New and Noteworthy: Selected Publications

Carter, C. Sue. (2019). "Love As Medicine." Open Access Government, January 2019: 40-41.

Dr Sue Carter, Director of the Kinsey Institute provides an expert insight into the role of oxytocin, a hormone that helps to explain the healing power of love.

Carter, C. Sue and Perkeybile, Allison M. (2018). "The Monogamy Paradox: What Do Love and Sex Have to Do With It?" Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 29 November 2018. Doi:10.3389/fevo.2018.00202

Studies with prairie voles have established that sexual exclusivity and social bonds ("social monogamy") may exist independently of each other, but are founded on the neuroendocrinal effects of hormones like oxytocin and vasopressin. How do modifications to oxytocin exposure in early life affect the development of prosocial behavior?

Crosby Richard A., Graham Cynthia A., Sanders Stephanie A., Yarber William L., Wheeler Marija V., Milhausen Robin R., Vitzhum Virginia J. (2019). "Decision making over condom use during menses to avert sexually transmissible infections." Sexual Health, 16: 90-93. Doi:10.1071/SH18136

This marks the first paper released from the 2018 joint survey project between the Kinsey Institute Condom Use Research Team and women's health app Clue on women's attitudes towards condom use and menstruation.

Fasman, Rebecca. "The forgotten legacy of gay photographer George Platt Lynes." The Conversation.com. January 11, 2019.

As co-curator of the recent exhibition of George Platt Lynes' work and life at the IMA at Newfields, Fasman explores the the importance of his artistic legacy for modern photographic art, and the social cost of homophobia and other forms of prejudice

Francis, Heather M., Garcia, Justin R., Meyerson, Beth E., Chomistek, Andrea K. & Abbruzzi, Emily. (2019). "They Shall Be One: Sexual Satisfaction Among Men and Women Married in the LDS Faith." Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy, Doi:10.1080/0092623X.2018.1484402

This study examined potential predictors of sexual satisfaction among adults living in Utah who had married in the LDS faith, regardless of current faith practice. Both men and women reported their perceived partner satisfaction as the top contributing factor to their own overall sexual satisfaction. 

Garcia, J., Gesselman, A., Massey, S., Seibold-Simpson, S., & Merriwether, A. (2018). "Intimacy Through Casual Sex: Relational Context of Sexual Activity and Affectionate Behaviours." Journal of Relationships Research, 9, E12. Doi:10.1017/jrr.2018.10

This study examined the role of affectionate behaviours across two sexual relationship contexts: (committed) traditional romantic relationships and (uncommitted) casual sex encounters. 

Kolacz, Jacek and  Porges, Stephen W. (2018). "Chronic Diffuse Pain and Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders after Traumatic Stress: Pathophysiology Through a Polyvagal Perspective." Frontiers in Medicine, 5:145. Doi:10.3389/fmed.2018.00145

This review highlights the potential for the autonomic nervous system to be the basis for observations made by medical professionals and researchers to piece together what links traumatic experiences, threat-related nervous system function, and multiple somatic disorders.

Porges, Steven W., and Dana, Deb, eds. Clinical Applications of the Polyvagal Theory: The Emergence of Polyvagal-Informed Therapies. W.W. Norton & Company: June 2018.

The polyvagal theory, introduced by Dr. Porges in 1994, has many implications for the study of stress, emotion, and social behavior. This collection illustrates the extraordinary potential of the theory in clinical practice.

Price, Devon M., Howell, Jennifer L., Gesselman, Amanda N., Finneran, Stephanie, Quinn, Diane M. and Eaton, Lisa A. (2019). "Psychological threat avoidance as a barrier to HIV testing in gay/bisexual men." Journal of Behavioral Medicine. Epub 1 January 2019. Doi:10.1007/s10865-018-0003-z

Despite increased efforts to reduce the rate of new HIV infections, incident infection rates remain consistently high. This study examines how health information avoidance mediates previously documented pyschosocial barriers to HIV testing, highlighting a potential inflection point for new interventions and education efforts.

Vitzthum VJ, Thornburg J, Spielvogel H. (2018). "Impacts of nocturnal breastfeeding, photoperiod, and access to electricity on maternal sleep behaviors in a non-industrial rural Bolivian population." Sleep Health. 2018 Dec; 4(6): 535-542. Doi: 10.1016/j.sleh.2018.09.011. Epub 2018 Oct 19.

This is the longest longitudinal study to date of the impact of breastfeeding on mothers' sleeping patterns, also investigating access to artifical lighting (electricity) as a mitigating/contributing factor.