Let's Talk About Sex
Sex is an important part of Canadians' lives
A full majority (72%) indicates that sex is an important part of their lives compared to 26% who don't think that it is.
Those most likely to indicate that sex is an important part of their lives are from Quebec (76%) and Alberta (76%), are between 35 and 54 (80%), live with their partner (84%), are among the most affluent (86% among those with household incomes over $55,000) and have completed university (78%). It is also of interest that when examining the data on the basis of marital status, married people are the second most likely group to indicate that sex is an important part of their lives (81%).
Those most likely to respond negatively to the assertion that "sex is an important part of my life" are those from Saskatchewan/Manitoba (39% disagree), Canadians over 55 (38%), widows (71%), the least affluent (48% among those with household incomes below $25,000) and those who have not completed high school (34%).
There is an interesting gender gap wherein 81% of men indicate that sex is an important part of their lives, whereas only 64% of women feel the same way.
Eight in ten Canadians indicate that sex is either an ageless act or that individuals stop having sex after 90
Almost eight in ten Canadians indicate that they think individuals either never stop having sex (38%) or that they don't stop until after they are 90 (39%). In addition, 17% indicate that individuals stop having sex between 61 and 70 years, 12% between 51 and 60 years, 4% between 40 and 50 years, 2% between 81 and 90, and 1% indicate that sex stops before 40.
Atlantic Canadians (46%) believe that individuals never stop having sex and 47% believe sex stops after 90), those between 35 and 54 years (44% and 45%) women (41% and 42%), divorced Canadians (49% and 51%), Canadians with household incomes over $55,000 (42% and 45%) and those who have completed university (41% and 43%) are the most likely to indicate that individuals never stop having sex or that sex stops after 90.
It is interesting that 18% of Canadians believe that individuals stop having sex before they reach 65 years. There are some regional and demographic variations in these data. Quebeckers (21%), Canadians between 18 and 34 (28%), men (24% (twice as likely as women)), single Canadians (29%), and those with household incomes below $25,000 (35%) are the most likely to indicate that individuals stop having sex before they reach 65 years of age.
One quarter (25%) of Canadians have had only one sexual partner. On average, Canadians have had eight sexual partners
One quarter (25%) indicate that they have had one sexual partner in their lifetime. An additional 12% have had 2 partners, 22% indicate that they have had 3 to 5 partners, 15% between 6 and 10, 8% between 11 and 20, 4% between 21 and 50 and 2% have had over 50 partners in their life time.
On average, Canadians have had 8 sexual partners each. Those in BC (11.2 partners), Canadians between 18 and 34 years (8.8), divorced Canadians (18.4), those with household incomes between $25,000 and $55,000 (9.6) and Canadians whose highest level of education is high school (9.2) have had the most number of partners.
Those with the fewest sexual partners include, Atlantic Canadians (4.6), those over 55 years (7.6), women (3.5), widows (1.7), those with household incomes below $25,000 (7.1) and those who have completed a university degree (6.4).
Once again, there is a discrepancy between men and women. Women are twice as likely as men to indicate that they have had only one partner (34% versus 17%). In addition, on average, men have had almost four times as many partners as women (12.6 versus 3.5). Further, men are far more likely than women to indicate that they have had over 21 partners (10% of men versus 1% of women).
The plurality (34%) has sex between 5 and 10 times a month
Atlantic Canadians "out-sex" the rest of the country as they have sex most frequently
Canadians were asked to indicate about how many times a month they have sex.
When asked this question, 17% indicate `none', 21% indicate between one and four times, 34% indicate between five and ten times, 14% indicate between 11 and 20 times and 3% indicate that they have sex more than 20 times a month.
On average, Canadians indicate that they have sex 6.2 times per month. Atlantic Canadians (7.5 times a month), those between 18 and 34 (8.9 times), men (6.9 times), those living with their partner (12 times) and Canadians with household incomes over $55,000 (7.3 times) have sex the most often. Those who have sex the least often include, residents of Saskatchewan/Manitoba (4.7 times), Canadians over 55 (2.4 times), women (5.6 times), widows (0.2 times), single people (5.3 times) and Canadians with household incomes below $25,000 (4.6 times).
It is interesting that while Atlantic Canadians have had the fewest partners, they have sex more often each month than other Canadians.
Eight in ten (80%) Canadians believe that birth control is a shared responsibility
Eight in ten (80%) Canadians indicate that when a couple is considering having sex, and don't wish to have a child, that both the man and the woman should be responsible for ensuring that they have reliable birth control. 12% indicate that the woman should be responsible and 8% indicate that it should be the man's responsibility.
Although there are different regional and socio-demographic pronunciations, an overwhelming majority of Canadians across regional and socio-demographic categories believe that the responsibility for birth control is a shared one.
While the majority (85%) of British Columbians indicate that birth control is a shared responsibility, they are the only Canadians who are more likely to place the responsibility for birth control on the man (10%) than on the woman (4%). Quebeckers and Atlantic Canadians (16% each) are the most likely to name the woman as the person responsible for birth control. However, Quebeckers are also the most likely to name the man as the person who should be responsible for birth control (11%). Albertans are the most likely to indicate that it is a shared responsibility (87%).
Those most likely to indicate that birth control is a shared responsibility are between 35 and 54 (84%), women (81%), divorced Canadians (86%), those with household incomes over $55,000 (85%) and those who have completed university (83%). Canadians over 55 (72%), widows (65%) and Canadians who have not completed high school (70%) are among the least likely to indicate that birth control is a shared responsibility.
It is interesting that while an overwhelming majority of men (81%) and women (79%) both feel that the responsibility for birth control is a shared one, they are each slightly more inclined to indicate that their own gender should be responsible. In particular, 10% of men indicate that men should be responsible for birth control compared to 8% who believe that women should be and 15% of women place the responsibility on women compared to 6% who indicate that the responsibility should fall to men.
Majority (58%) indicates they would use sexual aids such as videos and vibrators
Six in ten (58%) Canadians indicate that they would use sexual aids such as videos and vibrators.
Quebeckers (69%), younger Canadians (61% among those between 18 and 34), those living with their partner (70%) and those with household incomes over $55,000 (61%) are the most likely to use sexual aids.
A majority of Atlantic Canadians (56%) indicate that they would never use sexual aids such as videos and vibrators. In addition, those over 55 (47%), married and widowed Canadians (45% each) and those with incomes between $25,000 and $55,000 (43%) are the most likely to indicate that they would never use sexual aids such as videos or vibrators.
A small proportion of Canadians (3%) use sex lines
Two percent of Canadians have visited an erotic massage parlour, hired a prostitute or used an escort service
Three percent of Canadians have used the personal ads to find romantic partner
Very few Canadians indicate that they have ever called a telephone sex line (3%), patronised an erotic massage parlour, hired a prostitute or used an escort service (2%), or used the personal ads in a newspaper to find a romantic partner (3%). These results are consistent across all regional and socio-demographic categories.
Regarding sex lines, one small exception is that 5% of single Canadians indicate that they have called a sex line in the past. In addition, at the top of the list, 6% of Canadians who live with their partner indicate that they have patronised an erotic massage parlour, hired a prostitute or used an escort service. Further, 6% of each Quebeckers and single people indicate that they have used the personal ads in a newspaper to find a romantic partner.
One quarter (24%) want to go back to the free love 1960s
One quarter (24%) of Canadians wish that the 1990s were more like the `free-love' 1960s. An additional three-quarters (72%) do not share this perspective. A consistent majority across all regional and socio-demographic categories does not want to revisit the free love sixties.
Those most likely to want to take a trip back in time to the free-love sixties are British Columbians and Quebeckers (31% each), younger Canadians (28% among those between 18 and 34), those who live with their partners (41%), those with household incomes below $25,000 (30%) and Canadians who have not completed high school (44%).
Those most likely to indicate that they do not want to revisit the free-love sixties include Albertans and Ontarians (76% each), Canadians between 35 and 54 (79%), married Canadians (78%), those with household incomes over $55,000 (80%) and those who have attended some form of post secondary education but have not obtained a university degree (80%).
Men and women feel differently about the free-love sixties. Almost twice as many men want the nineties to be more like the sixties compared to women (32% versus 17%).
Majority (61%) support parenting and sex education classes for engaged people prior to their marriage
Six in ten Canadians (61%) indicate that engaged people should be required to take parenting and sex education classes before they are married. An additional four in ten (38%) disagree with this requirement.
Sex education and parenting classes are supported the most by Albertans (67%), Canadians over 55 (77%), women (63%), widows (78%), divorced Canadians (77%), those with incomes below $25,000 (66%) and Canadians without a high school diploma (66%).
Those most likely to disagree that engaged people should be required to take parenting and sex education classes before they are married include, Quebeckers (44%), younger Canadians (50% among those between 18 and 34), men (39%), those living with their partner (51%), those with household incomes between $25,000 and $55,000 (38%) and Canadians whose highest level of education is high school (39%).
Over half (55%) of Canadians have been to a strip club
Over half (55%) of Canadians have been to a strip club. 44% indicate that they have never been to a strip club.
Atlantic Canadians (62%), Quebeckers (61%), those between 35 and 54 years (65%), Canadians living with their partners (66%), those with household incomes over $55,000 (65%) and Canadians with a university degree (58%) are among the most likely to indicate that they have been to a strip club.
Residents of Saskatchewan/Manitoba (55%), Canadians over 55 years (62%), widows (82%), those with household incomes below $25,000 (59%) and those whose highest level of education is high school (50%) are the most likely to indicate that they have never visited a strip club.
Once again, there is an interesting gender split wherein men are twice as likely as women to have visited a strip club (74% versus 37%).
One third (34%) of Canadians have taken out X-rated movies
One third (34%) of Canadians indicate that they have taken out X-rated movies. Two-thirds (65%) have not taken out X-rated movies.
Quebeckers (52%), those between 18 and 34 (41%), those living with their partner (47%) and Canadians with household incomes over $55,000 (39%) are the most likely to indicate that they have taken out an X-rated movie.
Those most likely to indicate that they have not taken out an X-rated movie include residents of Saskatchewan/Manitoba (76%), those over 55 years of age (80%), widows (92%), those with household incomes under $25,000 (67%).
Once again, there is a significant gender gap wherein twice as many men have taken out X-rated movies. Specifically, 46% of men compared to 23% of women have taken out an X-rated movie.
Nine in ten (92%) Canadians do not watch soap operas because they have sexy characters and racy story lines
Nine in ten (92%) Canadians indicate that they do not watch soap operas mainly because they have sexy characters and racy story lines. The proportion of Canadians indicating that they do not watch soap operas mainly because they have sexy characters and racy story lines is high across all regions and within all socio-demographic groupings.
It is noteworthy that at the top of the list, 11% of each Quebeckers and thos who have not completed high school and 12% among each of those between 18 and 34, those living with their partner and those who are single do in fact watch soap operas mainly because they have sexy characters and racy story lines.
One in five (21%) Canadians read erotic literature or magazines
One in five (21%) Canadians indicate that they read erotic literature or magazines.
Albertans (25%), Atlantic Canadians (24%) Canadians between 18 and 34 (27%), single people (27%), those with incomes over $55,000 (25%) and those whose highest level of education is high school (24%) are the most likely to read erotic literature.
British Columbians (17%), those over 55 years (11%), widows (4%), those with household incomes below $25,000 (16%) and Canadians without a high school diploma (16%) are the least likely to read erotic literature/magazines.
Once again, there is a significant gender gap wherein over twice as many men read erotic literature/magazines than women (28% versus 13%).
This CTV/Angus Reid Poll was conducted by telephone between February 9th and 12th 1998 among a representative cross-section of 1,000 Ontario adults.
These data were statistically weighted to ensure the sample's regional and age/sex composition reflects that of the actual Ontario population according to the 1996 Census data.
With a national sample of 1,000, one can say with 95 percent certainty that the results are within ±3.2 percentage points of what they would have been had the entire adult Canadian population been polled. The margin of error will be larger within regions and for other sub-groupings of the survey population.
For more information on this news release, please contact:
John Wright
Senior Vice-President
Angus Reid Group
(416) 324-2900
