Grant: Pr.Gr.- PA: Sex/Gend. in Health Res.- Sex/gender sci. health equity pri. Comm.

The sexual health of Black women is devalued by their absence in sexual health science. Sexual pain (pelvic pain experienced during sexual activity) is a particularly salient and distressing issue for Black women, as pain experiences of Black women are often misunderstood, misrepresented, misdiagnosed, and ignored. Researchers have called for studies that allow Black women to define their own experiences of sexual pain and for critical examinations of the relevance of existing sexual pain measures to them. Although limited research in sexual pain in Black women exists, it focuses on Black women in the US, who are primarily of African descent or origin. However, two-thirds of the Black population in Canada are of Caribbean descent or origin. The proposed research program aims to explore how Black women in Canada define sexual pain and to investigate whether existing measures accurately assess Black women's experiences of sexual pain. It aims to answer the following research questions: How do Black women in Canada define and conceptualize their experiences of sexual pain? Are current measures accurately capturing Black Canadian women's sexual pain experiences? A sample of 30 Black women will participate in individual in-depth interviews (1-1.5 hours) where they will be asked to define sexual pain and to describe their own experiences of sexual pain. Thematic analysis will be conducted to analyze interview responses. Items from existing sexual pain measures will be compared to the themes identified in the thematic analysis. A second independent sample of 400 Black women will complete an online survey assessing how well existing sexual pain measures fit their lived experiences. Findings will inform accurate and personalized assessment of Black women's sexual pain experiences and improve healthcare system and providers' engagement with Black women in Canada.