Research on casual sexual relationships and experiences (CSREs) has increased in the last decade; however, there is no consensus about the scope and definition of CSREs. To describe the main forms of CSREs, a latent profile analysis was performed on single and sexually active men and women aged from 18 to 30 years old who described their last casual sexual experience. Five profiles were identified: 1) the one-time sexual encounter; 2) the ex-romantic partnership, in which one still has sexual contact after ending their romantic relationship; 3) the mostly about sex partnership, in which contacts are primarily sexual, whether or not a friendship exists; 4) the intimate and sexual partnership, a hybrid of friend and romantic partner with whom one has frequent sexual and social interactions without commitment or intent to form a couple; 5) the friendship first partnership, a friendship to which sex is added, where social activities and friendly interactions dominate. Participants across profiles differed according to the number of sexual partners in the past year, their intention of having other sexual contacts with the partner, being under the influence of alcohol or drugs during the most recent sexual encounter with their partner and their type of sexual exclusivity agreement. This research contributes to a better description and understanding of CSREs among young adults and to further specifying its area of investigation.

Social representations, which appear in a variety of media, can influence the way sexual experiences are perceived and understood. While pornography is not the only medium in which orgasm is portrayed, it is the most explicit, and it is widespread and easily accessible. As such, pornography is an ideal medium for examining representations of male and female orgasm. PornHub's 50 most viewed videos of all time were viewed and coded for the frequency of male and female orgasm, orgasm-inducing sex acts (and whether activity inducing female orgasms included some form of clitoral stimulation), and auditory (verbal, vocal) and visual (bodily) indicators of orgasm. Content analysis was used to code and analyze the data. Results were analyzed in light of sexual script theory and previous orgasm research. Only 18.3% of women, compared to 78.0% of men, were shown reaching orgasm. Sex differences in depictions of orgasm, beyond the appearance of semen, were documented. Results support the male performance script as evident in pornographic depictions of orgasm, as well as coital and orgasm imperatives. As a result, representations of male and female orgasm in mainstream pornography may serve to perpetuate unrealistic beliefs and expectations in relation to female orgasm and male sexual performance.

While past studies have measured several indicators of relationship quality in relation to types of relationship agreement, most have not included polyamorous relationships, and have almost exclusively included samples of gay men. The purpose of this study was to address this gap by examining five dimensions of relationship quality and eight dimensions of relationship equity in a sexually diverse Canadian sample (N ¼ 3463) across three types of relationship agreements (monogamous, open, and polyamorous). The data were collected online as part of a larger study. In order to compare relationship types on relationship dimensions, MANCOVAs were computed using age, relationship

Most studies on casual sexual relationships and experiences (CSREs) are quantitative and focus on characteristics of individuals who experience them. There has been an increase in qualitative research on CSREs that have revealed new insights into how they are experienced among young adults. To synthesize qualitative knowledge on how CSREs are experienced, a qualitative metasynthesis was carried out using 13 studies published up to June, 2015, yielding seven conceptual categories. Opportunities and choices regarding CSREs were organized according to biographical context, socioenvironmental context, and peer norms. Expectations of CSREs related to lack of communication, emotional, and sexual commitment or accountability. Implicit rules allowed maintaining boundaries between sex and emotion. Thus, CSREs can satisfy various needs related to sex and intimacy. Sex in CSREs was reported as pleasure-centred, accessible, and improved when experienced in association with intimacy. However, intimacy and gender roles interfered with condom use. The sexual double standard and gender roles limited women's agency and enjoyment of sex. Expectations for the lack of intimacy and communication conflicted with developing unrequited feelings, resulting in self-blame and attempts to suppress emotions. While partners may have a hard time defining their relationship over time, some CSREs involved developing friendships or romance, and ruining friendships. The results indicate a clash between expectations, rules, and experiences of CSREs. The lack of symbolic markers for the meaning or status of CSREs as they develop can be seen as a consequence of the complexity of these relationships.

Relationships between victimization, termination of pregnancy (ToP), diagnosis of sexually transmitted infection (STI), and emergency contraceptive use were examined using data from a survey of university students in Montreal, Canada. Female students who had been sexually active in the past two years with at least one male partner were included (n=1,812). Victimization experiences were assessed, and logistic regressions were performed to predict the correlates of lifetime use of emergency contraception, ToP, and ever having been diagnosed with an STI. In this sample, 36.1% reported intimate partner violence (IPV), 8.5% reported sexual assault (SA) and 18.9% reported both SA and IPV. Factors statistically associated with emergency contraceptive use, ToP and STI diagnosis were older age, financial hardship, migratory trajectory, early sexual initiation, and dual victimization. These data indicate that the reproductive health needs of female university students experiencing victimization are unmet. Interventions should focus on victimization screening and enhancing reproductive autonomy.