Enhancing Sexual Health, Self-Identity and Wellbeing among Men Who Have Sex With Men


Book Description

By analysing research into links between low psychological wellbeing and sexual risk-taking behaviours that occur in men who have sex with men (MSM), this book demonstrates what impact social and psychological interventions could have on MSM at risk of poor sexual outcomes. At the heart of the book is Identity Process Theory, co-developed by the author, a social psychological theory of identity construction, threat and coping. The book considers the emerging debates in MSM's health, such as the use of Grindr and 'chemsex', and also explores the socio-structural factors, such as homophobia and stigma, that threaten the self-identity of MSM. The book offers principles and techniques from this theory that can be used as an effective intervention and therapeutic model with MSM to build more positive identities and reduce sexual risk-taking.




HIV and Gay Men


Book Description

This book focuses on the clinical, social and psychological aspects of HIV among gay men and examines the complex factors that can contribute to HIV risk in this key population. With the target to end all HIV transmissions in the UK by 2030 in mind, Jaspal and Bayley combine elements of HIV medicine and social psychology to identify the remaining barriers to effective HIV prevention among gay men. The authors take the reader on a journey through the history of HIV, its science and epidemiology and its future, demonstrating the vital role of history, society and psychology in understanding the trajectory of the virus. Underpinned by theories from social psychology and clinical snapshots from practice, this book considers how psychological constructs, such as identity, risk and sexuality, can impinge on physical health outcomes. This refreshing and thought-provoking text is an invaluable resource for scholars, clinicians and students working in the field of HIV.




The Social Psychology of Gay Men


Book Description

This book focuses on the social psychological aspects of gay men’s lives and provides a cutting-edge examination of topics including sexual orientation, sexual behavior, identity, relationships, prejudice, and health. The Social Psychology of Gay Men forces us to re-think existing theory and research, much of which has taken heterosexuality for granted. With identity process theory at its heart, this book advocates a social psychology of gay men which incorporates three levels of analysis – the psychological, interpersonal and societal. The book promises not only a deeper understanding of gay men’s lives but also pathways for enhancing wellbeing, intergroup relations and equality in this key population. This illuminating and thought-provoking text is an invaluable resource not only for psychologists, but for students, scholars and practitioners working in the area of gay men’s life.




Psychological Perspectives in HIV Care


Book Description

The care paradigm for people with HIV has shifted from managing progressive illness with a poor prognosis to managing a chronic condition. Despite this improvement, people living with HIV continue to experience considerable stresses, so promoting their holistic wellbeing is a key aspect of long-term care. This book provides an accessible introduction for healthcare professionals who work with people living with HIV. It is designed to help readers understand how care in practice can be more person-centred and psychologically focused, whilst promoting compassion, health and wellbeing. Topics covered include self-awareness, attachment theories and communication as well as key aspects of providing care for people living with HIV, such as stigma in young adults, neurocognitive issues, the sexualized use of drugs, managing neuropathic pain, and the needs of older adults living with HIV. Invaluable reading for health professionals working within multidisciplinary teams that provide care for people living with HIV, this book is also a core text for those studying in the area.




Sexuality in the Middle East and North Africa


Book Description

Issues of sexuality in the Middle East and North Africa have served as a lightning rod for international discussions surrounding the treatment of those who identify as LGBTQ+, sexual and reproductive health, and the prevention of sexual violence. While a growing body of scholarship and internal advocacy groups have brought more open dialogue within the MENA region, this volume is the first of its kind to provide critical insights and academic analysis into a broad range of complex and controversial issues dealing with sexuality. Spanning a wide array of countries from Algeria to Yemen, Egypt, Iran, Israel, and Saudi Arabia, this volume offers a comprehensive regional analysis that transcends the limitations of country-specific studies. Three themes guide the volume’s organization: sexual politics, rights, and movements; gender and sexual minorities; and sexual health, identity, and well-being. Drawing on contemporary scholarship and ethnographic fieldwork, the contributors shed light on the ways in which sexuality is a foundational element of national and regional discourses, serves as a political tool for marking difference, and has the possibility to enlighten, restrict, liberate, or oppress the millions of individuals living in the region. This volume is essential reading for scholars, policymakers, and anyone interested in the intersection of sexuality, identity, and human rights in the Middle East and North Africa.




Sex and Sexualities in Ireland


Book Description

This edited collection provides an invaluable resource of seventeen chapters from a wide range of academic disciplines. These chapters place sex and sexualities in Ireland in historical context and take the reader through the structural changes that have transformed the expression of sexuality in Ireland from one of self-denial to self-expression. The collection does not however unquestionably assume a linear narrative of progress: new issues and challenges are also addressed throughout. This book will be of interest to students and scholars from a range of disciplines including sociology, social policy, history, media, gender studies and psychology. The collection is divided into six separate but interlinked thematic sections: Sexualities in Historical Irish Contexts, Young Adults, Sexual Health, and Education, Sexual Practices and Health, Minority Sexualities and Genders, Sex Work in Ireland and Activism and Contestation.




Sexual Minorities and Mental Health


Book Description

This edited book presents a comprehensive guide to the research, challenges and differing perspectives within mental health for sexual minority populations in the UK. Drawing on clinical, social, health and community psychology perspectives, it brings the urgency of this topic back to the fore, providing insight into some of ways we understand and make sense of the increased prevalence of poorer mental health in these populations. Using an intersectional approach, a broad range of experts from across academia and practice explore the specific threat and discrimination faced by sexual minorities and investigate the high prevalence of poor mental health, health risk behaviours and psychological distress in these groups. The volume also offers innovative insight as to ways in which the disparities experienced by sexual minorities may be addressed. Ideal for practitioners in mental health and sexuality, as well as psychologists, policy makers, and academics alike interested in mental health, sexuality, public health, psychotherapy, psychoanalysis, or counselling, this collection features wide array of qualitative and quantitative sources to describe the current state of the art with an interdisciplinary lens.




The SAGE Handbook of Global Sexualities


Book Description

This two-volume Handbook provides a major thematic overview of global sexualities, spanning each of the continents, and its study, which is both reflective and prospective, and includes traditional approaches and emerging themes. The Handbook offers a robust theoretical underpinning and critical outlook on current global, glocal, and ‘new’ sexualities and practices, whilst offering an extensive reflection on current challenges and future directions of the field. The broad coverage of topics engages with a range of theories, and maintains a multi-disciplinary framework. PART ONE: Understanding Sexuality: Epistemologies/Conceptual and Methodological Challenges PART TWO: Enforcing and Challenging Sexual Norms PART THREE: Interrogating/Undoing Sexual Categories PART FOUR: Enhancement Practices and Sexual Markets/Industries PART FIVE: Sexual Rights and Citizenship (And the Governance of Sexuality) PART SIX: Sexuality and Social Movements PART SEVEN: Language and Cultural Representation




COVID-19: Surviving a Pandemic


Book Description

COVID-19: Surviving a Pandemic provides critical insights into survival strategies employed by communities and individuals around the world during the pandemic. A central question since this pandemic began has been how to survive it. That question has applied not just to staying alive, but also to staying healthy, both physically and mentally. Survival is certainly key, but surviving, and what that means, is also critical. The scholarship included in this volume will take a closer look at what it means to survive by addressing such issues as the importance of ethnicity in vaccine uptake, the gendered and racialized impacts of the pandemic, the impact on those with disabilities, questions of food security, and what it means to grieve. Drawing on the expertise of scholars from around the world, the work presented here represents a remarkable diversity and quality of impassioned scholarship on the impact of COVID-19 and is a timely and critical advance in knowledge related to the pandemic.




Trans Women and HIV


Book Description

This book explores the social psychological aspects of trans women’s experiences of living with HIV in the UK. Drawing on theories from social psychology, the author provides a fine-grained analysis of the EXTRA Study – one of the first in-depth empirical studies of trans women’s experiences of living with HIV in the UK. Trans Women and HIV: Social Psychological Perspectives examines issues of identity, threat and coping among trans women – a key population in the HIV epidemic – and presents a model for describing and predicting health outcomes in this population. Underpinned by the Health Adversity Risk Model, this book examines the role of psychological constructs, such as identity, risk and stigma, in behaviour and psychological wellbeing. This informative and thought-provoking text is an invaluable resource for scholars, clinicians and students working in the fields of HIV and trans health.




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