The perceived social rejection of sexual minorities: Substance use and unprotected sexual intercourse

The Presence and Effects of the Sexual Double Standard Regarding Condom Use Among Chinese Adults: The Moderating Effects of Gender and Condom Use Power

The current set of two studies examined the presence and effects of the sexual double standard regarding condom use in China. Study 1 (between-subjects experiment) examined the existence of traditional sexual double standard in people's attitudes toward men's and women's condom use behaviors. Participants (197 women and 157 men; M age 29.8 ± 6.77 years) were randomly assigned to one of three scenarios that described a sexual encounter in which either a woman or a man provided condoms, or no condoms were used. Participants needed to rate the woman and man in terms of their behavior and maturity. The results showed that people evaluated the woman more positively when she provided condoms during the sexual encounter, compared with a man providing condoms and a no-condom-use situation. Second, when no condoms were used (vs. a woman or a man providing condoms), the man's behavior was rated as the most negative. Moreover, the man's behavior was rated as more negative than that of the woman in the no-condom-use condition. Study 2 (cross-sectional study) examined how individuals' endorsement of the traditional sexual double standard was associated with their condom use frequency and whether their perceived power in condom use in a sexual relationship moderated this association. A total of 1457 participants (859 women and 598 men; M age 30.2 ± 6.12 years) completed an online survey. Results showed that, for both men and women, endorsement of the traditional sexual double standard was negatively associated with their condom use frequency. Furthermore, when people perceived power in condom use in a sexual relationship increased, their traditional sexual double standard endorsement was more strongly associated with a decrease in condom use frequency. The findings also showed that women who perceived themselves as more empowered in using condoms reported a higher frequency of condom use. Sexuality education in China should stress gender equality and the regular use of condoms.

LGBTQ+ disclosure: challenges and possibilities

This paper uses Ambiguous Loss Theory to explore the anticipatory and ambiguous losses and stressors surrounding the decision to come out as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender or Queer. Purposive sampling was used to administer a survey to 429 individuals who identified as LGBTQ+ about their coming out decisions and experiences. Data were coded and three major themes were developed: (1) the need for psychosocial safety (fear of being disowned, shunned or abandoned); (2) experiences of anxiety, depression, emotional stress, and shame; and (3) the pursuit of authenticity, self-discovery and liberation. Findings from the study indicate that coming out for LGBTQ+ individuals in the twenty first century remains accompanied by challenges and fears, both before and after the process, which significantly affects individuals' health and safety. In the longer term, despite the challenges, stressors and losses identified by participants, most reported that disclosing their sexual orientation had greatly improved their health and mental well-being.

The Relationship Between Discrimination, Heterosexist Harassment, Rejection, and Substance Use in Iranian Gay Men

Background

Gay men experience heterosexist harassment, rejection, and discrimination because of their sexual orientation, which leads to mental health problems, such as substance use. Due to anti-gay laws and regulations in Iran, which are based on fundamental interpretations of Islam, gay men are likely to experience more discrimination than in Western countries.

Methods

We used the HHRDS to assess heterosexist harassment, rejection, and discrimination and the ASSIST 3.0 to measure substance use in N = 156 Iranian gay men.

Results

Lifetime use was as follows: 64.1% for tobacco products, 36.5% for alcoholic beverages, 25.6% for cannabis, 8.3% for opioids, and 7.1% for sedatives or sleeping pills. All three HHRDS subscales were significantly associated with all substance use scales. In addition, when descriptively comparing HHRDS scores with those of US samples, Iranian gay men reported more discrimination. In a MANOVA, total discrimination strongly predicted tobacco and cannabis consumption, while total discrimination predicted alcohol, opioid, and sedative/sleeping pill use to a moderate degree.

Conclusions

Substance use in Iranian gay men can be seen as a primary mental-health issue resulting from discrimination. It also likely reflects a maladaptive coping strategy related to these experiences. To improve Iran gay men's mental health, structural and interpersonal discrimination should be eliminated and specialized psychological services should be established.

Health inequalities among people experiencing food insecurity. An intersectional approach

The study examines the socioeconomic determinants of physical health among populations experiencing food insecurity and receiving free meals in soup kitchens in the Prefecture of Attica, Greece. Data were collected from the same six soup kitchens in 2012, 2017 and 2021, resulting in a dataset of 1533 observations. The study revealed that periods characterised by an economic recession are associated with deteriorated physical health of food-insecure people. Moreover, the study found that physical health deteriorations among food-insecure people are associated with older age, female gender, immigration status, disability and/or long-term health conditions, LGBT status, unemployment, economic inactivity, homelessness, living below the poverty threshold, long-term food dependency, illicit drug consumption and residing in lower- and middle-class areas. The study proposes the Intersectional Model of Health Inequalities, which integrates multiple factors involved in shaping the health inequalities of people experiencing food insecurity, from macro-level factors such as a country's economic performance to individual-level factors like education, employment status and demographic characteristics. The model emphasises that low-income populations should not be treated as a homogeneous entity. Its goal is to inform policymakers about the diverse health inequalities experienced by people with low incomes.

Cannabis Use Differences Among Sexual Minority Versus Heterosexual Females and Males in Oklahoma: The Roles of Mental Health, Cannabis Perceptions, and Cannabis Marketing Exposure

INTRODUCTION

Despite the high cannabis use rates among sexual minority (SM) individuals, less research has examined factors related to cannabis use among SM (vs. heterosexual) individuals, especially in places with legal medical cannabis retail markets and high structural stigma, like Oklahoma.

METHODS

Data were from a survey of Oklahoma adults, including 3020 females (18.6% SM) and 2279 males (10.1% SM). Bivariate analyses examined associations of sexual identity with cannabis-related factors (i.e., perceived harm, positive attitudes, marketing exposure, depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms) and cannabis use and use severity (i.e., past 30-day use, daily/near-daily use, cannabis use disorder [CUD] symptoms). Logistic regression examined associations of sexual identity and cannabis-related factors with cannabis use and use severity among females and males, separately.

RESULTS

SM (vs. heterosexual) females reported greater odds of past 30-day cannabis use and daily/near-daily use, lower harm perceptions, greater marketing exposure, and higher rates of depressive/anxiety symptoms. Lower harm perceptions and greater marketing exposure were associated with greater odds of past 30-day use, whereas marketing exposure was associated with greater odds of daily/near-daily use. SM (vs. heterosexual) males reported greater odds of daily/near-daily use and higher rates of depressive/anxiety symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

SM (vs. heterosexual) females reported higher rates of cannabis use, whereas SM (vs. heterosexual) females and males reported higher rates of daily/near-daily cannabis use. Potential targets for cannabis-related health campaigns aimed at reducing use differences include correcting misinterpretations of harm that may emanate from cannabis marketing efforts among females and addressing depressive symptoms among males.

Using EMA to explore the role of Black adolescents' experiences in activity spaces in momentary negative emotion and marijuana use

Research examining the role of place in Black adolescents' health behaviors typically examines neighborhoods, with little attention paid to micro geographies such as activity spaces. Understanding experiences in activity spaces may be especially important for Black adolescents living in neighborhoods traditionally characterized as disadvantaged. The SPIN project recruited 75 Black adolescents living in a single neighborhood to complete ecological momentary assessments (EMA) about the activity spaces they encountered over a month. Perceptions of violence and social support in activity spaces in a day are related to marijuana use during the day, relationships partially explained by negative momentary emotions.

M-health Apps and Physical and Mental Health Outcomes of Sexual Minorities

Given the assigned health inequalities faced by sexual minorities, it is fitting to assess whether m-health could be associated with better health-related outcomes for these sexual minorities. The present study examines associations between m-physical and m-mental health apps and sexual minorities' physical and mental health status in Greece. The study utilized three waves of panel data collected in 2018, 2019, and 2020. The findings indicated associations between the use of m-physical and m-mental health apps and increased physical and mental health status for sexual minorities. The work concludes that m-health could enhance informational capabilities associated with increased levels of physical and mental health for sexual minorities. Indeed, the study found that, during the COVID-19 pandemic, sexual minorities experienced physical and mental health deteriorations. Interestingly, the estimates indicated that the association between the use of m-physical and m-mental health apps and increased mental health status for sexual minorities was stronger during the COVID-19 pandemic than before. The study suggests that tracking health-related information through m-health apps during periods of increased uncertainty could be associated with better health prevention and management. If m-health apps can alleviate adverse physical and mental health symptoms for sexual minorities, their potential should be considered.

Forced labor and health-related outcomes. The case of beggar children

BACKGROUND

Limited qualitative research indicates that beggar children might be victims of forced labor, and/or modern slavery. However, research quantifying the manifestations and health-related implications of forced child begging is missing in the literature. Because forced child begging might be physically, mentally, socially and morally harmful to children, research on the subject is needed to inform policymaking.

OBJECTIVE

This study addressed the gap in the literature on child begging. The work aimed to examine whether beggar children are victims of forced labor, as well as to identify the manifestations of forced labor in beggar children, and assess whether forced child begging relates to deteriorated health-related quality of life and mental health.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

The study focused on the capital city of Greece, Athens, where beggar children are not a hard-to-reach group. Cross-sectional data were collected in 2011, 2014, 2018 and 2022, with 127 beggar children taking part in the study.

METHODS

The study adopted the Anti-Slavery International research toolkit, which sets methodological guidelines on researching child begging. A scale was developed to quantify forced child begging based on the International Labour Organization's definition of forced labor. Multivariate regressions were performed with a view to answering the research questions.

RESULTS

The study found that most beggar children were forced by others to beg, experienced threats of violence, physical and verbal harassment aimed at forcing them to beg, and difficulty in terms of being allowed by others to stop begging. Moreover, it was found that forced child begging was positively associated with living with unknown people, hunger due to food unavailability the previous week, and negatively associated with native beggar children. In addition, it was discovered that forced child begging was negatively associated with health-related quality of life and mental health for beggar children.

CONCLUSION

Based on the study's findings, child begging encompasses elements of coercion and the deprivation of human freedom. These factors collectively amount to instances of forced labor and/or modern slavery. Policies should ensure that beggar children are removed from harm's way, and that those forcing children to beg are brought to justice, thus preventing forced child begging. Policies to reduce poverty, which constitutes the root of forced child begging, should also be considered. The goal is to create a protective environment where children can thrive, free from forced labor. In line with Sustainable Development Target 8.7, policy makers should take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labor, and end modern slavery.