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For some people, it’s Valentines’ Day — plural. They might keep quiet about it, and it might be highly stigmatized, but there are some who engage in group sex in various ways and for a variety of reasons.
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We just don’t know much about them, how many take part, what exactly they’re up to, or the state of their sexual health.
That’s why a team of researchers at the University of Victoria is launching a wide-ranging national survey as part of their Group Sex Project.
It’s a little risqué in some people’s eyes, but researcher Aki Gormezano says it aims to fill a public health void surrounding a taboo subject.
A U.S. study shows nearly one in 10 Americans have engaged in group sex, but data is virtually nonexistent in Canada.
“There have been smaller studies and interview research conducted before, but most (took) place in other countries or … focused on specific communities, rather than on the diverse population of people who participate in group sex.
“This work grew out of a realization that there was a large gap in what we know about these communities and their well-being,” says Gormezano.
“We started with interviews and key informants to understand their needs and challenges. A national survey will help us understand what is happening across the country, how things vary, and to be able to quantify these issues.”
The UVic team hopes to collect 750 responses to an online survey to better understand how people have safer group sex, what makes group sex experiences positive, and what contributes to high-quality health care.
Gormezano, a post-doctoral fellow in the UVic school of public health and social policy, says the survey will collect data on the “emotional, physical and psychological health of group sex participants.”
It will also seek to learn what harm reduction practices are prevalent around sexual consent, substance use and sexually transmitted infections.
Gormezano points out that, unsurprisingly, preliminary research shows group sex participants are reluctant to discuss it with health-care providers. The research aims to give those professionals a better understanding of how to ensure the health of those who engage in group sex.
“It is important that we provide health care, prevention and support services that are informed by evidence,” says Gormezano. “Without understanding these practices and communities, we neglect an important part of some people’s lives.”
It’s not just for people who tried an orgy or threesome once, says Gormezano. “We have learned that there is a huge diversity of group sex practice and communities, and we have tried to design our research to be as inclusive as possible.
“Valentine’s Day is for everyone and all forms of love, intimacy and connection, and we see this as a great opportunity to draw attention to this underserved group,” Gormezano says.
“There’s this stereotype of group sex as hedonistic, unscrupulous pursuit of sex,” he says. “For many people, group sex comes with a strong sense of community and belonging and feelings of closeness and friendship with other people they’re participating in group sex with.”
The project team works with an advisory board of people with experience attending and hosting group sex events in B.C. It has presented at several conferences and published two papers in The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality. The work is funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council and Canadian Institutes of Health Research.
Survey participants must be 18 or older, live in Canada, and have participated in group sex at least once within the past five years. To find out more or take a survey, go to the Group Sex Project website.