

A systematic review on the efficacy of CBT interventions for the mental and sexual health of survivors of prostate cancer.

Introduction: Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second-most frequently diagnosed oncologic condition among biological men, affecting physical and psychological well-being, as well as sexual health and quality of life. Prior research has shown that cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) can be effective in addressing a range of psychological and sexual problems but also in improving the sexual and mental health of survivors of PCa.

Objectives: This systematic review aimed to methodically research and summarize results concerning the efficacy of CBT in the mental and sexual health of survivors of PCa.

Tip of the iceberg: erectile dysfunction and COVID-19.

The novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 caused the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic that resulted in more than 150 million infections and 3.5 million deaths globally. COVID-19 affected men more than women, emerging with more severe disease and higher mortality rates.

Sexual Inhibition and Sexual Excitation Profiles in Men with and Without Erectile Disorder.

Objective: To investigate sexual excitation (SE) and sexual inhibition (SI) profiles in men with erectile dysfunction (ED) and to examine how these dimensions discriminate between men with and without ED.

Methods: A clinical sample of 37 men with situational (psychogenic) ED and a control group of 40 sexually healthy men (matching the clinical group in age, marital status, and educational level) were constituted. Participants completed self-reported questionnaires assessing sexual function and the propensity for SI and SE.

The role of anterior and posterior insula in male genital response and in visual attention: an exploratory multimodal fMRI study.

Several studies highlighted the role of insula on several functions and in sexual behavior. This exploratory study examines the relationships among genital responses, brain responses, and eye movements, to disentangle the role played by the anterior and posterior insula during different stages of male sexual response and during visual attention to sexual stimuli. In 19 healthy men, fMRI, eye movement, and penile tumescence data were collected during a visual sexual stimulation task.

Validation of the Sexual Inhibition and Sexual Excitation Scales (SIS/SES) in Portugal: Assessing Gender Differences and Predictors of Sexual Functioning.

The Sexual Inhibition and Sexual Excitation Scales (SIS/SES) were developed to assess individual propensities for sexual excitation and sexual inhibition in men and women. The objective of the present study was to validate the Portuguese version of the SIS/SES and to investigate the degree to which SIS/SES scores predict different dimensions of Portuguese men's and women's sexual functioning. Gender differences were also examined.

Affective and cognitive determinants of women's sexual response to erotica.

Introduction: The specific cognitive-affective mechanisms involved in the activation and regulation of the subjective and genital components of sexual arousal are not fully understood yet.

Aim: The aim of the present study was to investigate the contribution of self-reported thoughts and affect to the prediction of women's subjective and genital responses to erotica.

Methods: Twenty-eight sexually functional women (mean age = 32, SD = 6.

Prevalence of sexual problems in Portugal: results of a population-based study using a stratified sample of men aged 18 to 70 years.

Despite the use of different methodologies, target populations, and clinical definitions of sexual problems, recent epidemiological studies have shown that the occurrence of sexual difficulties is a very common experience among men from the general population regardless of their age. The objective of this study was to present epidemiological data on the prevalence of sexual difficulties in a community sample of 650 sexually active Portuguese men, stratified by age, marital status, and educational level. Participants completed a self-reported questionnaire assessing sexual function in the previous four weeks (International Index of Erectile Function).

Early maladaptive schemas and sexual dysfunction in men.

The objective of the present study was to investigate the role played by early maladaptive schemas (EMS) on male sexual functioning and clarify the way these nuclear cognitive structures discriminate men with and without sexual dysfunction. A total of 242 men participated in the study (a community sample of 200 men and a clinical sample of 42 men with a DSM-IV diagnosis of sexual dysfunction). The community sample was divided into a control group (n=147) and a sub-clinical group (n=53), according to the cutoff scores of the International Index of Erectile Dysfunction (Rosen et al.

TheInternational Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-15): psychometric properties of the Portuguese version.

Introduction: The International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) is a brief, reliable, and multidimensional scale for assessing sexual function in men in both research and clinical trials.

Aim: The objective of the present study was to determine the psychometric properties of the Portuguese version of the IIEF.

Methods: A total of 1,363 Portuguese men participated in this study (a clinical sample of 37 men and a community sample of 1,326 men).

Personality traits and psychopathology on male sexual dysfunction: an empirical study.

Introduction: The importance of the role played by personality variables in the etiology, development, and maintenance of most emotional disorders is strongly supported by empirical data. However, there is a lack of studies concerning the implication of these variables on sexual difficulties.

Aim: The purpose of the present study was to investigate the role played by personality dimensions and psychopathology on male sexual functioning as well as to clarify the way these variables discriminate men with and without sexual dysfunction.