P olyamory, a type of consensual nonmonogamy, is "characterized by simultaneous consensual romantic relationships with multiple partners." 1 Prevalence estimates of polyamory are sparse and often subject to methodological limitations. 2 The most recent estimate suggests that 1 in 5 single Americans have engaged in some form of consensual nonmonogamy in their lifetime. 2 This estimate encompasses all forms of consensual nonmonogamy and does not account for married populations or alternatively arranged families who are engaging in the practice. A Canadian-based survey (n = 547) reported that most polyamorous relationships contain at least 1 married couple. 3 This survey found that 75% of respondents were of child-bearing age and 23.2% of them had at least 1 child younger than 19 years living at home under the care of at least 1 parent or guardian. 3 It has been consistently reported that people who identify as gay, lesbian or bisexual are more likely to engage in consensual nonmonogamy. 2 Debate exists as to whether polyamory should be interpreted as part of one's sexual orientation rather than as a relationship orientation or practice. 5 Many who practise polyamory describe being polyamorous as part of their identity. 5 Few studies have investigated the experiences of those practising polyamory, and much of the available literature is from the RESEARCH
The goal of the present study was to examine sexual response to male- and female- oriented sexually explicit films in heterosexual men and women. Forty participants (20 men and 20 women; mean age=29.42 years) attended three separate lab sessions. One 15 minute sexually explicit video was shown per session. For session one, all participants viewed a female-oriented film selected by the experimenters. The films used for subsequent sessions were counterbalanced male-oriented or female-oriented clips that had been previously studied. A thermographic camera measured temperature on the penile shaft for men and labia for women. Continuous and discrete self-reported sexual arousal was also obtained. Genital temperature was averaged into 15 one-minute bins and a repeated-measures ANOVA was conducted. Men demonstrated significantly greater increases in temperature over time than women, F (14, 980)=19.27, p=.000, however there were no significant differences between films or sex × film interaction. Women reported significantly higher subjective sexual arousal to the films than men, F (1, 69) range=3.89 to 9.67, p range=.01 to .05, but there were no significant differences between films or a sex × film interaction. Results suggest that film orientation has minimal impact on physiologic sexual responsiveness in men or women. Although both sexes demonstrated significant increases in sexual arousal for these pre-selected films, future laboratory research would benefit from examining whether participant-selected stimuli produces a greater response than experimenter-selected films.
The number of polyamorous people in Canada is growing steadily, and many polyamorous people are of childbearing age and report living with children. Experiences of polyamorous families, particularly those related to pregnancy and childbirth, have thus far been underrepresented in the literature. The POLYamorous Childbearing and Birth Experiences Study (POLYBABES) sought to explore the pregnancy and birth experiences of polyamorous people. Having previously reported findings relating to experiences with the health system and healthcare providers, this article specifically focuses on the social aspects of polyamorous families’ experiences. We explored the impact of polyamory on one’s self identity, relationship structures, and experiences navigating the social world. Anyone who self-identified as polyamorous during pregnancy and birth, gave birth in Canada within 5 years, and received some prenatal care was eligible to participate in this study. Participants were recruited through social media and interviewed online or in person. Twenty-four participants were interviewed (11 birthing people and 13 of their partners). Thematic analysis was used to explore the data, and four primary themes were identified: deliberately planning families, more is more, presenting polyamory, and living in a mononormative world. Each theme was further broken down into a number of sub-themes. We also collaborated with research participants to create a glossary of terms. By exploring the pregnancy and birth experiences of polyamorous families and focusing on participant voices, this research adds to the limited research on polyamorous families and contributes to the process of breaking down stigma associated with alternative family structures. Further, by creating an accessible glossary of terms, researchers and lay persons alike have been given access to a meaningful resource.
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