Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health in Canada: A Report Card in 2004
The Sex Information and Education Council of Canada

This report summarizes trends and data from published and unpublished sources on teen pregnancy rates (going down), sexual transmitted infection (STI) rates among youth (going up), teen sexual activity (percentage having intercourse not increasing, number of partners not increasing) and contraceptive/safer sex measures. Although most teens report taking some form of protective measures at last intercourse, contraceptive/safer sex measures among Canadian teens are far from universal or consistent. In particular, this report specifically focuses on the behavioural tendency for Canadian adolescents and young adults to abandon condom use in the process of initiating oral contraceptive (OC) use in the context of serially monogamous relationships. The net effect of switching from condoms to OC’s in each of a series of sequential monogamous relationships is sex that is unprotected against STI with multiple partners. This behavioural tendency likely contributes to very high STI rates among Canadian teens and young adults. As a result, sexual health educators and, in particular, physicians prescribing OC’s to teens and young adult women need to address and emphasize the importance of dual protection against both pregnancy and STI. (The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, 2004; 13: 67-81).

Teenage Pregnancy in Nova Scotia Communities: Associations with Contextual Factors.
Donald B. Langille, Gordon Flowerdew & Pantelis Andreou, Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, Dalhousie University.

This study used data from the Nova Scotia Department of Health (1995-2000) to better assess the distribution of teenage pregnancy in Nova Scotia communities and to identify community contextual factors associated with teenage pregnancy. Pregnancy events for those aged 15 to 19 were counted and population size in Nova Scotia communities was estimated. The cumulative probability of pregnancy (CPP) among 15- to 19-year-olds was calculated for each of one hundred and one separate communities. Enumeration area centroids were overlain on community boundaries and linked to community level data from the 1996 Canadian Census. CPP ranged from 0.01 to 0.39, indicating that some communities do well with respect to this health outcome, while others do not. Factors negatively associated with CCP were increasing level of education in communities, and proportions of those indicating a religious faith. Positive associations were seen with increased proportions of single parent families, proportion of population native or black, and the rate of female participation in the work place. Seventy-three per cent of the variance in CPP was explained by these factors. Socio-economic factors, and the social support, community norms and influences of parental control, which religious affiliation and family structure may represent, are important areas to pursue further to understand why these community differences occur. (The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, 2004; 13: 83-94).

Losing It: Similarities and Differences in First Intercourse Experiences of Men and Women.
Lily Tsui & Elena Nicoladis, University of Alberta.

Sex differences and similarities in first consensual intercourse experience were examined in a sample of Canadian university students and contrasted with the expectations reported by fellow students who had not had intercourse. Among experienced students men and women did not differ on most measures used to assess pre-intercourse discussion, circumstances of first intercourse, and feelings and outcomes thereafter. Although women, unlike men, commonly experienced pain at first intercourse (52%) and infrequently reported orgasm (11%) or physical satisfaction (34%), they did not differ from men in emotional satisfaction or overall rating of the experience. Women and men who had not had intercourse generally had similar expectations concerning topics that would be discussed before first intercourse but differed considerably in their expectation of pain and orgasm. The findings are discussed in relation to their implications for sexuality education and for a broader understanding of some ongoing gender differences in sexuality. (The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, 2004; 13: 95-106).

A Phenomenological Investigation of Same-Sex Marriage.
Kevin G. Alderson, Division of Applied Psychology, University of Calgary

Same sex marriage was first legalized in the Netherlands in 2001, and now court rulings have legalized it in certain regions of Canada and the United States. What is the experience of gay and lesbian individuals who have married? This phenomenological study is based on interviews with 43 individuals, representing 22 married or soon to be married couples living on three continents. The fight for same-sex marriage is about honoring the feelings that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered (LGBT) individuals have for their partners, and it also highlights the continuing struggle experienced by LGBT persons who demand equal rights, both legally and psychosocially. Same sex marriage is here to stay, and increasing our understanding of this phenomenon is an important new area of social science research (The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, 2004; 13: 107-122).