Let’s talk about sex

Partners often find it difficult to talk about sexóexpress desire or intimacy, discuss likes and dislikes, or disclose past sexual experiences. Or to talk about how to prevent sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).

And it's even tougher if you live in Puerto Rico, says assistant communication studies professor Carey Noland.

There, the difficulty is compounded by the culture's gender roles, which limit communication about relationships and sex.

But a growing women's health crisis in Puerto Rico caused by accelerating numbers of STDs prompted Noland to spend several months last year conducting a study of how men and women communicate about sex.

She found that rigid cultural norms in Puerto Rico make it extremely difficult for partners to discuss safe sex.

Noland's study included responses from a group of forty-two men and women ranging in age, socioeconomic status, and education level. The participants were asked what Puerto Ricans think about sex, how sexual communication occurs or does not occur, how gender influences sexual communication and the ability to negotiate for safer sex, and what makes Puerto Ricans vulnerable to STDs.

It seems cultural gender expectationsómachismo and dominance for men, virginity and subservience for womenócreate an atmosphere in which partners are often unwilling or afraid to discuss sexual topics. Puerto Rican men are taught to seek out sexual experiences with multiple partners and embrace their sexuality. Women are taught to repress their sexuality and rely on men to be in control of the sexual relationship.

At the same time, women are expected to safeguard against unintended pregnancies and STDs, and avoid damaging their partners' egos or incurring their anger. Men are encouraged to keep mum about sexual escapades outside their primary relationships, and not worry about the consequences.

"Both men and women have cultural constraints about communicating about sex," says Noland. "And this happens in the United States as well as in Puerto Rico. It's important to teach people how to overcome the barriers, and to work with parents to teach their children how to deal with this problem."

The deal on drugs

Stopping illegal drug activity has long been a top priority for law-enforcement personnel working in U.S. cities. Officials have experimented with one-time crackdowns, stiffer penalties for repeat offenders, and the establishment of "drug-free" zones.

But do these tactics work?

Jennifer Robinson, assistant professor of criminal justice, says no. On the basis of research conducted in Portland, Oregon, over eight years in the 1990s, she believes that concentrating police in problem areas and making more arrests may be somewhat effective in the short term, but not over the long haul.

Robinson conducted statistical analyses of two drug-free zones established in central Portland in 1992 and two others added five years later. Their goal: Keep dealers out of drug-dealing hotspots. Anyone arrested for a drug offense was banned from the zones for ninety days; if convicted, they were banned for a year. Any offenders found in the zones were arrested on trespassing charges. More police were sent in to enforce the policy.

"But there's still drug dealing going on in Portland," says Robinson. Sometimes, she notes, drug dealers simply shift their selling locations to avoid the zones. And designating an entire city as a drug-free zone is too impractical, she says.

Robinson advocates that cities combine general neighborhood improvements with traditional law-enforcement tools.

"Several things make a difference: more social servicesólike nursery schools and community centersóless dilapidated housing, and businesses that replace burnt-out buildings," she says. "Also, having officials around to enforce laws regarding housing, garbage, and noise."

Heart matters

By a long shot, the leading cause of death among U.S. women is cardiovascular disease. It's responsible for nearly 489,000 deaths among women every year, more than all forms of cancer combined.

Even so, many women don't realize the silent dangers it presents.

Early last year, associate clinical specialist in pharmacy practice Michael Gonyeau (working with Lori Arena, PharmD'04), surveyed 348 women Northeastern students about their knowledge of cardiovascular disease. A few weeks lateróafter giving the women informational pamphlets about the diseaseóhe administered a different, but similar, survey.

He found the women's awareness of the risks of cardiovascular disease had increased dramatically.

Those who cited cardiovascular disease as the leading cause of death in women increased from 56 percent to 85 percent between the first and second surveys. That finding was coupled with a drop in the percentage citing breast cancer as the leading cause of death among U.S. women, from 32 percent to 12 percent.

At the point of the second survey, women were more likely to associate cardiovascular disease with diabetes and old age, a connection that was explained by the pamphlets.

Gonyeau attributes women's lack of awareness about the risk of cardiovascular disease to the media's intense focus on breast cancer.

"Breast cancer gets so much more press," says Gonyeau. "Yet it's the eighth-leading cause of death in women; cardiovascular disease is number one."

Though all women need accurate information about cardiovascular disease, Gonyeau thinks it's particularly critical for young women.

"Women at any age can start to make lifestyle changes that can decrease their risk for heart disease," he explains, "such as changing their diet, exercising, and quitting smoking."