Oral

In this session, innovative research addresses new areas of study and provides important insights into sexual practices and sexual health knowledge. Many persons vividly remember their first experience of vaginal intercourse. However, little is known about how young people communicate their consent to initiate intercourse. In a large survey of students from four universities, the characteristics of first intercourse experiences will be described, including how consent was determined and whether contraception was used. Exposure to sexually explicit media (SEM; i.e., pornography) is known to be associated with high risk sexual behaviors but not much is known about the other characteristics of persons who use SEM. In this presentation important correlates of SEM use will be discussed, including quality of life, health status and mental health problems. Few studies have evaluated whether personal lubricants improve the comfort of sexual intercourse and reduce the risk of vaginal tearing. In a prospective study of 2453 women, data will be presented on the frequency of lubricant use and how it impacts the risk of pain and vaginal tears during intercourse. In the final presentation, the authors will explore the sexual education potential of in-home sex toy parties. These events could provide important teachable moments related to sexual health for thousands of women.

Session Objectives: 1) Characterize how consent is communicated during young persons’ first experience of sexual intercourse and whether the nature of consent affects contraception use. 2) Compare users and non-users of sexually explicit media in terms of the quality of their lives, health status, and mental health problems. 3) Evaluate whether the use of personal lubricants during vaginal intercourse reduces the risk of pain and vaginal tears. 4) Explore the potential of in-home sex toy parties as an outreach strategy for health education related to sexual health.

CE Credits: Medical (CME), Health Education (CHES), Nursing (CNE), Public Health (CPH)