Vera Cruz Germano, Mullet Etienne
a Department of Psychology , Eduardo Mondlane University.
J Sex Res. 2014;51(8):852-62. doi: 10.1080/00224499.2013.795925. Epub 2013 Aug 7.
Puxa-puxa is the elongation of the labia minora of the genital organs. It is one of the most widespread genital practices among women in Mozambique, and the practice seems to be specific to this country. The motives underlying this practice and its abandonment were examined in a theory-driven way. A total of 616 women currently living in the provinces of Maputo, Zambezia, and Nampula, aged 18 to 62, were presented with one of two questionnaires that contained items about possible motives for practicing puxa-puxa or possible motives for not practicing it. Seven separable motives for practicing puxa-puxa were found, and the most highly rated were "Having a satisfying sexual life"; "Satisfying my sexual partner"; and "Gaining self-control." Five separable motives for not practicing puxa-puxa were found, and the most highly rated were "Disliking a painful practice"; "Affirming one's value as a person"; and "Avoiding contamination." The main findings of the study are that the practice of puxa-puxa is associated with deep psychological motives common to most women in most cultures, namely having a satisfying sexual life with a reliable partner, creating the conditions for having children, and being able to care for them. The abandonment of this practice is largely the result of personal decisions, which are not taken under constraint and which are not exclusively taken from fear of illness.
“普夏 - 普夏”是指生殖器官小阴唇的拉长。这是莫桑比克女性中最为普遍的一种生殖习俗，而且这种习俗似乎是该国特有的。该研究以理论驱动的方式探究了这种习俗背后的动机及其废止的原因。研究共选取了616名现居住在马普托省、赞比西亚省和楠普拉省、年龄在18至62岁之间的女性，让她们填写两份问卷中的一份，问卷包含了关于实施“普夏 - 普夏”习俗的可能动机或不实施该习俗的可能动机的问题。研究发现了七个实施“普夏 - 普夏”习俗的可区分动机，其中得分最高的是“拥有满意的性生活”“满足我的性伴侣”和“获得自我控制”。还发现了五个不实施“普夏 - 普夏”习俗的可区分动机，得分最高的是“厌恶痛苦的行为”“肯定个人价值”和“避免感染”。该研究的主要发现是，“普夏 - 普夏”习俗与大多数文化中大多数女性共有的深层心理动机相关，即与可靠伴侣拥有满意的性生活、创造生育条件以及能够照顾孩子。这种习俗的废止很大程度上是个人决定的结果，这些决定并非在强制下做出，也并非仅仅出于对疾病的恐惧。
