Today we heard from Dr. Erick Janssen, PhD, about his research on how sex fits into relationships in young couples. We also heard about past research that has been done in the field of sexology and his experiences between the U.S. and Belgium when it comes to getting funding for the research and conducting studies. Sexology is still a fairly new field in research and many aspects of human sexuality are yet to be studied.
The study Dr. Janssen is currently working on is looking at how sex fits into relationships of young couples who are just beginning to live with each other and have not been together for more than three years. The study records conversations couples have in a room at the lab, and physiological responses are also measured. They are looking at coding the way things are said between the two people rather than just what is said. Communication so far seems to be more important rather than sex frequency in determining if relationships will last. This has been found in other studies, too. Dr. Janssen’s study is still going on.
Dr. Janssen also shared his experiences working on sex research in the U.S. vs. in Belgium, where he currently works. In the U.S., it was much more difficult to get funding, but surprisingly, he did not have much trouble finding participants for the studies. In the U.S., studies often will not get funding unless they are looking at sex research with respect to HIV/AIDS, STIs, or sexual violence. This may be because politicians often believe sex research should not be funded. It appears this could be because they have misconceptions about what the researcher is truly trying to accomplish. In Belgium, Dr. Janssen has found success largely due to his research getting the funds necessary and now he can study sex in relation to all areas, which may include disease or violence.
All in all, this was an interesting lecture and introduction into what sex research is.
- Jaclyn Larson
Public Health Abroad! 