Do romantic partners' responses to entry dyspareunia affect women's experience of pain? : the roles of catastrophizing and self-efficacy.

Introduction Entry dyspareunia is a sexual health concern which affects about 21% of women in the general population. Characterized by pain provoked during vaginal penetration, introital dyspareunia has been shown by controlled studies to have a negative impact on the psychological well-being, sexual function, sexual satisfaction, and quality of life of afflicted women. Many cognitive and affective variables may influence the experience of pain and associated psychosexual problems. However, the role of the partner's cognitive responses has been studied very little. Aim The aim of the present study was to examine the associations between partners' catastrophizing and their perceptions of women's self-efficacy at managing pain on one side and women's pain intensity, sexual function, and sexual satisfaction on the other. Methods One hundred seventy-nine heterosexual couples (mean age for women = 31, SD = 10.0; mean age for men = 33, SD = 10.6) in which the woman suffered from entry dyspareunia participated in the study. Both partners completed quantitative measures. Women completed the Pain Catastrophizing Scale and the Painful Intercourse Self-Efficacy Scale. Men completed the significant-other versions of these measures. Main Outcome Measures Dependent measures were women's responses to (i) the Pain Numeric Visual Analog Scale; (ii) the Female Sexual Function Index; and (iii) the Global Measure of Sexual Satisfaction scale. Results Controlled for women's pain catastrophizing and self-efficacy, results indicate that higher levels of partner-perceived self-efficacy and lower levels of partner catastrophizing are associated with decreased pain intensity in women with entry dyspareunia, although only partner catastrophizing contributed unique variance. Partner-perceived self-efficacy and catastrophizing were not significantly associated with sexual function or satisfaction in women. Conclusions The findings suggest that partners' cognitive responses may influence the experience of entry dyspareunia for women, pointing toward the importance of considering the partner when treating this sexual health problem.

Activist Women's Voices Oral History Collection, 1995-2000 Finding Aid

The Activist Women's Voices Oral History Project, funded by AT&T, the Ford Foundation, the Ms. Foundation for Education and Communication, and the New York Council for Humanities, is committed to documenting the voices of unheralded activist women in community-based organizations in New York City. The archive was established in 1995 under the direction of Professors Joyce Gelb and Patricia Laurence with the aim of creating linkages between activist women in the New York City community and student and faculty researchers at the City University of New York.

All part of the hetero-normative? Women football fans` voices on players` sexual (mis)conduct

From interviews conducted in Victoria with women fans of Australian Rules Football, this paper examines their perceptions and rationalisations of alleged sexual misconduct by players. The paper is situated in the seeming contradiction of women avidly supporting male dominated sports despite players being implicated in misconduct against their gender. Women fans' voices about the reported misconduct are explored. These fall into two main categories that are referred to as the 'predatory female' and the 'rogue male' narratives. The former suggests that the sexual assertiveness of some women - the 'groupies' - unlocks men's primal sexuality. The latter points to footballers being immersed in a hyper-masculine sub-culture that predisposes them to treat women in an arbitrary, demeaning manner. The fans' voices, while condemning players' misconduct, suggest that predatory females, by actively seeking out footballers, become victims
because they trigger testosterone driven male responses. Rogue male behaviour is deprecated, but understood as stemming from masculine ways, accentuated by team bonding, that leads some individuals into misconduct, possibly as a means of emphasising their masculinity within their group. Explaining player misconduct in these ways enables fans to distance themselves from it and continue their passionate support of
football.

Gen Zeds: Arab women speaking with “still small voices”

The “Gen Zeds” of the title are female Emirati students in their early twenties at Zayed University who oscillate between the traditional Islamic culture of their families, and the highly mediated global culture they experience at university and on the Internet. In a typical week these women spend as much time on the Internet as they do in the combined activities of reading magazines, newspapers and books. They spend twice as much time on the Internet as they do watching television.

Gen zeds : Arab women speaking with 'still small voices'

The ‘Gen Zeds’ are female Emirati students in their early twenties at Zayed University who oscillate between the traditional Islamic culture of their families, and the highly mediated global culture they experience at university and on the Inter-net. These students come almost entirely from prosperous families. On graduation, they are expected to assume leadership positions in the United Arab Emirates – a country in transition – despite living in a society that recently has not permitted women roles beyond that of mother and homemaker. This article considers whether the lessons and experiences they encounter at university – and their intense exposure to a technology-mediated world – will equip them for life in a society radically different from that of their mothers, and whether their ‘still small voices’ will be heard in a new technology economy.

Voices from the margins? Women at the footy.

Based on focus group and single person interviews with women Australian rules football (AFL) supporters this paper explores the issue of how women articulate their support of a male dominated sport. We demonstrate that women supporters (widely overlooked in studies of sports) express their support of AFL with as much power and passion as is credited to male supporters. Moreover, women have formed about a half of AFL at-ground spectators for over a century with the historical record suggesting that the passion of their support was no less then than now. Yet to what extent have women supporters emerged from the metaphorical margins of AFL to appropriate distinctive spaces in their consumption of this sport? Using their voices and accounts of their at-ground actions, we argue that women fans perform an appropriation of supporting practice that is clearly gendered - in being a feminine discourse of support constructed by women - while giving the appearance of being genderless through their appropriation of discursive frames to legitimate their support of a male dominated sport. We conclude that in consuming football women fans perform doxic actions that reproduce, in leisure spaces, wider processes of gender inequality while, in a contradictory manner, contesting them through the appropriation of their own places in these spaces.

"BREAKING THROUGH THE SOFT SPOKEN STEREOTYPE: THE VOICES OF ASIAN WOMEN IN DOCTORAL PROGRAMS"

This panel session explores how the dynamics of race and gender within university settings influence Asian women’s experiences in graduate psychology programs.

Let their voices be heard: Understanding the barriers to seeking early prenatal care for low-income non-Hispanic Black women

Background: Receipt of early prenatal care, care during the first three months of pregnancy, is the standard in the United States. Sixty percent of non-Hispanic Black women who had a live birth in the Sunnyside community of Houston did not obtain early prenatal care in 2009. ^ This study's aims were to: 1) Describe the barriers to obtaining early prenatal care in non-Hispanic Black women who live in the Sunnyside community of Houston; and, 2) Describe the actions that could encourage non-Hispanic Black women who live in the Sunnyside Community to obtain early prenatal care. The goal was to provide information to organizations that promote early prenatal care use in non-Hispanic Black women in Harris County that may aid in developing interventions. ^ Methods: The Participatory Learning for Action rapid assessment qualitative method was used in a group setting to answer the research questions on behalf of women in the community. Women who participated in the group sessions also participated in an in-depth interview. Key informants who work in the community with pregnant women, or promote the use of prenatal care services, were also interviewed. An inductive analysis of the data was conducted to identify common themes that address the study's aims. ^ Results: Aim 1: Group participants identified fear of the reaction from family and/or the baby's daddy and shame, not having insurance or money, and lack of knowledge of the pregnancy and resources as the top three barriers to early prenatal care for women in the community. Aim 2: Group participants stated that to help women to overcome these barriers, communication, awareness and support; help, resources and services; and information and early education are needed. Participant in-depth interviewees echoed the themes of fear of the reaction from family and/or the baby's daddy and not knowing of the pregnancy. Key informants mentioned these themes as well, though not at the same priority level. Participants and key informants also mentioned similar themes for helping women to overcome barriers to early prenatal care. ^ Conclusion: A comprehensive approach is needed to improve early prenatal care use in the Sunnyside community. Education efforts must include all members of the community, young and old, to promote support for pregnant women. Community members must be a part of the process for developing education campaigns. Engaging the community builds a relationship with organizations that serve the community, which may promote use of the organizations' services, and build trust with the community. All efforts must be ongoing so that women and men of all ages in the community understand the importance of prenatal care and support women obtaining care early in the pregnancy.^

The broken troth : a legend of old Fort Union : a cantata for soprano and tenor solo with chorus, four-part, for women's voices /

"Op. 32."