Introduction: Little is known about the impact of the coronavirus on sexual behavior, function, and satisfaction.
Aim: The aim of the present study was to systematically review people's sexual function and behaviors and their changes in sexual activities during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods: Comprehensive searches in PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus were conducted with keywords in accordance with MeSH terms: COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, coronavirus, sexual health, sexual function, sexual dysfunctions, sexuality, sexual orientation, sexual activities, and premarital sex. Two reviewers independently assessed full-text articles according to predefined criteria: original design, English studies, and investigating either the general population or sexual minorities.
Results: Risk of bias in the studies was assessed by the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale, and data were pooled via random effects meta-analyses. We utilized the standardized mean difference to evaluate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on sexual activity, functioning, and satisfaction. We included 19 studies in the analysis and 11 studies in the meta-analysis, with a sample size of 12 350. To investigate sexual activity changes, a sample size of 8838 was entered into the subgroup analysis, which showed a significant decrease in both genders (5821 women, < .033; 3017 men, < .008). A subgroup meta-analysis showed that the sexual function of men and women during the COVID-19 pandemic significantly declined (3974 women, < .001; 1427 men, < .001). Sexual desire and arousal decreased in both genders, though mainly in women. In investigating sexual satisfaction changes during the COVID-19 pandemic, a meta-analysis with a sample size of 2711 showed a significant decrease ( < .001). The most indicative changes in sexual behaviors during the pandemic were the increase in masturbating and usage of sex toys. Greater COVID-19 knowledge was associated with lower masturbation, oral sex, and vaginal sex. The more protective behaviors were associated with less hugging, kissing, cuddling, genital touching, watching porn with a partner, and vaginal sex.
Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic led to increased challenges and changes for individuals' sexual behaviors. Efforts for preventive strategies should therefore be concentrated between pandemics, while ensuring that there is information available to the population during a pandemic for help in times of psychological distress or crisis.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
---|---|
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10037164 | PMC |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/sexmed/qfad005 | DOI Listing |
Int J Integr Care
December 2024
Changi General Hospital, Singhealth, Singapore.
This study documents the experience of implementing an adaptation of the Hospital-at-Home (HaH) model to alleviate the constraints in available hospital beds and manpower amid a surge in infection rates in Singapore during the Omicron and XBB COVID waves, addressing challenges and proposing insights for scalable implementation. HaH substitutes inpatient hospitalizations by leveraging existing community healthcare services and remote healthcare technologies. This HaH adaptation was designed to be activated in during surges and deactivated when bed and manpower demands stabilize, making it less intensive on hospital resources.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Integr Care
December 2024
Discipline of Occupational Therapy, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland.
Background: Social prescribing link workers support patients to connect with community resources to improve their health and well-being. These roles are prominent in policy, but there is limited evidence on what support is provided by link workers and what factors influence implementation of link worker interventions.
Methods: A convergent, mixed methods process evaluation of an exploratory randomised trial of a one-month general practice-based link worker intervention targeting adults with multimorbidity in deprived areas.
CHEST Crit Care
December 2024
Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care (G. L. A.), University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA; the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine (S. M. S.), University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY; the Department of Anaesthesia and Critical Care (A. R., Z. F., and M. T. D. S.), Greys Hospital, KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health, the Department of Anaesthesia and Critical Care (J. I.), Harry Gwala Regional Hospital, KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health, Pietermaritzburg, the Department of Anaesthesia and Critical Care (R. D. W. and M. T. D. S.), School of Clinical Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa; the Faculty Medicine and Pharmacy (R. D. W.), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium; and the Department of Intensive Care (R. D. W.), John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford University Trust Hospitals, Oxford, England.
Background: A proposed new global definition of ARDS seeks to update the Berlin definition and account for nonintubated ARDS and ARDS diagnoses in resource-variable settings.
Research Question: How do ARDS epidemiologic characteristics change with operationalizing the new global definition of ARDS in a resource-limited setting?
Study Design And Methods: We performed a real-use retrospective cohort study among adult patients meeting criteria for the Berlin definition of ARDS or the global definition of ARDS at ICU admission in two public hospitals in the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health, South Africa, from January 2017 through June 2022.
Results: Among 5,760 adults (aged ≥ 18 years) admitted to the ICU, 2,027 patients (35.
Cytotechnology
February 2025
Laboratory LR11ES45, Research Group"Biotechnology and Pathology", National School of Engineers of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia.
The clinical evidence, complications and the pathogenesis of COVID-19 are not clearly understood. In COVID-19 patients, cellular immune response biomarkers and oxidative stress parameters have been used as gravity markers. Indeed, oxidative stress has been proposed to play an essential role in the genesis of COVID-19.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCureus
December 2024
Colorectal Surgery, Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust, Torbay, GBR.
Telemedicine in surgical care has undergone rapid advancements in recent years, leveraging technologies such as telerobotics, artificial intelligence (AI) diagnostics, and wearable devices to facilitate remote evaluation and monitoring of patients. These innovations have improved access to care, reduced costs, and enhanced patient satisfaction. However, significant challenges remain, including technical barriers, limited tactile feedback in telesurgery, and inequities arising from digital literacy and infrastructure gaps.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!