Mounting evidence indicates that female genital aesthetic complaints impact sexual relationships.
The study sought to determine the strength of the correlation between genital self-image and sexual function.
Electronic databases were comprehensively searched including PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, PsycINFO, Embase, and the Cochrane Library from January 2000 to December 2022. After duplicate removal, 146 articles were retrieved by searching keywords in titles and abstracts.
A positive correlation is noted between genital self-image and sexual function; the strength of this correlation was 0.375.
By omitting irrelevant articles according to the eligibility criteria, 16 articles remained for a total of 13 505 participants. All but 1 of them indicated a statistically significant positive correlation between genital self-image and sexual function. For a more accurate result, a meta-analysis was conducted noting a considerable heterogeneity.
The results of this study may be used in counseling women with sexual dysfunction who are dissatisfied with their genital appearance.
This study is the first systematic review to reveal the strength of the correlation between genital self-image and sexual function. The most important limitation of this study is the heterogeneity of the studies reported.
This systematic review indicates a positive correlation between genital self-image and sexual function. The results are restricted by inconsistency of the articles considered. Using different tools in different cultural contexts without considering confounding factors leads to a wide range of correlation sizes and significant heterogeneity is evident.

BACKGROUND: Menopause is a natural event in the life of women. Women\'s concerns during menopause and the role of health anxiety in the attitude and sexual performance of women during this period affect the quality of life. Therefore, the present study was conducted with the aim of determining the relationship between health anxiety and sexual performance and attitude towards menopause in postmenopausal women.
METHODS: The present study was a cross-sectional study of communication type that was conducted on 200 postmenopausal women with records in Sabzevar Comprehensive Health Centers in 2021-2022. In order to collect information, standard questionnaires of health anxiety, attitude towards menopause, and sexual performance were used. The collected data were analyzed by SPSS version 16 software and descriptive and analytical statistical tests (Spearman). A significance level of less than 0.05 was considered.
RESULTS: The results of data analysis showed that health anxiety has a significant relationship with the dimensions of desire (p = 0.045 and r = -0.142) and sexual pain (p < 0.001 and r = 0.274). Also, there was a significant relationship between the attitude towards menopause with sexual performance (p < 0.001 and r = 0.244) and health anxiety with the attitude towards menopause (p < 0.001 and r = 0.27).
CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study showed that there is an inverse relationship between health anxiety and sexual desire and a significant direct relationship with sexual pain. Also, the attitude towards menopause has a significant direct relationship with sexual behavior and health anxiety. Therefore, it is suggested to pay attention to the mental health of postmenopausal women along with the physical aspect and to pay attention to educational programs to improve the care and health programs of these women.

Females and males have divergent strategies of energy investment, so the thermal preference of each sex in insects may differ because energetic conversion of metabolic reserves is dependent on temperature. We determined the thermal preference of virgin, sexually mature Mediterranean fruit flies, Ceratitis capitata, and found that males preferred a significantly higher temperature (23.8 ± 0.3 °C) than that of females (22.1 ± 0.3 °C). We then tested predictions for the difference in thermal preference related to the energetic demands of reproduction over a range of temperatures. The frequency and duration of calling bouts by male C. capitata were optimal at 26 °C. Mating propensity and latency, and copula duration, were optimal over the range of 22-28 °C. When mating occurred, temperature had little effect on the incidence of sperm storage by females, but there was a notable decline in the number stored at 28 °C. Female lifespan was highest at 18 °C, but lifetime egg production was optimal at 24 °C. These results illustrate temperature-related differences in the reproductive fitness of the sexes in C. capitata, although the optima for male traits align best with their thermal preference. They also support the theoretical prediction that insect thermal preference should be lower than the optimum for fitness.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of dietary supplementation of three natural antioxidants on sex hormone levels, enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant systems, and histological changes in the testes of male Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus. A total of 210 male Nile tilapia were distributed into seven treatments (three replicates for each) with an initial weight of 3.67 g fish-1. The fish were fed experimental diets (32% crude protein) without supplementation as control or supplemented with ginseng extract (GE; 0.2 and 0.4 g GE kg-1 diet), Tribulus terrestris extract (TT; 0.6 and 1.2 g TT kg-1 diet), and date palm pollen grains (DPPG; 3 and 6 g DPPG kg-1 diet) for 84 days. The results revealed a significant increase in the luteinizing hormone level with TT, DPPG, and GE supplementation increased the levels by 22.9%, 18.5%, and 17.6%, respectively. The testosterone level also increased significantly with TT1.2, GE0.4, TT0.6, and DPPG6 by 86.23%, 64.49%, 57.40%, and 24.62%, respectively. The antioxidant status in the testis homogenate showed a significant decrease in the level of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances when using different dietary substances. In addition, glutathione reduced contents, glutathione S-transferases, glutathione peroxidase, catalase, and superoxide dismutase activities significantly increased with different dietary supplementation in a dose-dependent manner. The histological evaluation revealed normal histological features of the testes in all treatments with increasing active seminiferous tubules (%) in GE, TT, and DPPG supplemented groups, especially with the highest levels. In conclusion, the dietary supplementation of GE, TT, and DPPG enhanced sex hormones level, redox status, and testis structure and could improve the male reproductive performance of Nile tilapia.

We measured the effect of varieties of Fig leaves, Ficus exasperata Vahl. (FE) and Ficus asperifolia Miq (FA), commonly found in Sub-sahara Africa for managing hypertension on sexual performance in hypertensive rats, which is unknown. Hypertensive rats experienced erectogenic damage after exposure to 40 mg kg-1  bw-1 , N(G)-nitro-l-arginine-methyl-ester (L-NAME). Experimental rats were grouped into eight groups (n = 6) namely: control rats, hypertensive rats, hypertensive treatment groups with atenolol (10 mg kg-1  day-1 ) and sildenafil (5.0 mg/kg), rats treated with FE- and FA-formulated biscuits at proportions of 2.5 g and 5.0 g respectively. Furthermore, we measured the level of sexual performance (Intromission number, latency, Mounting number, and latency), hormonal levels, phosphodiesterase-5 enzyme (PDE-5) activity and genes expressed using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) in hypertensive rats. The result deduced revealed that treated hypertensive rats showed significantly reduced follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinising hormone levels, PDE-5 enzyme activity, tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) expression while having a marked increase in testosterone level, sexual performance and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) expression. Therefore, this study revealed the comparative dietary enhancing effect of FE- and FA-formulated biscuit on sexual behaviour activity, hormonal levels and the level of eNOS and TNF-α genes expressed in hypertensive rats.

Strategies for addressing anxiety-related decrements in performance have been implemented across a variety of domains, including Sex, Sport, and Stage. In this review, we (1) iterate the dominant anxiety-related remediation strategies within each of these domains; (2) identify over-lapping and domain-specific strategies; and (3) attempt to unify the conceptualization of performance-related anxiety across these three areas under the information-processing framework of the Reflective/deliberative-Impulsive/automatic Model (RIM). Despite both diversity and similarity in remediation approaches across domains, we found that many strategies appear to share the common goal of maintaining a dominant automatic style of information processing in high performance demand situations. We then describe how various remediation strategies might hypothetically fit within the RIM framework and its subcomponents, identifying each intervention as falling into one or more broad categories related to achieving and/or maintaining dominance in automatic information processing. We conclude by affirming the benefit of adopting a unifying information-processing framework for the conceptualization of performance-related anxiety, as a way of both guiding future cross- and inter- disciplinary research and elucidating effective remediation models that share common pathways/mechanisms to improved performance.

Introduction The prevalence of obesity in developing countries, including Pakistan, has increased several fold in recent times. Obesity appears to negatively affect sexual functioning, hence affecting the quality of life. Its impact on sexual function is understudied. In this study, we will determine the impact of weight loss in improving sexual function in the local setting. Methods This prospective study was conducted in the endocrinology unit of a tertiary care hospital in Pakistan from February 2019 to January 2021. After taking informed consent, 300 married female participants were enrolled in the study. The questionnaire was composed using the pointers from the female sexual function index (FSFI). The privacy of the participants was fully ensured. After the survey, participants were counseled on losing weight via various techniques. Participants were followed up on day 30, day 60, and finally on day 90. On day 90, the FSFI questionnaire was repeated to assess sexual function. Weight loss was measured at the end of day 90.  Result A total of 208 participants completed the study. Significant improvement in FSFI score was seen in participants with weight loss between 2% and 5% of their initial body weight (24.01 ± 2.2 vs. 26.07 ± 2.6; p-value: <0.0001). Similarly, a significant improvement in FSFI score was seen in participants with weight loss of more than 5% (24.17 ± 2.2 vs. 27.01 ± 2.6; p-value: <0.0001). Conclusion In conclusion, weight loss is associated with improved sexual function in females. While discussing complications of obesity, impact on sexual function should also be discussed.

Sexual performance refers to activities served by sexual capacity and motivation. As a culturally sensitive issue, to date the scalar invariance of sexual performance has not been examined for Iranians with spinal cord injuries (SCIs). Aim: To develop and assess properties of an instrument evaluating sexual performance of an Iranian population with SCIs., in Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Research Center (BASIR), Neuroscience Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Using multi-modal methods, we developed and assessed the Sexual Performance Questionnaire (SPQ). This included collecting expert opinions; engaging with patients with SCI referred to BASIR; pilot testing to assess the scale; and a formal investigation. Participants (men = 156, women = 58) completed the SPQ. Internal consistency and reliability were measured using Cronbach\'s α coefficient. Content and face validity were examined by academic experts. Construct validity was assessed by examining convergent and discriminant validity. Finally, exploratory factor analysis was used to extract the factor structure of the questionnaire. The Cronbach\'s α coefficient was 0.77. There was a significant (p = 0.04) correlation (r = - 0.23) between the SPQ score and age. Those with a partner scored higher (p = 0.001). We found three components: Spouse as initiator, self-initiation, and genital-oriented sex which accounted for 59% of the observed variance. The face and content validity was approved by an expert committee. The development and application of the 13-item SPQ provides a thorough understanding of sexual performance amongst persons with SCI. It facilitates the development of efficient sexual rehabilitation interventions and SCI-specific sexuality education programs.

Gender norms related to sexual behavior have a pervasive impact on the psychosocial development of men. These norms have been theorized to influence the formation of male sexual scripts, including those that place high emphasis on performative abilities. While research has indicated that endorsing performance-based scripts can have negative consequences, little work has examined how this sexual ideology is communicated by men to their peer groups. Using structural equation modeling, the current study tested a model of openness to communicate sexual behavior that is incongruent with existing performance-based scripts. A sample of 424 men were recruited from a variety of Internet platforms to participate in a one-time online survey. Results demonstrated that endorsing performance-based scripts impeded men\'s ability to discuss sexual behavior with male peers, female peers, and sexual partners. Men\'s lack of transparency about particular sexual experiences may be contributing to harmful narratives that rigidly emphasize sexual performance.

In some domestic ruminants, contact with females is necessary for normal development of sexual behavior. The aims of this experiment were to determine if rearing bucks isolated from does affects negatively their sexual behavior when adults, and if this negative effect is overcome after four short contacts with females. Sixteen Saanen male kids were maintained during one year in two groups: kids reared in permanent direct contact with four adult goats (FEM; n = 7), and kids that remained isolated from females (ISO; n = 9). When bucks were 12 mo-old, females were removed and both groups were joined in the FEM pen. Nine months later all bucks were individually exposed four times to estrual females for 20 min every 10 days, recording courtship and mounting behaviors. Bucks that were reared with females displayed more courtship behaviors, ejaculations and total mounts (mount attempts, mounts with and without ejaculation; P < 0.0001 for all) than ISO bucks. The combined effect of number of bucks that ejaculated and the time at which they first ejaculated in the first and second tests favored FEM bucks (P < 0.03). It was concluded that the lack of contact with females during the rearing period affects negatively adult bucks\' sexual performance, an effect that could not be overcome after repeated exposures to estural does.