Online Dating Experiences of LGBTQ+ Emerging Adults With Disabilities

Maternal, fetal and neonatal outcomes among pregnant women with arthrogryposis multiplex congenita: a scoping review

BACKGROUND

The rarity of pregnancies in women with arthrogryposis multiplex congenita (AMC) could lead to healthcare providers having limited exposure to these cases. Consequently, they may be less familiar with the possibilities and challenges associated with pregnancies in women affected by AMC. AMC is an umbrella term for a disorder with multiple contractures at birth, having a broad spectrum of causes, onset and severity of expression. A clinical classification describing the phenotype is Group 1 with primary limb involvement, Group 2 with musculoskeletal involvement plus other system anomalies, and Group 3 with musculoskeletal involvement plus central nervous system dysfunction and/or intellectual disability. A scoping review was conducted to review available literature on documented cases of pregnancies in women with AMC, with the following aims: (1) to outline the maternal, fetal and neonatal outcomes; (2) to describe AMC stability during and after pregnancy (worsening of symptoms due to contractures, increased muscle weakness, pain or lung involvement); and (3) to summarize counselling aspects during pregnancy for expecting mothers who have AMC.

RESULTS

This scoping review included 27 manuscripts reporting on 43 women with 82 pregnancies, of whom 18 in Group 1, 20 in Group 2, 2 in Group 3, and 3 with an unknown type. Details on pregnancy-related outcomes could be depicted from 26 of the 43 women concerning 31 pregnancies. Among these pregnancies, 74% (23/31) had a cesarean section delivery, of which 74% (17/23) were elective. Children were born preterm before week 37 in 7 of 31 pregnancies (22%). A birth weight below the 10th percentile was seen in 6 of the 24 (25%) with a reported birth weight. The course of the pregnancy was uneventful in 16 of the 26 women (62%). Pregnancy had a limited negative influence on AMC stability except for three cases with a transient worsening of lung function.

CONCLUSIONS

Gathering the information of the case histories revealed that the majority of the reported women had Distal Arthrogryposis with stable AMC during pregnancy and after delivery. The risk to have a cesarean section, preterm labour or a small for gestational age child is higher in this group than in the general population. Insights obtained by this review emphasized to offer (pre)pregnancy counselling and care by a multidisciplinary team tailored to the women's type of AMC, to ensure optimal preparation for both obstetric, genetic, neurologic, pulmonary and anesthetic care during pregnancy, delivery and postpartum period.

Research methods at the intersection of gender diversity and autism: A scoping review

LAY ABSTRACT

Research has increasingly focused on the intersection between gender diversity and autism. To better understand this literature, this scoping review systematically searched five databases for peer-reviewed literature on gender diversity and autism published between 2018 and 2023. Included studies (N = 84) were of English language, featured original qualitative or quantitative findings, and examined a psychosocial connection between autism and gender spectra variables. Most studies focused on measuring prevalence of autism among gender-diverse individuals. While the overall study rigor was acceptable, weaknesses in measurement, sample selection, and definition of key terms were noted. Promisingly, studies in this area appear to be shifting away from a pathologizing lens and towards research methods that engage in meaningful collaboration with the autistic, gender-diverse community to investigate how to best enhance the quality of life and wellbeing of this population.

The intersectional social patterning of early-COVID-era digital intimacies among transgender and gender-diverse young adults: effects on peri-pandemic sexual decision-making

Interactive communications technologies facilitate identity formation and socio-sexual connection among transgender and gender-diverse young people. However, within their communities, variations in technology use along ethno-racial, sexual and gendered lines, and as facilitators of sexual resilience during the early COVID-19 pandemic, remain under-studied. Among N = 230 transgender and gender-diverse young adults, surveyed between October 2020 and September 2021, latent class analyses characterised participants by preferred functional affordances, such as finding dates, sex and friends (Model 1), and by simultaneous account-keeping across social, dating and 'hookup' apps (Model 2). Werron and Ringel's typology of pandemic practices characterised qualitative descriptions of sexual decision-making attributed to COVID-19. Both fit indices favoured two-class solutions. Model 1 detected an n = 89, 43% 'high interactive communications technologies-enabled intimacy' (versus 'low technology-enabled intimacy') class, in which digitally mediated friendships, dates, sexual encounters and gay/lesbian sexualities, predominated. An n = 38, 17% 'high socio-sexual polymedia' (versus 'low polymedia') class in Model 2 was characterised by simultaneous social media, 'hookup' and dating app usage. 'High' subgroups saw statistically significant reductions in sexual partners, with the high polymedia class also associated with reductions in HIV testing. Qualitative results contextualised these reductions as, predominantly, 'responsive' pandemic practices: reactions to stay-at-home orders.

Dating in the Digital Age: A Content Analysis of Dating Websites Designed for Disabled People

In our current collective sexual sphere, a range of digital sexual fields, such as mobile applications and dating websites, provide new opportunities for sexual actors to meet partners, negotiate their self-presentation, and explore niche desires. This exploratory qualitative study examines online dating websites catered to disabled people to understand the language and imagery employed in these niche sexual fields. Drawing on a sexual fields framework (Green, 2014), this article analyzed 26 dating websites through a content analysis. Websites emphasized the narrative of disabled people overcoming isolation and accessibility barriers. Many websites also promoted the idea that their platform eased the uncomfortable task of disclosing one’s impairment and would improve their overall quality of life. Digital sexual fields can be vital for these individuals who often face social isolation and inaccessibility. We provide insights into how disability is constructed through language in disability-focused dating websites. These websites (re)produce particular (and sometimes dominant) conceptualizations of disability. This is important as language and images used in digital sexual fields can impact constructions of disabled sexualities.