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Some common terms used to describe sexual orientation: Bisexual – attracted to both sexes Heterosexual/straight – attracted to a different sex Homosexual – attracted to the same sex Lesbian –  women attracted to women Gay –...

Background Previous research has documented that lesbian and bisexual adolescent girls are at higher risk of engaging in a range of sexual behaviours compared to heterosexual girls. Less is known about the behaviours of adolescent girls...

Sexual assault can happen to anyone, regardless of gender, age, race, sexual orientation, or ability. Sexual assault is a crime under Canadian law. People respond differently to a sexual assault. Emotions that you might experience include...

In British Columbia, trans* and gender diverse** folks face multiple barriers when accessing health care, especially related to sexuality and sexual health. There remains a pervasive lack of understanding and knowledge on transgender lives...

Safer Sex Being trans can sometimes mean there is already a lot to talk about with new sexual partners without adding on safer sex.  But talking about protection and STI testing is an important way to lower your chances of STIs. With...

Safer Sex STIs are usually less common among women who have sex with women*.  *Here women refers to individuals with vaginas or internal genitals, including trans men and non-binary individuals. The chances of getting an STI...

My boyfriend of 7 yrs revealed to ne he likes wearing womens panties and getting it anally but has never acted attracted to men. Is he secretly gay? Help!

People of all genders and sexual orientations explore giving and receiving anal play. The anal region is rich with nerve endings, so stimulation in this area can feel deeply erotic. People with prostates often enjoy indirect stimulation of...

Is the HPV vaccination Gardasil 9 free for sex workers in bc over the age of 45?

For some people, the idea of coming out can be scary. They may fear negative reactions or rejection from friends and family. Societal attitudes and discrimination can make coming out harder.For others, coming out is a very positive...

Gender identity “Gender identity” is how a person sees themselves – their own internal sense and personal experience of gender. Only the individual can determine their own gender identity. Many people have a gender identity of a man or...

Qmunity is offering an ideal professional development opportunity for service providers, business people and community members to develop their skills in LGBTQ-inclusion: Explore the concepts of physical sex characteristics, gender...

Qmunity is offering an ideal professional development opportunity for service providers, business people and community members to develop their skills in LGBTQ-inclusion: Explore the concepts of physical sex characteristics, gender...

Despite the progress that’s been made over the years to create an inclusive environment for all individuals, the internet remains a place where hate speech is common. An example of this is No Homophobes, a website that highlights the...

Vaccines are made from weakened or killed bacteria or virus. When a person is given a vaccine, the body's immune system responds to the ‘invading’ germs. The body creates anti-bodies to the bacteria or virus which protect the person...

Background Men who have sex with men (MSM) are disproportionately affected by HIV across Canada, provincially in British Columbia (BC) and locally in Vancouver. In BC, MSM make up about half of new HIV infections as well about half of...

Sometimes, we have trouble with sex. We might feel bad about sex or have a hard time feeling pleasure. Things like family, culture, religion and the media affect how we feel about our sexuality. Having sex concerns can lower your pleasure...

What does non-monogamy actually mean? People of all genders and sexual orientations have many different ways of being sexually active outside of monogamous relationships. Some of the ways that people are sexually active include: Being...

Sexual assault is any kind of sexual act that you did not consent to. This can include everything from unwanted kissing, to groping, to forced oral, vaginal or anal penetration. It may include physical violence or not. Sometimes...

The statistics reported in this section give a snapshot of STIs in the BC population based on surveillance and research data that is available. These statistics have the following important limitations: The true number of people with an...