Because rape myths, or false beliefs about sexual violence victims and perpetrators, are theorised to be a root cause of sexual violence, sexual violence prevention programming often includes a focus on reducing acceptance of rape myths. To measure the acceptance of rape myths, a small number of quantitative scales that were developed in the 1980s or 1990s, or were adapted from these scales, are still commonly used. To avoid systematic bias in our knowledge-base about rape myths, up to date descriptive research is needed to explore the framing and content of rape myths. The current study addresses this need through an individual, interpretive analysis of the content and framing of rape myths in the 25 most popular songs on Billboard's year-end song charts from 2013 to 2023, which reflect the most popular songs in the USA. Out of 151 songs that met inclusion criteria, 70% included at least one rape myth. Results provide insights into which rape myths have been widely circulated via popular song lyrics and should therefore warrant a special focus in violence prevention programming. The discussion also provides recommendations for updates to existing scales for measuring rape myth acceptance.

Menstrual traditions vary significantly across regions and ethnic groups in India, although little is known about menstrual experiences within tribal communities. This study is the first to examine menstrual customs and lived experiences of tribal women living in rural southern Karnataka, specifically at the edges of Nagarahole and Bandipur National Parks. In-depth interviews were conducted with 28 women from four tribes across 18 villages. Transcripts were translated from Kannada to English and analysed using grounded theory. Findings reveal that members of the Betta Kuruba, Soliga, and Yerava tribes exhibited comparable menstrual practices, whereas Jenu Kuruba women adhered to slightly different and often more restrictive customs. Despite limited menstrual knowledge, attitudes towards menstruation across all four tribes were generally positive, with women largely rejecting notions of menstrual impurity. Mothers emphasised the importance of their daughters' ongoing schooling during menstruation and expressed a willingness to grant them autonomy in future menstrual decision-making. While these findings suggest a more positive perception of menstruation than is commonly found in India, they also underscore the need for targeted menstrual education. This study contributes to the limited scholarship on menstruation among tribal populations in India, offering insights for culturally responsive health interventions and policy decisions.

This article examines how male circumcision ceremonies in Türkiye are being reconfigured within digital platforms, focusing on their performative, affective, and gendered dimensions. Drawing on a purposive sampling of publicly accessible Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube posts (2022-2024), we analysed reels, captions, hashtags, comments, and visuals curated under culturally specific tags such as #sunnetdugunu (circumcision ceremony), #sunnet (circumcision), #sunnetannesi (circumcision mother) and #sunnetbabasi (circumcision father) #erkekligegiris (introduction to manhood). Findings reveal a gendered division of aesthetic and affective labour: mothers are positioned as the orchestrators of emotional intensity and visual spectacle; fathers embody restrained authority and patriarchal stability; and boys are staged as future masculine subjects through ceremonial attire, convoy displays, and performative rites of passage. Far from destabilising tradition, social media amplifies hegemonic masculinity and normative femininity by transforming family rituals into algorithmically visible spectacles.

The understanding and management of menstrual symptoms, including period pain, is informed by social, cultural and religious beliefs and practices. Much previous work on menstrual management in Australia has focused on Caucasian women. This study aimed to address this gap by exploring how cultural and religious discourses and practices impact on the knowledge, diagnosis and management of menstrual pain among Middle Eastern women living in Australia using a combination of cross-sectional survey and focus group data. A total of 75 survey respondents, and 12 focus group participants from Middle Eastern backgrounds, aged between 18 and 45, participated in the study. Thematic analysis found menstruation a taboo topic even for second-generation participants, with negative implications for experiences of menarche and menstrual literacy, often leading to difficulties with menstrual management. Cultural discourse surrounding premarital virginity impacted some women's understanding of menstrual disorders, limited the types of menstrual products used, and influenced treatment types to manage period pain. Women drew on a range of contemporary and culturally prescribed self-management strategies, including over the counter medications, heat, and traditional herbs. Increasing awareness of period pain through co-designed, culturally sensitive menstrual health promotion activities is crucial.

Infertility remains a contentious cultural and social issue in Nigeria, where reproductive competence for women is still entangled with femininity as well as acceptability in society. This study examined the effects of cultural beliefs, societal expectations, and gender in Nigerian (Nollywood) films portraying infertility, with special reference to stigma, psychological distress, and their effects. Results show that the films predominantly portray infertility as a problem of women, with portrayals being strongly influenced by societal expectations regarding motherhood. Female characters are frequently shown as emotionally distressed, facing social exclusion, and enduring intense pressure from their families and communities to meet dominant reproductive expectations. Films also display a negative attitude towards the use of assisted reproduction technologies, such as fertilisation and surrogacy. These representations reflect current gendered realities and reinforce the operation of patriarchy as a system of power that maintains male dominance and female subordination. From a sociocultural and feminist perspective, the study points to the need for future Nollywood narratives to move beyond these complex and often limiting representations towards more equitable portrayals of gender and power.

Sugar relationships, defined as contractual arrangements between older individuals (sugar daddies or mommies) and younger counterparts (sugar babies), often involve financial support in exchange for companionship. This study explores the dynamics of sugar relationships from the perspective of sugar babies in Tehran, Iran. A qualitative methodology utilising content analysis was employed. Participants were recruited purposive snowball sampling. Semi-structured interviews conducted with twelve sugar babies (six women and six men) between September 2023 to February 2024. Data analysis was informed by Granheim and Lundman's inductive content analysis method and resulted in the identification of three major themes (1) reflections on experience: motivations and personal journeys, which describes the motivations and experiences of sugar babies; (2) seeking greater satisfaction with fewer responsibilities, detailing sugar babies definitions of their relationships; and (3) sugar relationships as conflicting experiences, addressing societal judgements and the internal conflicts faced by sugar babies. Findings revealed that participants engage in these relationships to enhance personal satisfaction and seek a less burdensome path in life. Sugar relationships are consensual arrangements often involving financial transactions and sexual activities, challenging traditional perceptions and positioning themselves as a new form of sex work.

Abortion has been a common experience for Irish women for decades, despite being illegal in most circumstances in Ireland until the implementation of the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018 on 1 January 2019. Cultural attitudes to abortion in Ireland are fraught with stigma, secrecy, and shame. However, little attention has been given to the nature of psychotherapeutic work with women in Ireland who have had an abortion. In this study, semi-structured interviews were used to explore six psychotherapists' experiences of working with women who had had an abortion and had sought psychotherapeutic professional help. A reflexive thematic analysis generated three themes conveying the importance of therapists' self-reflection, which enabled a tender, considered and congruent approach to the complex nature of the work, and honoured the needs of the client. The findings do not suggest a pathologising view of abortion but provide insights into the needs of women who have had an abortion and have sought psychotherapeutic support. Findings can inform the psychotherapeutic care for women who have had an abortion and have been psychologically affected by their abortion experiences.

In the USA, sexual-minority women experience disparities in healthcare access, quality, and outcomes, shaped by entanglements of gender/sex, sexuality, and institutional norms. While intersectionality has been central to understanding these structural inequities, it does not always account for the shifting, situational nature of how identifications develop in specific encounters. Drawing on identitarian articulations theory, this study explores how sexual-minority women's identifications are differentially activated across healthcare settings. Based on in-depth interviews with fifteen US-based sexual-minority women aged 31 to 73 years, the analysis reveals how identifications materialise through intra-actions with human and non-human elements, including provider attitudes, spatial arrangements, medical protocols, and affective atmospheres. Findings highlight five analytic advantages of this approach: capturing the contingency of identifications, recognising non-human elements, accounting for differential articulation, emphasising affective dimensions, and expanding intervention possibilities. This perspective moves beyond static identity frameworks and individual-level solutions, offering a flexible, relational model for understanding and transforming healthcare practices and environments.

Some recent literature suggests that homophobia may be declining within men's football in the UK. This may be due to increased internationalisation and internet use, together with the impact of feminism and LGBTQ+ prominence in the wider society. However, in contrast, the continued presence of homophobic language in some football-related settings suggests the persistence of indirect biases. This study aimed to develop an understanding of the circumstances in which homophobia might persist in modern UK football and add to the current body of research surrounding in-group bias and team identification. 105 participants who identified as supporters of Everton, Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City or another Northwest England football club, took part in a study measuring self-reported attitudes in a mixed factorial design. Participants demonstrated more negative attitudes towards homosexuality when asked about football-based than general life-based scenarios. Individuals also displayed more negative views towards perceived gay members of rival clubs than members of their own club, displaying in-group bias. Participants were significantly more likely to display negative attitudes by participating in homophobic chants inside football grounds, than sending homophobic messages X/Twitter, suggesting that sports-based homophobic biases may be particularly prevalent in contexts of rivalry and anonymity.

China has experienced changes in family planning policies and is currently undergoing a population decline. This study investigated not only whether the mothers of young children intend to have a second birth but also their perceptions and experiences related to this decision-making through 40 in-depth semi-structured interviews. At the time of the interviews, the sample mainly comprised parous women with one living biological child under six years old, along with women pregnant with their first child, in Guizhou and Shanghai, China. Study findings revealed that three decades of implementing the one-child policy have caused ideational changes in reproductive behaviours in Chinese mothers, many of whom prioritise self-achievement and self-realisation nowadays, while also adhering to traditional values such as gender-role divisions and son preference. The legacies of the one-child policy, along with the clash between new and traditional cultural values, influence mothers' intentions to have a second child in China. Policymakers should consider the role of cultural and political factors in influencing second-child fertility intentions among women in China.

The objective of this study was to understand aromantic peoples' experiences of intra-community discrimination within the Queer community. Methods included thematic analysis of open-ended data, drawn from a convenience sample of aromantic individuals from a cross-sectional, online, international survey. Thematic analysis led to the identification of three themes. The first elucidated how discrimination against aromantic people within the Queer community is so prevalent that those who have not experienced it consider themselves lucky. A second theme centred on discriminatory attitudes which were largely governed by ignorance and misunderstanding about aromanticism and worked to exclude aromantic people from fuller participation within the Queer community. The third theme explained how intra-community discrimination causes some aromantic people to disengage from the Queer community. Discrimination faced by aromantic people within the Queer community has negative implications for mental health and wellbeing within aromantic communities. Aromantic people, as well as members of the wider Queer community, stand to benefit from efforts to ensure aromantic people are included and affirmed within the Queer community.

This study examined how adolescents in Rural Tanzania navigate social norms governing their access to Sexual and Reproductive Health Services. Informed by Giddens' Structuration Theory, we adopted a qualitative case study approach. Data were collected between March and June 2025 through 60 in-depth interviews and six focus group discussions (two in each ward) with adolescents and young people aged 14-19, as well as with six healthcare workers in Nyasa District. Thematic analysis, guided by Braun and Clarke's six-step framework, revealed three interrelated patterns of agency: norm reproduction, norm resistance, and norm negotiation. Adolescents and young people reproduced dominant norms by prioritising social acceptance through social conformity and behavioural self-regulation in line with community expectations, resistance through discreet strategies such as covert clinic visits, and norm negotiation by balancing compliance with selective access to services. In a context marked by rural poverty, intergenerational authority, and stigmatising gender expectations, adolescents actively navigated constraints while seeking to maintain dignity and community belonging. This study contributes to scholarship on social norms and adolescent health by advancing a nuanced understanding of how young people exercise agency within a restrictive cultural context. It also offers practical insights into culturally responsive interventions that move beyond policy rhetoric to address lived realities.

This study explored how risk in the context of sexual health is conceptualised in research related to gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men during a period of major biomedical change, including the scale-up of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and the Undetectable = Untransmittable (U = U) campaign, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. A systematic search across Medline (OVID), CINAHL, and Scopus identified studies published and/or with data collected between 2015 and 2020, from high-income countries in the Global North. A novel saturation-based approach, adapted from qualitative research, was used to determine when no new implicit or explicit conceptualisations of risk were evident. Ten initial papers were reviewed, followed by sets of three, stopping after saturation was reached at 24 papers. The word 'risk' appeared 722 times across included studies. Hundreds of distinct implicit and explicit conceptualisations were identified and grouped according to five interconnected dimensions: health outcomes, and their focus on biomedical, behavioural, interpersonal, and individual factors. Findings highlight the pervasive yet variable use of 'risk' in the sexual health literature, which may hinder clear communication between researchers, clinicians, and service users. Study findings support calls for the use of more precise language.

Drawing upon 46 interviews with respondents who had medication abortions in Mississippi in 2021 or 2022, I explore retrospective perceptions of medication and procedural abortion. Respondents saw medication abortion as akin to a `natural' miscarriage, and offered greater comfort, privacy, and control over both the abortion experience and practical considerations like travel costs. When asked if they would have preferred procedural abortions, respondent accounts invoked information gleaned online and from family and friends, explicit fears of surgery and pain, and perceived risks of psychological trauma and medical complications. These factors made a hypothetical procedural abortion undesirable to the point that some respondents had opted for a contraindicated medication abortion over procedural abortion. Other respondents reported they would have forgone abortion altogether if medication abortion had not been available. I conclude by considering how my findings support and expand upon earlier studies and what misinformation about procedural abortion may mean in a post- world.

Research has identified various drivers that have resulted in the over-medicalisation of pregnancy monitoring and birthing practices in Taiwan. Other women's health concerns beyond reproduction, however, remain under studied. To address this gap, this study explored women's and healthcare professionals' experiences and perceptions of gynaecological care at Taiwanese healthcare facilities. Interviews were conducted with gynaecologists, obstetrics and gynaecology nurses, and women who had experienced a pelvic examination at a Taiwanese obstetrics and gynaecology department. A thematic analysis of their narratives demonstrates that pelvic examinations are underused for a variety of reasons driven by different actors, policies and conceptualisations of modern medicine and women's health, many of which reflect those that contribute to an over-medicalisation of reproduction. This over-medicalisation of reproduction, together with the under-medicalisation of gynaecological health, reveals the extent to which women's health is equated with reproduction in the Taiwanese healthcare system and wider society. This phenomenon poses risks to women's health due to both excessive intervention in reproductive processes alongside the underdiagnosis and misdiagnosis of other health concerns unrelated to reproduction.

Young, Black sexual minority men in the Southern USA experience disproportionately high HIV incidence rates, which have been linked to intersectional stigma. Interventions centred on social capital - the sum of all resources gained through social relationships - can reduce stigma and facilitate use of HIV prevention methods, including pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). We sought to understand the social capital bonds between young, Black sexual minority men and Black women to inform a social network-based PrEP intervention in the US South. We conducted 30 semi-structured, in-depth interviews with members of both groups. Interviews were thematically analysed using a team-based approach. Men described receiving support from family, friends and significant others; mothers were discussed most frequently. Men most highly valued culturally tailored emotional support. Women described providing emotional and health support to young sexual minority men, however, several also shared perspectives exhibiting homophobic biases that were consistent with men's experiences of stigma within their support systems. These findings suggest that while Black women can serve as important sources of support for young, Black sexual minority men, homonegativity among some women may weaken their social capital bonds with these men. Future interventions should address such biases with theory-informed education and other actions prior to implementation.

A significant unmet need for family planning exists among Zambian adolescent women aged 15-24. This study investigated knowledge, attitudes and behaviours regarding contraception use and associated barriers with obtaining contraception, among a group of female university students in Lusaka, Zambia. A descriptive qualitative study was conducted using focus-group discussions (FGDs). Through a preliminary online survey, enrolled university students indicated interest in attending FGDs to discuss sexual and reproductive health perceptions, attitudes and behaviours, including contraception use. FGDs were audio-recorded, transcribed and thematically analysed. Thirty-four female students participated in five FGDs. A key theme of frequent emergency contraception (EC) use emerged as a preferred pregnancy prevention method owing to its convenience, affordability and discretion. Barriers to accessing long-term, more reliable contraception methods included premarital sex stigma, healthcare workers' refusal to provide contraceptives, fears of contraceptive use judgement and misconceptions about side effects of other methods. Findings highlight favourable EC use among female university students over more reliable contraception options owing to significant health system and societal barriers. Differentiated service delivery methods, youth-friendly spaces and improved education to destigmatise contraception are needed in Zambia to mitigate high rates of unintended pregnancies for this vulnerable population.

This article explores the cultural meanings of romantic relationships among youth in excluded Roma settlements in Slovakia. Moving beyond pathologising narratives on early pregnancy and domestic violence, we centre the voices of 24 Roma young people aged 18-22, using constructivist qualitative analysis and member-checking with three participants. Through analysis, we created four themes. The first (Grown-up in a Day) frames romantic relationships followed by early parenthood as pivotal markers of adulthood, bringing stability, respect, and autonomy. The second theme (Don't Give In) explores community norms that tightly regulate female behaviour, with decency and secrecy constructed as essential for respectability and romantic success. The third theme (Fate Based on Gender) concerns a discourse whereby womanhood is equated with motherhood, and pregnancy, though unintended, is an irreversible step towards fulfilling a culturally expected role. The fourth theme (Protection from Ever-Present Danger) presents constructions of the marginalised, segregated settlements as dangerous, with parents enforcing protective measures to prevent harm, especially unplanned pregnancy and/or abusive relationships. Despite strong social norms, some participants develop forms of resistance such as voluntary singlehood or rethinking motherhood. Opposing strict gender norms may support greater individual autonomy within relationships and broader efforts to combat social exclusion and discrimination.

This study examined how Vietnamese gay men negotiate sexuality, kinship, and emotional health during their educational studies in Thailand. Drawing on narrative interviews with ten participants and informed by theories of negotiated authenticity, performativity, and affective belonging, it conceptualises queer identity work as a relational, health-preserving practice rather than a linear 'coming-out' trajectory. Participants described studying abroad as an emotional breathing space from family pressured while also confronting new vulnerabilities shaped by class, national identity, and Thai cultural norms - including restrained public displays of affection and a 'regime of images' that calibrate visibility. Selective disclosure emerged as a key strategy for reducing shame and conflict, maintaining kin ties, and protecting concentration while at university. Kinship obligations grounded in filial duty continued to organise belonging across borders, producing partial openings in the form of episodic moments of recognition and safety without categorical liberation. The research extends lifespan and context-sensitive queer identity models by specifying how affective belonging operates in intra-Asian mobility and by foregrounding its implications for wellbeing. Policy and practice recommendations follow from the findings. Culturally attuned counselling, peer-led support, confidentiality safeguards, and referral pathways can translate affective belonging into institutional arrangements that sustain students' mental health alongside academic success.

Little is known about the influence of culture or membership of a minoritised group, on the sexual health of women with cancer. The goal of this study was to explore sexual health and relationship experiences of diverse women cancer survivors. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eleven partnered women surviving cancer who self-identified as members of a minoritised group, including sexual minorities, immigrants, and women of colour, with ages ranging from 28 to 64 years. Just over half the participants had had breast cancer ( = 7; 63%). Data were subjected to interpretive thematic analysis. Themes and subthemes are developed under four main headings: 1) sexual influencers prior to cancer experience; 2) impacts of diagnosis and treatment on relationships, sex and sexuality; 3) bodily impacts after cancer treatment; and 4) survivors and partners navigating discussions of sex. Perceptions and behaviours related to sexual health and intimacy were influenced by family, religion, culture, and social structures among women surviving cancer. Sexual health is an integral part of cancer survivorship care and because of this, services should be tailored to meet the sexual health needs of diverse women.

Given asexuality's invisibility, online communities have a crucial role to play in supporting, sharing experiences, and fostering identity development for asexual individuals. In China, sexual minorities often face conflicts between their identity and societal expectations rooted in family-oriented norms. This study analyses posts from the 'Asexual Tieba' (an online forum) in China to explore the specific challenges and struggles faced by asexual individuals in their everyday lives, as well as the interrelationships between these challenges in online spaces. A total of 1,924 topic posts were analysed, resulting in the identification of 141 codes and the identification of four main themes. The four themes, ranked by prevalence, were: asexual identity (49.1%); values surrounding marriage and parenthood (36.8%); stress and mental health (33.3%); and sexual and romantic patterns (29.0%). Network analysis revealed that the code 'identity confusion' was closely associated with concerns about sexual contact and related problems, while the code 'confirmation of asexual identity' was strongly linked to issues surrounding marriage and societal expectations. These findings highlight the struggles faced by Chinese asexual individuals in reconciling their sexual identity with societal pressures related to marriage and childbearing.