Condom use at last sexual intercourse among unmarried, not living common-law 20- to 34-year-old Canadian young adults
Michelle Rotermann¹ and Alexander McKay²

¹Health Analysis Division, Statistics Canada, Ottawa ON
²The Sex Information and Education Council of Canada (SIECCAN), Toronto ON

This study utilized data from the Canadian Community Health Surveys (CCHS) to examine condom use among unmarried, not living common-law (UMNCL) Canadians aged 20-34 years. Males (59.9%) were more likely than females (49.9%) to report using a condom at last sexual intercourse. Condom use at last intercourse was more likely among younger respondents aged 20-24 (63.7% males; 53.8% females) than those aged 25-29 (56.0% males; 47.1 females) or 30-34 (54.7% males; 42.2% females). Over a third (35.8%) of those who reported having more than one intercourse partner in the previous 12 months and among those who reported three or four or more partners about 30% of males and nearly 40% of females reported not using a condom at last intercourse. Among all males, the percentage that used a condom at last intercourse was significantly greater than the national average in Prince Edward Island, Ontario, and the territories, and significantly lower in Quebec. Among females, condom use was significantly higher in Ontario and significantly lower in New Brunswick and Quebec. Multivariate analysis indicated that UMNCL females aged 20-34 who lived in rural areas were less likely than their urban counterparts to have used a condom at last intercourse. Those who reported having first intercourse at age 13 or younger were significantly less likely to report using a condom at last intercourse than those whose first intercourse occurred at age 14 or older. Overall, the findings indicate that large numbers of single young adult Canadians are at elevated risk for sexually transmitted infection (STI) including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) (The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, 2009: 18; 75-88).

Social norms and general sexual satisfaction: The cost of misperceived descriptive norms
Kyle R. Stephenson¹ and Kieran T. Sullivan²

¹ Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin TX
² Department of Psychology, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA

Past research has identified important correlates of sexual satisfaction, but more theoretically-driven research is needed to integrate these findings and identify the causes of variance in sexual satisfaction. The purpose of the two exploratory studies presented here was to examine the utility of Social Norms Theory in understanding the impact of misperceived norms on general sexual satisfaction in unmarried college students. The findings of Study 1 indicated that, consistent with previous research, participants overestimated the sexual activity and permissiveness of their peers and thus perceived self-other discrepancies. Overall, larger perceived discrepancies predicted lower general sexual satisfaction. Study 2 showed that a brief educational intervention could alter these misperceived discrepancies such that participants exposed to the intervention showed smaller self-other discrepancies with concomitantly higher levels of general sexual satisfaction. The theoretical implications of the findings are discussed (The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, 2009: 18; 89-105).

Satisfaction with school-based sexual health education in a sample of university students recently graduated from Ontario high schools

Glenn J. Meaney¹, B.J. Rye², Eileen Wood¹ , and Ekaterina Solovieva³

¹ Department of Psychology, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo ON
² Departments of Psychology and Sexuality, Marriage and Family Studies, St. Jerome’s University at the University of Waterloo, Waterloo ON
³ Department of Psychology, York University, Downsview ON

This study investigated satisfaction with school-based sexual health education in a sample of first-year university students recently graduated from Ontario high schools. Participants (n=161) drawn from Introductory Psychology and Introductory Human Sexuality courses completed a questionnaire that assessed their current perceptions of past experience. Overall participants gave very high importance ratings to more than half of 20 topics they considered “important to learn about in high school” (and well above average importance ratings to the others), and would have preferred presentation in grades 6-8 of many sexual health topics that they perceived as having been presented later, and were generally satisfied with their sexual health education teachers and with their overall school-based sexual health education. With very few exceptions, participant’s assessments did not differ by gender or type of school attended (i.e., public or Catholic). The results suggest general satisfaction with school-based sexual health education, particularly in relation to changes in their knowledge and values, and a preference for earlier grade exposure to, and emphasis on, many topics as one way to improve the curriculum. The implications and limitations of the findings are discussed (The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, 2009: 18; 107-125).

Reconsidering the refractory period: An exploratory study of women’s post-orgasmic experiences

Aliisa K. Humphries¹ and Jan Cioe¹

¹ Psychology Department, University of British Columbia Okanagan, Kelowna, BC

The post-orgasmic refractory period in men is characterized by penile sensitivity, detumescence, and reduced arousabilty. The literature suggests that a comparable phenomenon either does not occur in women or is less marked. The topic has thus been understudied in women. Similarities in the prenatal genital development of the sexes and in their adult post-orgasmic release of prolactin, a hormone associated with the refractory period in men, suggest the possibility of a refractory period in women. The present study of 174 female university students (mean age 25 years) focused on the occurrence of post-orgasmic clitoral hypersensitivity which we hypothesized would parallel the post-orgasmic penile glans sensitivity reported in men. Overall, 96% of the participants reported post-orgasmic clitoral hypersensitivity and a comparable percentage indicated aversiveness to further post-orgasm clitoral stimulation. Follow-up individual online interviews with 11 participants provided further elaboration on the experience. The findings invite a reconsideration of a refractory period in women and highlight the need for further research on post-orgasmic experiences that includes the female perspective (The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, 2009: 18; 127-134).

Investigating sexual dream imagery in relation to daytime sexual behaviours and fantasies among Canadian university students

David B. King¹, Teresa L. DeCicco² and Terry P. Humphreys²

¹ Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia
² Department of Psychology, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario

This study aimed to qualitatively assess the content of sexual dreams and determine their relationship to waking life sexual experience and fantasy. Dream reports were collected from 97 female and 33 male university students with a mean age of 20.6 years who, in addition to reporting their most recent dream with sexual content, completed the Index of Sexual Fantasy (Hurlbert & Apt, 1993), the Sexual Daydreaming Scale (Giambra, 1978), and two surveys to account for sexual and orgasmic behaviour and experience. Reports of sex dreams were dominated by references to clothing and emotion, with the most common targets of sexual relations being friends and/or acquaintances. Aggression was present in 19% of the collected dreams and 8% contained direct references to rape. Men were observed to report greater daytime sexual fantasizing with more frequent reports of multiple partners, sexual propositions, and sexual thoughts in their dreams. Findings offer partial support for the continuity hypothesis of dreaming (Hall & Nordby, 1972) in relation to human sexuality, at least within the current subsample of young men. It is suggested that many sex dreams may serve as an outlet for sexual fantasies and desires. Limitations and suggestions for future research are discussed (The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, 2009, 18: 135-146).