A recent study published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior has uncovered significant disparities in sexual experiences among adolescents in Canada. Researchers examined orgasm and sexual behaviors, including manual and oral stimulation, among cisgender and transgender/non-binary youth aged 15 to 18. The findings reveal that adolescent girls, particularly those in heterosexual relationships, experience fewer orgasms and less oral stimulation compared to their male counterparts. Notably, girls partnered with girls did not report the same disadvantages.
“The idea for this research question arose from our observation that most studies on adolescent sexuality focused on the risks of vaginal intercourse within heterosexual dyad,” said study author Alice Girouard, a postdoctoral research fellow at Dalhousie University who conducted the research as a PhD student under the supervision of Sophie Bergeron at the University of Montréal.
“This conveyed a very hetero- and cisnormative (i.e., assumption that individuals are all heterosexual and cisgender) view of sexuality, while we know that nearly a third (30%) of sexual and gender diverse (i.e.,2SLGBTQIA+) Canadians are under the age of 25 and that this number doubled between 2018 and 2021 (Statistics Canada, 2021). Also, adolescents engage in a variety of sexual behaviors outside of vaginal penetration, but these are not sufficiently documented. We wanted to provide a useful portrait of adolescent sexuality using a sex-positive lens with contemporary data reflecting adolescents’ lived experiences to inform sex education curricula.”
The study included 2,738 participants aged 15 to 18, with 51.4% identifying as girls and 46.4% as boys. A smaller subset (2.2%) identified as transgender or non-binary. Participants were recruited from 23 schools across diverse socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds. Schools were selected to ensure representation from both urban and rural areas. The study’s data were collected as part of an ongoing longitudinal project focusing on adolescent sexual health, with the current phase conducted between October 2020 and March 2022.
Participants completed anonymous online surveys in a classroom setting. These surveys gathered information about demographic characteristics, sexual orientation, partnered sexual experiences, masturbation, orgasm frequency, and the nature of sexual behaviors with partners.
The researchers found that boys were more likely than girls to report experiencing orgasm during masturbation. Approximately 86% of boys reported having orgasms while masturbating, compared to 72% of girls. This difference highlights an “orgasm gap” that extends even to solo sexual experiences. Boys were also more likely than girls to achieve orgasm during partnered sex. Girls reported greater difficulty reaching orgasm with a partner, particularly in heterosexual relationships.
Girls were less likely than boys to receive oral sex, consistent with previous research suggesting that male pleasure is often prioritized in heterosexual encounters. Girls, on the other hand, reported receiving manual stimulation more frequently than boys.
Analyzing dyad types—combinations of participant and partner genders—revealed further insights. Girls partnered with boys and those with gender-diverse partners were less likely to achieve orgasm during masturbation or partnered sex compared to boys partnered with girls. These findings suggest that traditional gender norms and sexual scripts play a significant role in shaping adolescents’ sexual experiences.
“Even among contemporary youth, there are still gender and dyad type inequities that are reflected in adolescents’ sexual behaviors – especially for cisgender girls partnered with boys,” Girouard told PsyPost.
In contrast, girls partnered with girls reported sexual experiences comparable to those of boys partnered with girls. This suggests that same-gender relationships may offer a more egalitarian approach to intimacy, free from some of the constraints imposed by traditional sexual scripts.
“A very important finding is that cisgender girls partnered with a girl were not disadvantaged compared to cisgender boys partnered with a girl,” Girouard said.
Although the small sample size limited statistical comparisons, descriptive findings hinted at patterns unique to transgender and non-binary adolescents. For instance, transgender/non-binary youth assigned male at birth were more likely to receive manual stimulation compared to boys. This may reflect differences in sexual scripts or preferences, as these participants might engage in non-penetrative forms of intimacy more frequently.
While the study provides valuable insights, it also has limitations.
“We have to keep in mind that this study used a cross-sectional and thus correlational design,” Girouard noted. “This means that all our variables of interest were measured at the same time, and that we cannot say that gender or dyad configurations are the cause behind the orgasm and sexual behavior differences that we found – but we can say that they are significantly linked and likely play an important role!”
“Also, despite our best efforts, the sample size of sexual and gender diverse participants is small compared to the heterosexual and cisgender participants. Therefore, we might have lower statistical power to detect meaningful differences between the groups, or even lead to incorrect conclusions regarding gender and sexual diverse individuals as we did not include sufficient people to truly reflect this group.”
“Lastly, while informative for prevention efforts, comparing sexual and gender diverse individuals to the heterosexual cisgender majority can still convey a hetero- and cisnormative view within research where being cis and heterosexual is the norm – which was not our intention,” Girouard explained.
Future research should aim to include larger and more diverse samples, particularly of transgender and non-binary youth, to better understand their unique experiences. Longitudinal studies tracking adolescents into adulthood could also shed light on how early sexual experiences influence later outcomes.
The researchers emphasize the need for more comprehensive, inclusive, and pleasure-focused sexual education. By addressing traditional gender norms and empowering all adolescents to communicate their needs and desires, such education could help bridge the gaps in sexual satisfaction identified in this study.
“Our research on adolescents and emerging adults is geared towards equity promotion in sexual health for everyone, but mostly minoritized and marginalized populations,” Girouard said. “We hope that our work will contribute to sexual education efforts across the lifespan and different contexts (e.g., general public, psychology clinics, hospitals) to promote individuals’ knowledge and resilience regarding their sexual health and pleasure.”
“We think that one potential avenue to correct for these gender and dyad type inequities lies with more comprehensive, pleasure-focused sexual education for youth,” she added. “All adolescents could benefit from further knowledge on traditional gender norms and on how to have pleasurable, satisfying, and safe sex. We think that it is especially important to empower girls within heterosexual dyads on how to be assertive and communicate their needs and desires.”
The study, “Orgasm and Sexual Behavior Among Adolescents: Differences Across Genders and Dyad Configurations,” was authored by Alice Girouard, Jacinthe Dion, Aleksandar Štulhofer, Beáta Bőthe, Martin Blais, Marie-Michèle Paquette, Lucia F. O’Sullivan, and Sophie Bergeron.