November 11, 1997

The Cadre

Sexual Stamina Heralded as a Canadian Thing

BY DORSA JABBARI

TORONTO (CUP) — Not only are Canadians having more sex but they are doing it longer, according to a recent international sex survey.

Conducted by the con- dom company Durex Sheik, the survey covered a variety of sex-related categories in- cluding partner satisfaction, time spent on sexual inter- course’and frequency of sex.

In raw numbers, the survey found that the average number of times Canadians have sex per year is up to 112 — an increase from 102 last year.

But to some students at the University of Toronto, this number is anything but aver- age.

“It’s something to look forward to. But it’s outrageous, there’s no way that the number is right,” second year student Sharifa Gonez, said. “If it is, then that’s a lot of sex.”

She adds that she doesn’t know very many peo- ple who are having that much sex, and attributes this mostly to students’ time limitations.

While not among the most sexually active nationali- ties, Canadians definitely make it count when they do have sex. In the sexual stamina cat- egory, Canada finished a close second behind the U.S. in av- erage time spent on sexual intercourse. With no other

competitors close in sight, Canadians spend a leisurely 24.4 minutes, compared to the Americans’ 25.3 minutes.

“That’s really funny. So we are actually doing g over here,” Gonez said, while trying to control her laughter.

But Aki Constantinou, another U of T student, says 24.4 minutes is not nearly long enough to fully enjoy sex.

“That is sad, the time should be longer. I’ve spend a longer time than that having sex in a car,” he said.

Although Canadians are having more sex and doing well in the stamina category, they aren’t anywhere near the top of the heap in the category of best lovers.

The French won out as the best lovers in the world, with Canadians in the seventh overall spot — behind the Ital- ians, Americans, South Afri- cans, Brits and Australians. Hong Kong came in last.

And though Canadians may consider themselves a modest bunch, they actually think they re sexier than they really are — 74 per cent of Canadian respondents ranked their country as one of the top three sexiest nations.

This category is hotly contested among students.

“I think that Canadians are very sexy because we are so culturally diverse,” Humberto Carolo, one of the co-ordinators of U of T’s

student-run sex education cen- tre, said.

But Constantinou disa- grees, holding up Canada s largest city as a centre of un- sexiness.

“I! think in Toronto, there’ s too muchattitude. Eve- ryone thinks that they have it in them to become super models. I think a lot of people need a reality check,” he said.

The issue of safer sex and condom use was one of the main focuses of the sur- vey. But even though Canadi- ans are concerned about trans- mission of the HIV virus, they still place greater importance on partner satisfaction.

“The survey results in- dicate a decreasing concern for HIV, STDs and unplanned pregnancies which, coupled with an increasing preoccupa- tion for sexual pleasure, makes for a potentially lethal mix,” Sonya Agnew, director of marketing for Julius Schmid of Canada Ltd., the distributors of Durex condoms in Canada, said.

Carolo says he is con- cerned by the current attitude people have when itcomes to AIDS.

“People are always con- vinced that they are invincible. People never associate the AIDS virus with themselves,” he said. “And even though a lot of people are aware of AIDS, they don’t a have the skills to negotiate safe sex.”

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a, erie Me 55 A government axes

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BYSEANRYAN

ST. JOHN’S(CUP)—New- foundland’s provincial gov- ernment has scrapped its con- troversial 1-900 student aid number and replaced it witha toll-free service.

The decision means that

students living outsidethemet-. ropolitan St. John’s area will no longer be charged while © High wien woopeat bbe u ich they can ob- ‘about their

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_ Protestors shut down

National news CUP

Quebec government complex for a day

BYJONATHANWEXLERAND JEFF WEBBER

MONTREAL (CUP) — Hundreds of students and so- cial activists shut down a pro- vincial government complex last Monday to protest gov-

ernment cuts to education,

_theMinistry of Education. The Faction was dubbed “Plan G,” because | Edifice

! eisalso know ate ice GiokS Bs __ Government workers who arrived for work on the morning of Nov. 3 were turned away by protestors, who formed human chains in front of the complex’s 21 entrances by holding hands. They were told to return at 1:30 p.m. They were still un- able, however, to enter the building. At that point, their employer, the Quebec gov- ernment, sent them home.

The action was ied and executed by a unity and

student groups. j Student groups in- volved in the action included le Mouvement pour Education Democratique andthe “Y” group, organiza-

in Quebec’s col-