Long-Distance Relationships: Just as beneficial as Proximal Relationships?
By Cindy Mackie My mother always told me to never sacrifice my schooling, a career, or an important goal of mine for a guy. But what are you supposed to do if you are in a loving relationship and an opportunity arises in a location geographically far from your...
The Pros and Cons of the Sex Robot Revolution
By Justin Dubé If you’ve been paying attention to the news, your grandparents, or society in general, you’ve likely been privy to the technology debate. On the one hand, early tech adopters expound on the benefits of progress, of efficiency, of swiping right (or,...
Trans health education in medical school: The current state of things
By Carmen Boudreau A recent study published in LGBT Health explored the benefit of trans health-specific education sessions for health professions students [1]. In the study, 46 students were asked to complete ten lunchtime sessions where they were educated on...
We Need to Talk: Disclosure of Sexual Problems
By Kat Merwin This blog summarizes our recently published paper: Merwin, K. E., O’Sullivan, L. F., & Rosen, N. O. (2017). We need to talk: Disclosure of sexual problems is associated with depression, sexual functioning, and relationship satisfaction in women....
Understanding gender
By Maria Glowacka A few years ago I went to a workshop entitled, Towards a Collaborative Approach to Trans Health Care. I thought that I knew all of the appropriate terms and how to respect everyone’s gender identities, but realized during this workshop that there was...
Fear-Based Reasons For Not Engaging in Sexual Activity During Pregnancy
By Jaimie Beveridge This blog summarizes our recently published paper: Beveridge, J. K., Vannier, S. A., & Rosen, N. O. (2017). Fear-based reasons for not engaging in sexual activity during pregnancy: Associations with sexual and relationship well-being. Journal...
So you’re applying for your clinical psychology residency…
By Kate Rancourt First things first, take a deep breath. As you’re probably expecting, the process of securing your clinical psychology residency is not a walk in the park. But it’s also not a slog through the swamp of misery. I’d say it’s more like the average day in...
Sexual Distress and Sexual Problems during Pregnancy
This is a summary of our recently published paper: Vannier, S.A., & Rosen, N. O. (2017). Sexual Distress and Sexual Problems during Pregnancy: Associations with Sexual and Relationship Satisfaction. Journal of Sexual Medicine. doi: 10.1016/j.jsxm.2016.12.239 By...
Let’s talk about sex baby…
Image: Shutterstock/Alina Cardiae Photography By: Kat Merwin Do you ever communicate with your partner during sex? Do you let them know when you’re enjoying something? Or when you’re not? Then this article is for you! Do you shudder at the very idea of attempting...
New Parents: How empathy for your partner can be beneficial for your relationship post-baby
This is a summary of our recently published paper: Rosen, Mooney, & Muise, (2016). Dyadic Empathy Predicts Sexual and Relationship Well-Being in Couples Transitioning to Parenthood. Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy. doi: 10.1080/0092623X.2016.1208698 By Kayla...
Practice Makes Passable: Practical Advice for GRE Prep.
By Justin Dubé People will tell you there is no way to study for the GRE. They are wrong. The GRE is a puzzle and, like any puzzle, it can be solved. Although there are likely many ways to prepare for the test, I found practicing the GRE (over and over, multiplied by...
Why I love being a scientist-practitioner…maybe you will too… [A blog post for those considering a PhD in Clinical Psychology]
By Serena Corsini-Munt Image credit: flickr user CollegeDegrees360 So you’re thinking about applying for a PhD in Clinical Psychology? This might mean that you are pursuing a career as a practicing psychologist. You may want to be trained to provide psychotherapy to...
Diagnosing Sexual Dysfunction
By Maria Glowacka Are you wondering if your sexual problem is a sexual dysfunction? First, if you’re wondering whether you should go talk to a health professional about a sexual problem you have been experiencing, the answer is YES if it is distressing to you and/or...
A New Baby in the Bedroom: Frequency and Severity of Postpartum Sexual Concerns and Their Associations With Relationship Satisfaction in New Parent Couples
By Hera Schlagintweit *Note: This is a summary of our recently published paper: Schlagintweit, H. E., Bailey, K., & Rosen, N. O. (2016). A New Baby in the Bedroom: Frequency and Severity of Postpartum Sexual Concerns and Their Associations With Relationship...
Maintaining affection despite pain: Daily associations between physical affection and sexual and relationship well-being in women with genito-pelvic pain
By Sarah Vannier *Note: This is a summary of our recently published paper Vannier, S.A., Rosen, N.O., Mackinnon, S.P., & Bergeron, S. (2016). Maintaining affection despite pain: Daily associations between physical affection and sexual and relationship well-being...
How does sexuality before pregnancy affect sexuality during and after pregnancy?
By Jaimie Beveridge Perhaps unsurprisingly, research has found that many women experience changes to their sexuality and sexual relationship during pregnancy and the postpartum period [1]. These changes can include: decreases in how often women desire and...
Page Turner: Come as You Are by Emily Nagoski
A brief book review by Kate Rancourt The book: Come as You Are: The Surprising New Science That Will Transform Your Sex Life Author: Emily Nagoski, Ph.D. I’m surprised I didn’t know of Emily Nagoski prior to reading this book. My impression of her now can be summed up...
Do You Know When Your Partner is in the Mood for Sex?
By Amy Muise *This post originally appear on Science of Relationships Sometimes it’s obvious that our partner is interested in having sex—they might give us that seductive look or special touch. But other times it might be clear that tonight’s not the night—our...
Eye on Research: Is High Sexual Desire a Risk for Women’s Relationship and Sexual Well-Being?
By Hannah Richardson Have you ever wondered how much sexual desire is “normal”? Are you a woman that has ever felt like you have “too high” of a sex drive? To start off, we should probably begin with defining some key terms: sexual desire and hypersexuality. Sexual...
Eye on Research: What Keeps Passion Alive? Sexual Satisfaction Is Associated With Sexual Communication, Mood Setting, Sexual Variety, Oral Sex, Orgasm, and Sex Frequency in a National U.S. Study
By Cassandra Fralic Maintaining sexual interest, desire, passion and satisfaction over time in romantic relationships can be challenging. A group of American researchers looked at how couples in long term relationships maintain their spark. You’d think that all of the...
Why You Have Sex Matters for Your Desire and Satisfaction
By Amy Muise (Note:This post was originally written for the website Science of Relationships) Think about a time when you engaged in sex with your partner in an effort to promote a positive outcome in your relationship, such as to feel closer to your partner or...
Sexual Contingent Self-Worth
Written by: Maria Glowacka People might base their self-esteem on all kinds of things in their lives, including their relationships with others. When people think they have succeeded in these areas, they feel good about themselves, but when they think they’ve failed,...
Research Spotlight: Differences in Pornography Use and Relationship Wellbeing in Couples
By: Michelle Flynn While many research studies have examined individual or couple pornography use, differences between partners’ pornography use have gone unexplored. Researchers at Brigham Young University tackled this gap in research by surveying 1755 heterosexual...
Let’s Talk (To Each Other) About Sex!
By Megan Wood Effective communication between partners in a romantic relationship is important for both relationship and sexual satisfaction. However, certain aspects of a relationship - such as sex - can be difficult and scary to talk about with a significant other....
Sexual satisfaction: What is it and why does it matter?
By Jaimie Beveridge Women’s ability to desire and enjoy sex has been largely disregarded throughout history. For centuries, women in the Western world were restricted in their ability to engage in and enjoy sexual activities so much so that they had to go to their...
Is More Sex Always Better?
By Amy Muise When it comes to sex, the more the better right? Popular perception would suggest that the answer to this question is yes. Media messages often tout the benefits of sex, going as far as to suggest that having sex every day in a relationship might be one...
Why we study PVD (provoked vestibulodynia)
By Maria Glowacka We have exceptional health services in Nova Scotia for women. Still, some health problems that affect women’s physical and sexual health can be neglected due to misinformation and a lack of research to inform better treatment options. One such...
Viva la Vulva!
By Kathleen Merwin When it comes to vaginas, there are a lot of common misconceptions out there! So today we’re going to clear up a few myths about your muff in order to help you take care of ‘down there!’ Before we get into the nitty-gritty of it all, let’s...
Looking Beyond the “Barbie Doll” Aesthetic
By Kate Rancourt **Just a note: Although we know that genital self-image matters for all people, this post focuses on genital self-image among persons with vulvas who identify as women.** We often think about relationships as being between two people, but what about...
Women and Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder
If I don’t want to have sex with my partner, is there something wrong with me? Written by: Kayla Mooney It can be a tricky relationship situation in which to find yourself. You are in a relationship with your ideal partner, and things are going well. Yet, for some...
Living with Lichen Sclerosus
Have you ever heard of Lichen Sclerosus? One women talks to use about her experience living with this often painful skin condition.
Research Spotlight: Sexual Functioning during Pregnancy
* Our research spotlight series highlights recent and interesting peer-reviewed articles Written by: Sarah Vannier Pregnancy can be an exciting time when expectant parents are looking forward to meeting their new child. However, pregnancy can bring about a lot of...
Male Circumcision: Are We Making the Cut Too Soon?
Written by: Megan Wood Male circumcision and its necessity is a frequent debate in today’s society. However, the topic of circumcision cannot be regarded as new. Circumcision has been a prevalent aspect of history for religious humans; both Judaism and Islam...
Research Spotlight: Division of Labour and Sexual Satisfaction in First-Time Parents
New parents who are happy with division of labour in their relationship also report greater sexual satisfaction.
Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch Me
Why touch is so important in our romantic relationships.
Vulvodynia FAQs: Part 2
Read Part 2 of our FAQ on vulvo-vaginal pain.
Vulvodynia FAQs: Part 1
Many women with vulvo-vaginal pain have seen numerous medical professionals, yet still do not feel as though they really know what their pain is, or what causes it. Find the answers to some frequently asked questions about vulvo-vaginal pain.