... to the male or female gender) and sexual orientation are programmed or organized into our brain structures when we are still in the womb. However, since sexual differentiation of the genitals takes place in the first two months of pregnancy and sexual differentiation of the brain starts in the second half...

... Abstract Good sexual functioning is a part of overall well-being. Assessment of sexual functioning should be part of any complete psychosomatic assessment. The cornerstone of this assessment is a comprehensive clinical interview of the patient, with, if possible, collateral information obtained...

... Abstract The field of sexual trauma is one of the most controversial and value-laden in mental health. The three factors which most affect adult sexual desire and function are the type of sexual trauma, how the sexual incidents were dealt with at the time and, most important, whether the person...

... Abstract Sexuality is an important aspect of health across the lifespan and includes sex, gender identities, sexual orientation, intimacy, pleasure, reproduction, and free from coercion and discrimination. In 2010, individuals 50 years and older living with HIV in the US made up 8.5 per 100,000...

... Abstract Precocious puberty has been classically defined as the onset of sexual secondary characteristics in girls younger than 8 years and in boys younger than 9 years. The discovery of potential factors which trigger human puberty is one of the central mysteries of reproductive biology...

... Abstract Depot gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) analogs represent the first-line therapy in sexual precocity due to central precocious puberty. GnRH analogs desensitize the pituitary and account for the suppression of luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone leading...

... Abstract Same sex behavior is not infrequent among women in the USA and despite widespread prevalence of chlamydial infections, few data are available that describe its prevalence among these sexual minority communities. Recent studies indicate that some women who have sex with women (WSW...

... Abstract Bone mineral accretion during childhood and adolescence is subject to a number of influences, including body composition changes, sexual maturation and growth. Bone mass and density increase with age and vary by sex, so bone health must be evaluated like other growth outcomes, i.e...

... Abstract Sexual assault of women is a common worldwide problem, with such violence being perpetrated by women’s intimate partners as well as other types of persons (acquaintances, friends, family members other than partners, strangers). Not only does sexual assault pose physical health risks...

... Abstract Child sexual abuse is a common and devastating problem affecting as many as 15 to 30% of girls. Perpetrators of child sexual abuse are more likely to be male; most often someone known to the child. It is now well established that child sexual abuse is a non-specific risk factor...

... Abstract High rates of psychological distress and mental disorders have been documented in survivors of sexual violence in areas of armed conflict. The history of conflict-related sexual violence is a long one, but it was not until the 1990s that gender-based violence and in particular sexual...

... Abstract Sexual dysfunction in men and females is common and causes significant distress not only limited to sexual dissatisfaction, but also compromised quality of life. Research in sexual medicine has prompted clarity in terminology and definitions in order to conduct systematic studies...

... Abstract Sexual dysfunctions (SDs) are prevalent in men and are responsible for serious alterations in the quality of life. Both biological and psychological factors are intertwined in many cases. Psychological reactions to SDs often result in a vicious circle that perpetuates it. Erectile...

... Abstract Medical involvement in the diagnosis and treatment of child sexual abuse (CSA) has a well-defined role within a multidisciplinary concept. Due to the increasingly high rate of normal anogenital findings in victims of CSA, forensic aspects are of limited value in establishing...

... health, risk reduction, and sexual, psychological and clinical care of adolescents. How to help anticipate the dangers is to use preventive insurance verifying that security is guaranteed before committing. Risk-taking is accepting all the challenges that boost the self with oneself and with others...

... Abstract Sexual dysfunction (erectile dysfunction) is a common non-motor disorder in Parkinson’s disease (PD).In contrast to motor disorder, sexual dysfunction is often not responsive to levodopa treatment. Among brain pathologies, hypothalamic dysfunction is mostly responsible for the sexual...

... Abstract The diagnosis of sexual dysfunction(s) or disorder(s) is paramount to the development of the field of sexual medicine. Historically, the diagnoses of these disorders have been considered reliable. The validity of diagnoses of sexual disorders (and the rest of our classification systems...

... Abstract According to incentive motivation theory, sexual desire is the result of the interplay between a sensitive sexual response system and stimuli that activate the system. From this notion it follows that sexual desire is not a cause but a consequence of sexual arousal. The effects...

... Abstract Almost any diagnosis of cancer, but particularly those primarily affecting areas related to sexual function, can lead to sexual impairment. Multiple phases of sexuality are impacted, and various dysfunctions result. Both biological and psychosocial mechanisms are involved in sexual...