E. Sandra Byers

Objective: This longitudinal study examined the dyadic associations between childhood trauma (CT) and relationship satisfaction, and the role of attachment insecurity therein. Background: CT is a known risk factor for couple dissatisfaction. One conceptual framework that may explain this association is attachment theory, which suggests that abusive or neglectful primary caregivers in childhood contribute to the development of insecure adult attachment and in turn, to lower romantic relationship satisfaction. Yet past studies examining the role of CT in adult couple relationships have primarily used cross-sectional and individual-level designs, limiting our understanding of how CT influences couples’ relationship satisfaction over time. Method: A convenience sample of 210 heterosexual cisgender and sexually/gender diverse community couples (M _age = 31 years old, SD = 8.50) completed online questionnaires at three time points (baseline, 6 months and 12 months) over one year. Based on the Actor-Partner Independence Model, cross-sectional and longitudinal mediation models were conducted. Results: A person’s greater history of CT was linked to both their own and their partner’s lower relationship satisfaction concurrently and with their own lower relationship satisfaction 12 months later. Attachment anxiety was a significant mediator of these associations. Conclusion: Results highlight the contribution of attachment anxiety as a central mechanism to couples’ relationship satisfaction in the aftermath of CT. They also underscore the enduring influence of distal interpersonal vulnerabilities on proximal relational outcomes via their expression in adult attachment dynamics, supporting the need for attachment- and trauma-informed care.

Teachers are key to the quality of school-based sexual health education (SHE) that students receive. The authors sought to determine teachers’ perceptions of the quality of the SHE they provide. In addition, they examined factors associated with these perceptions, topics about which little is known. Participants were 343 teachers aged 23 to 62 ( M = 41.55 years; 80.5% women) teaching at the elementary (K–5, n = 123), middle school (Grades 6–8, n = 160), and high school (Grades 9–12, n = 60) levels. Teachers typically reported partial coverage of assigned outcomes, rated their teaching quality as being moderate in quality on average (i.e., neither high nor low in quality), and indicated that they seldom or only occasionally used a range of teaching methods. Elementary school teachers rated their SHE teaching quality as significantly poorer than did middle school and high school teachers. Canonical correlation analysis indicated that higher quality ratings of one’s SHE teaching were associated with extensive in-service training and self-directed learning, greater experience teaching SHE, and more comfort and willingness to provide SHE. A second profile emerged of teachers who had more years teaching generally, more SHE teaching experience, more in-service training, and yet less willingness to provide SHE. This work underscores the need to study the teaching context more closely, as well as the willingness of teachers for self-directed learning in efforts to improve SHE delivery.

Pleasure is integral to our sexual lives, and young people report wanting to learn more about giving and receiving sexual pleasure. There has been little comparative research examining young people’s perceptions of the sources and quality of information about sexual pleasure they receive from formal and informal sources. The current study assessed reports of a sample of 345 young adults (18–25 years) about the quality and quantity of information learned about sexual pleasure from four formal (school-based sexual health education, parent[s]/guardian[s], healthcare professionals, religious institutions) and four informal (peers/friends, partner[s], media/internet, pornography) sources. The results suggest that young people are getting most of their information about sexual pleasure from informal sources. However, they did not perceive any sources, formal or informal, as providing high-quality information. Canonical correlation analysis indicated that the quantity and quality of sexual pleasure information from informal, but not from formal, sources, was associated with a range of positive outcomes related to sexual pleasure, including a broader conceptualization of sexual pleasure, more frequent dyadic sexual activity, and more pleasurable first and current sexual experiences. Findings are discussed in terms of implications for ensuring that young people’s sexual rights to information about sexual pleasure are met.

Despite the importance of school-based sexual health education (SHE) for enhancing sexual health outcomes, little is known about the SHE youth receive in Spain. The goal of this research was to shed light on the experience of SHE of Spanish adults. Participants were 524 Spaniards (73% women, 27% men) between 18 to 70 years of age (M = 35.29, SD = 11.68) who completed an on-line survey. This survey collected information on whether and during which courses they had received SHE in high school. In addition, participants indicated the extent to which each of 10 important sexual health topics had been covered in their school-based SHE. On average, participants indicated that these 10 important SHE topics were covered between not at all and poorly. Biological topics were most likely to be covered at least to a small extent. Participants who received SHE on average received it in two different grades, most often around 14-16 years old. These participants, on average, rated the quality of the SHE as poor. There were no differences in perceptions of the extent or quality of SHE based on age-group or sexual orientation. However, women reported receiving significantly less SHE than did men; there were no gender differences in perceptions of the quality of SHE. Participants who had received SHE in more grades reported more extensive and higher quality SHE. Results reflect that SHE in high schools in Spain is still very limited, which could be related to poorer sexual health. To improve sexual health, it would be necessary to enhance the SHE provided in Spanish schools.

Sexual health and well-being are important components of overall well-being and quality of life. Yet, little is known about autistic persons’ self-reported sexual health and well-being in Canada. In the current study, 3,551 youth aged 16–24 from across Canada were surveyed, including 419 youth who reported an autism diagnosis or self-identified as autistic. We examined demographic and sexual health data from autistic youth and assessed differences/similarities with non-autistic youth on key indicators. A significantly greater percentage of autistic youth reported a transgender identity (22.5% vs. 1.9%), an asexual identity (7.0% vs. 2.7%), and an LGBQ+ sexual orientation (55.6% vs. 22.3%), compared to non-autistic youth. Autistic youth were just as likely as non-autistic youth to value sexual pleasure. On average, autistic youth rated their sexual health as “good,” and many were happy with their sexual lives. Half were in a committed relationship, and autistic youth in relationships were generally sexually and emotionally satisfied in their relationships. Many had engaged in partnered sexual behaviours (e.g., touching genitals, oral sex, penis–vagina sex), with a higher percentage of autistic youth reporting that they had ever had penis–anal sex (30.8% vs. 22.6%). Autistic youth and non-autistic youth reported similar condom/barrier use for most sexual behaviours. The implications of these findings for sexual health promotion with autistic youth are discussed.

Little is known about the attitudes toward female genitals of men who are attracted to women. This is an important omission because these attitudes may influence men's own sexual experiences; they may also influence the genital self-image of their female partners if these views are knowingly or unknowingly communicated. Therefore, we examined men's views of women's genitals both globally and with respect to specific aspects. Participants were 212 self-identified men who completed an online survey that included scales assessing the men's views of female genitals, perceptions of women's satisfaction with their own genitals, sexual experience, and genital feedback provided to female partners. All were attracted to and had sexual experience with women. On average the men's attitudes toward female genitals were moderately positive, although they ranged from negative to very positive. The men did not rate any of 24 listed specific female genital aspects as extremely important to them. The men believed that the majority of women feel positively about their own genitals. However, a comparison with published data collected from women revealed that men's estimates of the percentage of women who are satisfied with their genitals were lower than the percentage of women who actually report that they are satisfied with their genitals. This discrepancy was particularly large with respect to genital appearance. A path analysis revealed that men with more positive attitudes toward female genitals reported having more lifetime sexual partners and providing more frequent positive genital feedback and less frequent negative genital feedback to partners. These results suggest that although men generally have moderately positive attitudes toward female genitals, there is considerable variability among men ranging from negative to very positive. The study also provided some evidence that men's views of female genitals may adversely affect both the men themselves and their female partners.

Sexual consent is essential for preventing sexual assault. Research on sexual consent in Spain is hampered by the lack of an appropriate measure. The aim of this study was to translate and assess the psychometric properties of the Sexual Consent Scale–Revised using a sample of 557 Spanish individuals between 18 and 60 years old. An exploratory factor analysis followed by a confirmatory factor analysis supported the Spanish SCS-R factorial structure. Reliability analyses and invariance testing demonstrated its good psychometric properties and invariance with respect to age and gender. The Spanish SCS-R is a useful tool to evaluate sexual consent among young men and women as well as men and women older than 30 years of age.