Sex and the City

When we do it, where we do it, why we do it, how we do it, and who we do it with—an intimate look into the intimate lives of Vancouverites.

By Matt O'Grady

YOU WOULD THINK, given the age in which we live, that we already know pretty much everything there is to know about sex. From Cosmo to CNN, Sue Johanson to Dr. Ruth, the topic has been thoroughly covered. And yet for all our vicarious familiarity with Paris Hilton’s sex tapes, Bill Clinton’s intern and Heidi Fleiss’ black book, we know precious little about what the people next door are doing in bed, and what they think is morally right (or wrong). How many of our neighbours are making their own adult videos, or cheating on their partners, or paying for sex? Wouldn’t you know it—we have answers: 12 percent, 43 percent and 13 percent, respectively. All we had to do was ask.

When we decided last year to produce a special Sex and the City issue, tackling all matters sexual, we figured the best way to do it was not with broad generalizations but with hard data. We hired Angus Reid Strategies, one of the most trusted names in the research biz, to conduct an online poll for us. Over a thousand of you responded between November 23 and December 22, and your confidential and anonymous answers—to all the pertinent and impertinent “who/what/why/where/when” questions—form the foundation of the following 20 pages (check out Vanmag.com for even more juicy details).

This is not the first time Vancouver has asked the uncomfortable questions. Back in 1998 we did a poll covering everything from sex to drugs to rock ’n’ roll, and the differences between then and now, as they relate to sex, are striking (see left): we claim double the number of sexual partners now, and we’re having sex more frequently and with all sorts of new twists. Less surprising, perhaps, is the effect technology is having on relationships: from insignificance in 1998, the Internet now accounts for over a quarter of all hookups.

Thank the Net, too, for the frankness with which people responded to this poll, says Mike Rodenburgh, vice president at Angus Reid. “There’s a thing called social desirability bias in phone polling,” notes Rodenburgh. “People want to please the interviewer. It shows up in research on everything from where and how often you eat a bag of chips to where and how often you have sex. Simply put, people want to sound normal.” With online polling, you get unvarnished answers—and some fascinating contradictions. For instance: not only do 27 percent of men in our poll claim to have paid for sex, but over a third of those men say they consider prostitution “morally wrong.” Also: despite the general assumption that kids are having sex earlier, the average age at which we report losing our virginity is still 18—about what it’s been for the past 50 years.

Once we start having sex, it’s another matter. There’s been a sea change in younger people—both in what they do and how they feel about “alternative” sexual practices. In short: more orgies, more bondage and more adult home movies. Andy Warhol made the observation, back in the swinging ’70s, that “sex is more exciting on the screen and between the pages than between the sheets.” Based on what you’ve told us, we beg to differ.

A NOTE ON OUR METHODOLOGY

Data was collected by Angus Reid Strategies between November 23, 2006 and December 22, 2006. Respondents were recruited from one of two online sources: A link on Vanmag.com; and, an online database of Vancouver residents. A total of 1,102 respondents participated in total and all respondents were screened to ensure that they lived in the Vancouver CMA and were over the age of 18. The data was weighted by region and age to ensure that the distribution of responses mirrors the population in the Vancouver CMA. Overall, results are accurate to within +/- 3.0% at the 95% confidence interval.

Now, on to the survey results...

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CONTINUE

ALSO IN THIS SERIES:

One Night Stand: My night as a burlesque dancer, by Emily Wight.

Love for Sale: Intimate profiles of four sex trade workers—from very different walks of life. By Michael Harris

My Life in Porn: A former porn store clerk returns six years later to see how the Internet has affected business—and to confront her own past. By Brooke Thorsteinson

Girl Talk: Things that buzz in the night. By Rebecca Philps

Toy Story: An insider's guide to the city's most notable sex shops. By Christine Carrière