Special issue introduction: Research presented at the 42nd Annual Meeting of the Canadian Sex Research Forum, Kelowna, British Columbia, October 1–3, 2015

As President of the Canadian Sex Research Forum (CSRF), I am excited to once again introduce a special issue of The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality (CJHS). This issue presents findings based on nine excellent presentations from the 42nd annual meeting of CSRF, which took place in Kelowna, BC, in October 2015. CSRF has had a wonderful and very collaborative relationship with the Sex Information and Education Council of Canada (SIECCAN), publisher of CJHS, and this is our eighth special issue of the journal featuring the research presented at CSRF. I would like to express my appreciation to the editors of CJHS for efficiently managing the submission process and to the CJHS editorial board members who reviewed all the submitted manuscripts so rigorously. We look forward to many more years of collaboration with SIECCAN and the CJHS.

The breadth and scholarship of the articles presented in this special issue of CJHS reflects the excellence of the sex research carried out by our Canadian colleagues. I would also like to point out that many of the articles in this issue are co-authored by graduate students, which signals to us that the future of sex research in Canada is looking bright.

In this special issue of the CJHS, readers will learn about disparities between heterosexual and LGBTQ+ young adults in their sources of sex education (Charest, Kleinplatz, & Lund), sexual well-being in people aged 65 to 75 (Santos-Iglesias, Byers, & Moglia), how mindfulness may alleviate distraction during sex (Newcombe & Weaver), why vaginal orgasm is not superior to clitoral orgasms (Therrien & Brotto), how sexual arousal may inhibit self-control (Skakoon-Sparling & Cramer), how happiness in the relationship impacts new mothers receptivity to the resumption of sexual activity (Cappell, MacDonald, & Pukall), the relationship between disordered eating and sexual insecurities (Dunkley, Gorzalka, & Brotto), how borderline personality traits impacts sexual functioning (Northey, Dunkley, Klonsky, & Gorzalka), and a thought-provoking research study exploring preferences for gender identification if one were hypothetically reincarnated (Byers, Goldsmith, & Miller). This issue represents a rich mix of methodologies, disciplines, and geographic areas across Canada.

Be sure to check us out at www.canadiansexresearchforum.com for information on how to become a CSRF member and to register for our next annual meeting in Quebec City, September 2016.