CJHS Abstracts: Vol 20(4) 2011

The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality (CJHS)

Volume 20, Number 4, 2011
Ethnic differences in sexual guilt between Anglo-Canadians and Franco-Québécois emerging adults: The mediating roles of family and religion Emilie Eve Gravel¹, Marta Young¹, Marcela Olavarria-Turner¹ and Andrea Ming Si Lee¹ ¹ School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON Although research suggests that there are ethnic differences in sexual guilt, no research to date has compared different groups of European descent in North America. This is surprising considering that research in Canada has found differences pertaining to sexuality between Anglo-Canadians and Franco-Québécois (Barrett et al., 2004). Research has also shown that family and religion are important predictors of sexual guilt, although the relative contribution of these factors to ethnic differences in sexual guilt has seldom been examined. The present study sought to determine whether Anglo-Canadians and Franco-Québécois students differed with respect to sexual guilt and whether these potential differences would be mediated by differences in parental sexual permissiveness and religiosity. A total of 269 university students completed a questionnaire assessing sexual guilt, parental sexual permissiveness, and religiosity. Franco-Québécois students reported lower levels of sexual guilt than Anglo-Canadian students. Multiple mediation analysis suggests that this result was mediated by differences in parental sexual permissiveness and religiosity. Franco-Québécois students reported greater sexual permissiveness and lower religiosity in their parents than did Anglo-Canadian students which, in turn, accounted for their lower levels of sexual guilt. Our findings highlight the sociocultural nature of sexual guilt and the relevance of conceptualizing groups of European descent as “ethnic” in cross-cultural sexuality research (The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, 2011: 20, 129-142). Digging in my secret garden: Disinhibitory effects of the “Hidden Observer” on reported sexual fantasies Christopher T. Burris¹ and Stefanie Mathes² ¹ Department of Psychology, St. Jerome’s University, Waterloo, ON ² Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, PQ Self-report biases can affect the results of survey-based sex research, and techniques that minimize their effects are often cumbersome. In this study, 91 undergraduates were asked to submit a narrative of their favourite sexual fantasy in response either to standard instructions or on behalf of their “hidden observer” (HO), the ostensible part of them that knows their deepest secrets and will reveal them if questioned directly (Altemeyer, 1996, Hilgard, 1973). Compared to standard instructions, HO instructions yielded fewer denials, refusals, and/or apologies for the length or content of disclosed fantasies, which were in turn more erotically detailed and explicit. The findings suggest that the HO technique’s potential as a user-friendly means of minimizing self-censoring in reports of sexual experiences, attitudes, and behaviours warrants further exploration (The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, 2011: 20, 143-150). Sexual intrusive thoughts in a non-clinical sample: The effects of content and direct experience on distress level Angela H. Smith¹, Chad T. Wetterneck² and Renata Harpster² ¹ University of Houston, Houston, TX ² University of Houston-Clear Lake, Houston, TX Sexual intrusive thoughts (SITs) are common in both clinical and non-clinical populations and these experiences are distressing for many. The present study examined distress from SITs in relation to thought content and real-life sexual experiences in a non-clinical population. Participants (N = 209) reported their most distressing SIT and indicated whether or not the thought was related to a real-life event. SITs were categorized as aggressive or non-aggressive, and groups were compared in distress and endorsement of real-life sexual experiences. The thought of being a victim of sexual aggression was the most distressing SIT for over 40% of participants. Results indicated that there were no significant differences in distress between aggressive and non-aggressive SITs; however, thoughts related to real-life sexual experiences were associated with higher levels of distress than thoughts not related to real-life sexual experiences. Among aggressive SITs, real-life experiences did not differentiate levels of distress. Thus, distress from SITs may be related to real-life experiences for some, but for those who experience aggressive SITs, the experience may be equally distressing for those who have and have not had an experience similar to the thought (The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, 2011: 20, 151-156). HIV and STI testing among East and Southeast Asian men who have sex with men in Toronto Maurice Kwong-Lai Poon¹,³, Josephine Pui-Hing Wong²,³, Noulmook Sutdhibhasilp³, Peter Trung-Thu Ho³,4, and Bernard Wong5 ¹ School of Social Work, York University, Toronto, ON ² Daphne Cockwell School of Nursing, Ryerson University, Toronto, ON ³ Asian Community AIDS Services, Toronto, ON 4 Regent Park Community Health Centre, Toronto, ON 5 Department of Mathematics, University of Toronto, Toronto. ON This study explored the patterns of HIV and STI testing, and factors associated with HIV testing in a convenience sample of 222 East and Southeast Asian men in Toronto recruited through a gay bathhouse and a gay website. Approximately 75% of the respondents had sex with a casual partner in the previous six months (with an average of 16.7 partners). Over 25% of the respondents did not know their current HIV status and 19.8% of the total sample reported at least one incident of unprotected anal sex with a casual partner in the past six months. Half of those who had not previously been tested for HIV or STIs cited “I am at low risk for HIV and STI and don’t need to be tested” as the main reason for not testing. Factors such as STI testing, history of seeking sex via bathhouses and the internet, having a casual partner or partners, and having higher numbers of casual partners in the past six months, were found to be associated with HIV testing. HIV prevention strategies need to continue to promote regular testing for HIV and STIs among Asian MSM. To increase testing, prevention efforts need to be focused on developing culturally and linguistically appropriate testing strategies that directly target altering risk perception and continue to emphasize the benefi t of early testing. Testing strategies should aim to increase awareness of and access to testing and offer different methods of testing (such as fi nger prick HIV tests) (The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, 2011: 20, 157-166). Sexual conversation networks and young adults’ sexual health in a Southeast-European context Jasmina Božic¹, Valerio Bacak¹,², and Aleksandar Štulhofer¹ ¹ Department of Sociology, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb, Croatia ² Department of Sociology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States Social network approach has conceptually and empirically improved research on HIV/AIDS by counterbalancing the individualized concepts of sexual decision-making. In the current study, associations between the structural characteristics of ego-centered networks and HIV-related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours were examined in a population-based sample (n = 1005) of young Croatian adults aged 18 - 25 years. The findings suggested that the associations between the selected HIV-relevant outcomes and the structural properties of social networks were weak and markedly gender-specific. Among women, network-based religiosity predicted HIV-related knowledge, while network density was related to attitudes toward condoms. Age homophily and network history were correlated with condom use at last intercourse among men. Future studies may improve the understanding of the associations between social networks and HIV-relevant beliefs and behaviours by exploring the possibility that network effects are not invariant over time (The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, 2011: 20, 167-179).

Volume 20, Number 4, 2011

Ethnic differences in sexual guilt between Anglo-Canadians and Franco-Québécois emerging adults: The mediating roles of family and religion

Emilie Eve Gravel¹, Marta Young¹, Marcela Olavarria-Turner¹ and Andrea Ming Si Lee¹

¹ School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON

Although research suggests that there are ethnic differences in sexual guilt, no research to date has compared different groups of European descent in North America. This is surprising considering that research in Canada has found differences pertaining to sexuality between Anglo-Canadians and Franco-Québécois (Barrett et al., 2004). Research has also shown that family and religion are important predictors of sexual guilt, although the relative contribution of these factors to ethnic differences in sexual guilt has seldom been examined. The present study sought to determine whether Anglo-Canadians and Franco-Québécois students differed with respect to sexual guilt and whether these potential differences would be mediated by differences in parental sexual permissiveness and religiosity. A total of 269 university students completed a questionnaire assessing sexual guilt, parental sexual permissiveness, and religiosity. Franco-Québécois students reported lower levels of sexual guilt than Anglo-Canadian students. Multiple mediation analysis suggests that this result was mediated by differences in parental sexual permissiveness and religiosity. Franco-Québécois students reported greater sexual permissiveness and lower religiosity in their parents than did Anglo-Canadian students which, in turn, accounted for their lower levels of sexual guilt. Our findings highlight the sociocultural nature of sexual guilt and the relevance of conceptualizing groups of European descent as “ethnic” in cross-cultural sexuality research (The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, 2011: 20, 129-142).

Digging in my secret garden: Disinhibitory effects of the “Hidden Observer” on reported sexual fantasies

Christopher T. Burris¹ and Stefanie Mathes²

¹ Department of Psychology, St. Jerome’s University, Waterloo, ON
² Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, PQ

Self-report biases can affect the results of survey-based sex research, and techniques that minimize their effects are often cumbersome. In this study, 91 undergraduates were asked to submit a narrative of their favourite sexual fantasy in response either to standard instructions or on behalf of their “hidden observer” (HO), the ostensible part of them that knows their deepest secrets and will reveal them if questioned directly (Altemeyer, 1996, Hilgard, 1973). Compared to standard instructions, HO instructions yielded fewer denials, refusals, and/or apologies for the length or content of disclosed fantasies, which were in turn more erotically detailed and explicit. The findings suggest that the HO technique’s potential as a user-friendly means of minimizing self-censoring in reports of sexual experiences, attitudes, and behaviours warrants further exploration (The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, 2011: 20, 143-150).

Sexual intrusive thoughts in a non-clinical sample: The effects of content and direct experience on distress level

Angela H. Smith¹, Chad T. Wetterneck² and Renata Harpster²

¹ University of Houston, Houston, TX
² University of Houston-Clear Lake, Houston, TX

Sexual intrusive thoughts (SITs) are common in both clinical and non-clinical populations and these experiences are distressing for many. The present study examined distress from SITs in relation to thought content and real-life sexual experiences in a non-clinical population. Participants (N = 209) reported their most distressing SIT and indicated whether or not the thought was related to a real-life event. SITs were categorized as aggressive or non-aggressive, and groups were compared in distress and endorsement of real-life sexual experiences. The thought of being a victim of sexual aggression was the most distressing SIT for over 40% of participants. Results indicated that there were no significant differences in distress between aggressive and non-aggressive SITs; however, thoughts related to real-life sexual experiences were associated with higher levels of distress than thoughts not related to real-life sexual experiences. Among aggressive SITs, real-life experiences did not differentiate levels of distress. Thus, distress from SITs may be related to real-life experiences for some, but for those who experience aggressive SITs, the experience may be equally distressing for those who have and have not had an experience similar to the thought (The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, 2011: 20, 151-156).

HIV and STI testing among East and Southeast Asian men who have sex with men in Toronto

Maurice Kwong-Lai Poon¹,³, Josephine Pui-Hing Wong²,³, Noulmook Sutdhibhasilp³,
Peter Trung-Thu Ho³,4, and Bernard Wong5

¹ School of Social Work, York University, Toronto, ON
² Daphne Cockwell School of Nursing, Ryerson University, Toronto, ON
³ Asian Community AIDS Services, Toronto, ON
4 Regent Park Community Health Centre, Toronto, ON
5 Department of Mathematics, University of Toronto, Toronto. ON

This study explored the patterns of HIV and STI testing, and factors associated with HIV testing in a convenience sample of 222 East and Southeast Asian men in Toronto recruited through a gay bathhouse and a gay website. Approximately 75% of the respondents had sex with a casual partner in the previous six months (with an average of 16.7 partners). Over 25% of the respondents did not know their current HIV status and 19.8% of the total sample reported at least one incident of unprotected anal sex with a casual partner in the past six months. Half of those who had not previously been tested for HIV or STIs cited “I am at low risk for HIV and STI and don’t need to be tested” as the main reason for not testing. Factors such as STI testing, history of seeking sex via bathhouses and the internet, having a casual partner or partners, and having higher numbers of casual partners in the past six months, were found to be associated with HIV testing. HIV prevention strategies need to continue to promote regular testing for HIV and STIs among Asian MSM. To increase testing, prevention efforts need to be focused on developing culturally and linguistically appropriate testing strategies that directly target altering risk perception and continue to emphasize the benefi t of early testing. Testing strategies should aim to increase awareness of and access to testing and offer different methods of testing (such as fi nger prick HIV tests) (The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, 2011: 20, 157-166).

Sexual conversation networks and young adults’ sexual health in a Southeast-European context

Jasmina Božic¹, Valerio Bacak¹,², and Aleksandar Štulhofer¹

¹ Department of Sociology, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb, Croatia
² Department of Sociology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States

Social network approach has conceptually and empirically improved research on HIV/AIDS by counterbalancing the individualized concepts of sexual decision-making. In the current study, associations between the structural characteristics of ego-centered networks and HIV-related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours were examined in a population-based sample (n = 1005) of young Croatian adults aged 18 - 25 years. The findings suggested that the associations between the selected HIV-relevant outcomes and the structural properties of social networks were weak and markedly gender-specific. Among women, network-based religiosity predicted HIV-related knowledge, while network density was related to attitudes toward condoms. Age homophily and network history were correlated with condom use at last intercourse among men. Future studies may improve the understanding of the associations between social networks and HIV-relevant beliefs and behaviours by exploring the possibility that network effects are not invariant over time (The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, 2011: 20, 167-179).

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