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School-based sexual health education plays a key role in providing young people with the information, motivation, and skills needed to enhance their sexual health. However, the extent and quality of sexual health education curricula varies across Canada. Though parents' support is often considered when making curricular decisions, there is limited data examining parental attitudes towards sexual health education across Canada. In the current study, we examined parental attitudes towards school-based sexual health education in a national sample of Canadian parents. Using an online survey, we examined overall support for the inclusion of sexual health education in schools, perceived quality of the sexual health education children received, assessed support for 33 sexual health education topics, and determined if parental support varied across geographic regions. Participants were 2,000 parents with children attending elementary and/or secondary school in Canada. The majority of parents (85%) agreed that sexual health education should be taught in the schools. Support was high across all regions in Canada, ranging from 82% in Ontario to 91% in the Atlantic provinces. However, significantly fewer parents in Ontario and Quebec supported school-based sexual health education compared to other regions. Overall, parents want a wide variety of topics included in school-based sexual health education and support the teaching of foundational topics in the early and middle school grades. The current study is the first to use a national sample to examine parents' attitudes towards sexual health education in schools. Results can inform provincial/territorial health education policies and national sexual health promotion strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Researchers' interest in the use of sex toys has increased in the past 10 years as products become more accepted in mainstream media, and incorporated into individuals' sexual scripts. Though researchers and health educators have emphasized the importance of sex toy use hygiene behaviours, few studies have addressed the extent to which individuals are sharing, cleaning and covering their sex toys. The current research examined 1) the prevalence, frequency, predictors, and types of sex toys use/used, 2) the prevalence/frequency of sex toy use hygiene behaviours (e.g., cleaning, sharing, covering) and 3) whether sex toy use hygiene behaviours were related to vulvovaginal health outcomes among a sample of Canadian participants. As part of a larger survey examining genital health and hygiene practices, 1435 participants across Canada completed an anonymous online survey. Prevalence of sex toy use was 52.3%. Sex toys users were more likely to report a bisexual, lesbian, queer or questioning identity and were more likely to report engaging in additional partnered sexual activities such as oral and anal sex. Participants used a wide variety of sex toys including vibrators, butt plugs, BDSM toys, and household items. Most participants indicated that they cleaned their sex toys regularly using soap and water and 21.7% reported sharing their sex toy(s) with a partner. Sex toy use is common among Canadian women and individuals report using a variety of sexual enhancement products. Implications for educators and medical practitioners working with sexually active clients are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oral sex has become a standard component of the heterosexual sexual script, though little is known about the level of pleasure men and women experience from giving and receiving oral sex and the extent to which relationship context is associated with levels of pleasure. The purpose of this study was to investigate gender differences in giving and receiving oral sex, and associations with pleasure experienced and partner type. Participants were 899 heterosexual university students who reported on their sexual activities in their most recent sexual encounter in an online survey. Over two-thirds of participants reported that their last sexual encounter included giving and/or receiving oral sex. More women (59%) than men (52%) reported giving oral sex to their partner. More men (63%) than women (44%) reported receiving oral sex. Most men (73%) and women (69%) reported that receiving oral sex was ''very pleasurable.'' Though most participants rated giving oral sex as at least ''somewhat pleasurable,'' men were significantly more likely than women to report that giving oral sex was very pleasurable (52% vs. 28%). Overall, ratings of pleasure for giving oral sex were higher for men, but no gender differences were found for overall pleasure ratings of receiving oral sex. Regardless of gender, higher pleasure ratings were reported when giving and receiving oral sex with more committed partners compared to more casual ones. Findings highlight the utility of discussing gendered norms for sexual behaviour with young people, and including pleasure-enhancing information in sexual health education programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research has traditionally cited pleasure and reproduction as the primary reasons to engage in sex. However, recent research suggests that there are many psychosocial reasons that women engage in sex and that relational factors such as relationship duration may also influence why women engage in sex. Few studies have examined reasons for sex among sexual minority women, although research has suggested that reasons may be similar to and different from those of heterosexual women. Using the YSEX? survey measure, the current study examined reasons for having sex among 229 lesbian, bisexual, queer and questioning women, aged 18-59 currently in a romantic relationship. The most frequent reasons women reported for engaging in sex were reasons related to pleasure and love/commitment. Contrary to theories of love and attachment, women in the current study did not report significantly different reasons for engaging in sex depending upon the duration of the relationship. Women in earlier stages of their relationship were just as likely to report engaging in sex to feel close to their partner, as were women in later stages of their relationship. In addition, women in later stages of their relationship were just as likely to report engaging in sex out of a physical desire for their partner as were women in earlier stages of their relationship. The strengths and limitations of the study, along with implications of the results are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parental/guardian support can be a key input for policy decision-making for sexual health education curriculum development and it is, therefore, critical to examine parental/guardian attitudes towards the principles underlying comprehensive sexual health education. The Canadian Guidelines for Sexual Health Education (SIECCAN, 2019) specify nine Core Principles of Comprehensive Sexual Health Education that should inform the planning and delivery of sexual health education programs. This study examines parental/guardian attitudes towards the Core Principles and determines whether attitudes vary based on demographic and regional variables. Two thousand parents/guardians from across Canada completed an online questionnaire assessing demographic characteristics and overall agreement with each of the Core Principles. There was strong consensus among parents/guardians; 73% to 85% support the inclusion of the nine Core Principles in the planning and development of sexual health education programs. We tested agreement with Core Principles in two ways: first using averaged scores across all Core Principle items, then across individual Core Principles. We found some statistically significant effects based on parent/guardian gender, educational attainment, region of residence, and importance of religion, however all effect sizes were small (between 1%–4% variance accounted for) suggesting these were not particularly meaningful. Therefore, findings demonstrate parental/guardian support across Canada for the Core Principles of Comprehensive Sexual Health Education. Understanding parents'/guardians' attitudes towards the philosophical underpinnings of sexual health education provides policymakers with a firmer understanding of parental perspectives which may be particularly salient as new issues emerge in public discourse about the content of sexual health education in schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]