I admire people that are trying to make the world better.  It takes so much energy to pay attention and come to a clear understanding of the real issues and, as much opening, to come up with solutions. This is particularly true about sexual matters because we all carry around so much baggage, much of it invisible even to us.

It is surprisingly not uncommon to not know why you are behaving the way you do when you make dating and sex decisions.  Sadly, this lack of clarity is not limited to our youth. Such is the inspiration for the new Dating Confidential website that is part of a research study at the University of British Columbia.  It was launched by nurse & PhD candidate Cindy Masaro to better understand the behaviors and choices made by women who are older than 25 and are single, dating or in new relationships. The majority of research studies available focus on teen and college-age youth.  This lack of viable data is particularly disconcerting because the incidence of STIs in women over 30 is rising fast.

Cindy, who works as an STI nurse, is hoping to use her survey  data to increase the understanding of the dating patterns and sexual decision making of women over 25, which will in turn translate into improved education and services.  To participate or learn more about the study, go to www.datingconfidential.ca.  Cindy is looking for participants all over the US and Canada, so consider taking the time to complete the online survey.

Sexual health, at once intensely private is really everyone’s issue. Until we are willing to pay attention to the gaps in what we know and the poor decision making that comes from it, we all share the same dark space.  Thanks for helping.  It will likely benefit us all.