Research that puts
people first.
We study what’s getting in the way of human connection — and what works to address it. Our research spans mental health, sexual wellbeing, positive masculinity, gender equity, and the profound role of pleasure and connection in people’s lives.
In over 40 years of sex research, only 7% has examined positive aspects of sexuality. NHRI is committed to changing that ratio — producing evidence that helps people build richer, more connected lives rather than simply cataloguing what goes wrong.
Four areas where the evidence
is most needed.
Our research priorities were identified based on gaps in the existing literature, clinical need, and the populations most underserved by current knowledge. Each program produces findings that are freely shared with clinicians, educators, and policymakers.
Pleasure Equity for Women
Women’s pleasure is poorly understood and under-researched. Women still experience a fraction of the sexual pleasure that men do — even when they orgasm easily alone or with other women. For women to be equal in their relationships, we need to understand and actively promote women’s pleasure in sex, not only sexual function. This program examines the pleasure gap, its causes, and evidence-based approaches to addressing it.
Positive Masculinity
More is being demanded of men emotionally and relationally — and many are struggling to meet it. Men are in pain, lonely, and confused, caught between outdated models of masculinity and the genuine connection they need. There is a critical lack of positive, non-threatening models of male sexuality through which men might imagine more gender-equal forms of sexual pleasure and intimacy. This program studies what supports men to experience more connection, pleasure, and genuine wellbeing.
Positive Touch Research
We are losing physical closeness in our world, and the consequences are serious. Touch starvation is increasing, connection is declining, and the evidence base for healthy, consensual touch as a health intervention remains thin. This program investigates the role of positive, consensual touch in personal health, pleasure, and connection — and develops resources for clinicians and individuals seeking to rebuild touch in their lives.
Pleasure-Positive Clinical Tools
The effectiveness of sex therapies has been critically understudied — especially those that focus on pleasure and connection rather than sexual function alone. There is a scarcity of evidence-based clinical tools that take a pleasure-positive approach. This program develops, validates, and freely publishes assessment instruments and intervention frameworks for clinicians working in sexual health, couples therapy, and sex education.
Programs &
initiatives in action.
Alongside our research programs, NHRI runs a set of practical initiatives that translate evidence into tools, resources, and education for real people across Canada.
Pleasure & Wellbeing Research Initiative
Original research into sexual pleasure as a measurable health outcome — examining how shame, stigma, and lack of education create clinically significant harm across populations of all genders and orientations.
Men’s Wellness Research
Studying barriers to relational connection for men, with a focus on finding effective, evidenced-based tools and resources that all men can use.
Sexual Health Education Initiative
Developing evidence-based public resources addressing sexual wellbeing across the lifespan — for all bodies, genders, and orientations. Free of shame, grounded in science, accessible to everyone.
National Wellbeing Databank
Aggregating and publishing disaggregated health and sexuality data for Canadians — giving policymakers, clinicians, and educators the evidence they need to act on gaps that have long been invisible in population health data.
The Initiation Lab — Courses
Research-backed online courses translating complex findings into practical tools for real people. Our first course, The Art of Initiation, addresses sexual initiation for men — one of the most common and least-resourced areas of intimate difficulty.
Community Events & Clinical Training
Workshops, seminars, and intensive training events for the public such as our personal story telling events for men. We also provide accessible education on pleasure-positive sexuality, and training for health professionals in evidence-based, sex-positive practice.
How we do research
differently.
Some areas of sex research are shaped by cultural biases that compromise quality and relevance. NHRI is committed to upholding the following standards across all of our work.
Positive, inclusive language
We use affirmative, non-stigmatising language when discussing sexual topics — avoiding stereotypical and limiting terminology that has historically shaped who gets studied and how.
Expanded definition of sex
We reject the narrow equation of sex with penetrative vaginal intercourse. Our research captures the full range of what sexual experience means to different people across different bodies and relationships.
Mixed methods research
We use both qualitative and quantitative approaches — capturing lived experience alongside measurable outcomes, so our findings reflect the full complexity of human sexuality.
Pleasure-centred framing
We broaden the biopsychosocial perspective of sex to focus on pleasure, not only dysfunction. Research that only asks what goes wrong cannot tell us what helps people thrive.
Within- and between-group differences
We disaggregate findings across gender, identity, age, culture, and orientation — so that patterns within and between groups are visible rather than averaged into invisibility.
Open access findings
Our research is produced to be used. Findings, instruments, and resources are shared freely with clinicians, educators, and the public — not locked behind paywalls or institutional access.
Help fund research
that actually matters.
As a registered Canadian charity, NHRI depends on donations and partnerships to fund research, develop educational resources, and support the people who need them. Every contribution directly funds work that changes lives.