Manuela Gonçalves

Serviços dirigidos a trabalhadores(as) do sexo em Portugal: ideologias e práticas

As organizacoes nao governamentais assumem papel essencial na prestacao de servicos e apoios a trabalhadores/as do sexo (TS), mas as praticas e fundamentos teoricos e ideologicos dessas intervencoes permanecem pouco conhecidos. Neste artigo apresentamos as caracteristicas da intervencao das 23 instituicoes que dirigem servicos a TS em Portugal, com o objetivo de explicitar as diferencas e semelhancas patentes nas diversas abordagens, tendo em conta os paradigmas do trabalho sexual a que se encontram associadas. Neste estudo de natureza qualitativa, efetuamos 23 entrevistas e estabelecemos relacao entre as instituicoes e as categorias ideologicas: opressao, empoderamento, polimorfo. Identificamos uma dimensao politica em algumas e concluimos que estas categorias influem na intervencao, sendo os servicos bastante semelhantes, centrados sobretudo na reducao de riscos/danos decorrentes do TS, existindo apenas duas instituicoes com respostas de apoio a saida da atividade. Verificamos, ainda, a necessidade de envolver a participacao dos/as TS em projetos que lhes sao dirigidos.

Efeito do cloridrato de oxibutinina na hiperatividade vesical conseqüente a cistite hemorrágica

BACKGROUND: The oxybutynin is an anticholinergic agent that binds to muscarinic receptors of bladder muscle promoting an antispasmodic effect. As a consequence there is an increase in bladder capacity, reduction in frequency and a blockade in the initial stimuli of miction. OBJECTIVE: To verify the action of oxybutynin on bladder overactivity due to hemorrhagic cystitis. METHODS: Hemorrhagic cystitis was provoked through an intraperitoneal injection of 200mg/kg of cyclophosphamide in 10 female rats, weighting 200-250g, 24h before the experiment. The control group of 5 female rats received an intraperitoneal injection of 0.5ml of saline. In the experiment the animals were anesthetized with 1.25mg/kg of urethane followed by a cystostomy with a P-50 catheter connected in Y to an infusion pump (rate of infusion - 0.3ml/min) and to a polygraph to register bladder pressure. The parameters studied were: frequency of bladder contraction (Fc), contraction intensity (Ci), time of bladder filling (Tf) and contraction (Tc), and vesical capacity (Vc) (Tf x flow). We determined the mean value for each parameter following of 10min of observation. After these determinations all rats received 71mg/kg of oxybutynin chloride through nasogastric tubing and 1h afterward the measures were repeated. The data were compared with the Kruskal-Wallis test considering significant a p<0.05. RESULTS: A comparison both groups (control versus experimental) before the use of oxybutynin showed the following values of p: Fc - 0.007; Ci - 0.0002; Tf - 0.768; Tc - 0.492; Vc - 0.055. After the use of oxybutynin the corresponding values were: Fc - p=0.055; Ci - p=0.0002; Tf - 0.957; Tc - p=0.181; Vc - p=0.206. CONCLUSION: The oxybutynin chloride was able to control bladder overactivity expressed by a significant reduction in frequency, but no changes in other parameters.

Action research with street-based sex workers and an outreach team: A co-authored case study:

Despite the recent advances in participatory research with sex workers, our knowledge regarding how to process and articulate the various steps of participatory action research remains rather limited. This article focuses on a participatory action research case study with street-based female sex workers and an outreach team. This case study was developed in Coimbra, Portugal and lasted for three years, beginning at the end of 2012. This paper has the following three primary purposes: (1) to fill this research gap by describing all the steps of a participatory action research project; (2) to examine the process and results; and (3) to offer a model of research and social practice that involves sex workers. We identified a mutual understanding regarding the priority concerns, but there is little cohesion among sex workers. We concluded that the participatory action research activities may have provided a sense of control and awareness, but the transformation of subjectivity to collective action is still required.

Prostituição: Que Modelo Jurídico-Político para Portugal?

Different political-juridical models have framed prostitution in Portugal: regulation, prohibition and abolition, the latter of which is currently prevalent. There are two main standpoints in social and scientific discourse: those who defend prostitution as a valid form of labor and those who consider it a violation of human rights. This article presents the legal and historical evolution of models of interventions concerning prostitution in Portugal, so as to contextualize and understand the influence of discourses. Next, the article exposes the opinion of professionals within institutions that respond to the demands of this population, under the current political-juridical framework, with the objective of analyzing different perspectives on sexual labor. Based on qualitative research which tooks into account 23 interviews, it was concluded that although there is not a clear idea as to which model to adopt, the concern regarding respect for human rights and the combatting stigma is well-established, regardless of the paradigm in question.

Os contributos do teatro na educação de adolescentes

A adolescencia encontra-se amplamente documentada como uma fase de conflito. No sentido de identificar e compreender quais os desafios dos adolescentes; e promover uma melhoria na comunicacao entre estes, o grupo de pares e adultos significativos (pais e professores), empreendemos um projeto de investigacao-acao com um grupo de oito adolescentes. Atraves de tecnicas de teatro e de dinâmica de grupos, os adolescentes ingressaram numa experiencia de descoberta de si mesmo e do outro, e colocaram em palco, diante de uma audiencia de adultos e pares, as suas vivencias, dilemas e sentimentos. Os resultados indicam que o teatro assume-se como uma ferramenta educativa, fundamental ao desenvolvimento de competencias.