Grant: CIHR Fellowship

Research has shown that gendered power dynamics within heterosexual relationships influence sexual health outcomes in both positive and negative ways. Gendered power dynamics are generally characterized by inequity. This inequity or imbalance in power often means that women have less power within relationships as compared to males. This imbalance in power often stems from gender - the social expectations of what it means to be a man or a woman. This project proposes to investigate the positive aspects of sexual health and the gendered dynamics of power among young heterosexual Canadians living in rural and Northern settings in British Columbia. Adolescents living in rural and Northern communities face unique challenges as compared to their urban counterparts which may impede their ability to achieve positive sexual health. First, this project will use interviews to talk to young people about how they experience and use power within their sexual relationships. The results of these interviews will be used to develop a survey to explore the links between the gendered dynamics of power, social determinants of health (e.g. income, ethnicity), and positive (e.g. communication, pleasure) and negative (e.g. sexually transmitted infections) sexual health outcomes. This research will improve our understanding of the sexual health of young rural and Northern Canadians, a unique and often overlooked population. The addition of a positive perspective will provide a more complete picture of young people's sexual health, which extends beyond risk and negative outcomes. Moreover, this project will help us understand how the gendered power dynamics influence both positive and negative outcomes and provide insight into issues of gender equity. This enhanced perspective will allow for the creation of programs and interventions that reach young people more effectively to improve their sexual health.