Sexual Health Statistics

Back to feature: Taking care of your sexual health

  • In Canada in 2009-10, 68% of sexually active people aged 15 to 24 reported they had used condoms the last time they had intercourse.  This proportion was up from 62% in 2003.1
  • Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among Canadian men (excluding non-melanoma skin cancer). In 2012, an estimated 26,500 men were diagnosed with prostate cancer and 4,000 will die of it.2
  • Breast cancer is the most common cancer among Canadian women and its cause is unknown. In 2012, an estimated 22,700 Canadian women were diagnosed with breast cancer and 5,100 will die from it.3
  • In a study of about 4,000 Canadian men between the ages of 40 and 88, almost half had erectile dysfunction. It was also one-and-a-half times more common among men with cardiovascular disease and three times more common among those with diabetes.4
  • Lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) teens in British Columbia are at a higher risk of pregnancy because of discrimination, sexual abuse and harassment compared to heterosexual teens.5
  • In Canada, reported rates of chlamydia, gonorrhea and infectious syphilis have increased significantly among middle-aged adults (40-59 years) over the past decade.6
  1. 2003 and 2009/2010 Canadian Community Health Survey
  2. Prostate cancer statistics at a glance
  3. Breast Cancer Society of Canada - Statistics
  4. The Prevalence of Erectile Dysfunction in the Primary Care Setting
  5. Discrimination and Abuse Linked to Higher Rates of Pregnancy Among LGB Teens: UBC Study (B.C. is the only province that tracks trends in sexual health for both LGB youth and heterosexual teens)
  6. Sexually Transmitted Infections : Middle-aged Adults - Postcard

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