The Ecological Model of Gay Identity
Kevin G Alderson, University of Calgary

This paper introduces the ecological theory of gay male identity. The model incorporates both developmental stages and process components in explaining identity formation, and it seeks to identify all psychosocial influences affecting the person, including internal psychological factors and external factors (social and environmental). The ecological theory addresses a number of the criticisms directed at stage models while also providing a psychosocial explanation for why some homosexually-oriented men eventually self-identify as gay. The development of a positive gay identity represents the final achievement in the model. Conceptual definitions for sexual orientation and gay identity are provided, in addition to implications for continuing research and counselling practice. (The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, 2003; 12: 75-85).

What is Sex? Students' Definitions of Having Sex, Sexual Partner, and Unfaithful Sexual Behaviour
Hilary E. Randall & E. Sandra Byers, University of New Brunswick

In this study 164 heterosexual Canadian university students were asked about their definitions of the terms having sex, sexual partner, and unfaithful. Students were asked to indicate which from a list of 18 sexual behaviours they would include in their definition of each of the three terms. Significantly more behaviours were included in students’ unfaithful definition than were included in the sexual partner definition and significantly more behaviours were included in the sexual partner definition than in the having sex definition. For example, while less than 25% of participants considered oral genital behaviour to be having sex, more than 60% thought that the giver or receiver of oral sex was a sexual partner, and more than 97% considered a partner who had oral sex with someone else to be have been unfaithful. Similarly, while masturbating to orgasm in the presence of another was considered to be having sex by less than 4% of participants, 34% reported that this behaviour was sufficient to consider that person a sexual partner and 95% considered it to be unfaithful. Students were more likely to include a behaviour in their definitions if orgasm occurred than if orgasm did not occur. There were no significant gender differences. Multiple regression analyses revealed that older and less sexually experienced students reported a broader definition of sexual partner than did younger and more sexually experienced students. The implications of these findings for sex research and sexual health promotion are discussed. (The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, 2003; 12: 87-96).

Sexual Functioning of Women with HIV: A Comparison with Non-HIV Women
Alicia Denis & Sung-Mook Hong, University of Western Sydney

This study compared the sexual functioning of 43 HIV positive (HIV+) women and 73 non-HIV women using a slightly adapted version of the Sexual Functioning Questionnaire for Women (SFQ)(Syrjala et al., 2000). HIV+ women had statistically significantly lower scores than non-HIV women on the subscales assessing sexual interest, sexual activity, sexual satisfaction, orgasm, sexual relationships, sexual problems, and also on the combined measure of overall SFQ, but not on the masturbation subscale. Although the HIV+ group was somewhat older, less well-educated, and more likely to have ever been married than the non-HIV group, the two groups were sufficiently diverse with respect to these measures, and to ethnocultural background, to permit comparisons. The findings and literature review indicate that HIV+ women commonly encounter problems in sexual functioning that should be recognized and treated by health professionals and service providers. (The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, 2003; 12: 97-107).

LA PROMOTION DE L’ABSTINENCE DANS LES PROGRAMMES D’ÉDUCATION EN MATIÈRE DE SANTÉ SEXUELLE: LE POINT DE VUE DE JEUNES FRANCO-ONTARIENNES DU NORD

Monique Benoit, Jean Dragon, Laurentian University, Marie-Ghyslaine Boudreau, University of Quebec at Montreal & Sonia Muhimpundu, Laurentian University

Cette étude qualitative examine la perception de l’abstinence en matière de sexualité à partir de deux groupes de discussion de jeunes franco-canadiennes du nord de l’Ontario. Un des groupe de jeunes, âgées entre 15 et 19 ans, a suivit des cours d’éducation sexuelle privilégiant l’abstinence alors que le deuxième groupe de jeunes, âgées entre 20 et 24 ans ne fréquentant plus l’école secondaire, n’avait pas été en contact avec de tels contenus au secondaire. Les résultats des deux groupes ont indiqué que les programmes d’abstinence n’avaient aucun effet sur ces jeunes franco-ontariennes et même que le message de l’abstinence était contradictoire avec leur besoin de liberté et d’autonomie sexuelles.

This qualitative study examined perceptions of abstinence-only sex education in two focus group samples of female French Canadian youth in Northern Ontario. One group had taken a high school sexuality education course that promoted abstinence and did not cover contraception and safer sex practices; the second group was no longer attending school and had never taken the course. Findings from both groups indicated that abstinence-only programs were not perceived as being effective or meaningful for these young women because sexual activity was a given for them and the abstinence-only message was therefore inconsistent with their perceived need for greater sexual freedom and autonomy. (The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, 2003;12: 109-119).