NAME: Kontula, Osmo
Research Professor emeritus
Member of Advisory Committee, World Association for Sexual Health (WAS)
Chair of Sexuality Education Committee, World Association for Sexual Health (WAS)
Associate Editor of The Journal of Sex Research (JSR)
President, the Finnish Association for Sexology (FIAS), 1997 – 2002; 2005 – 2010; 2017 – 2018
President, The Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality (SSSS), 2014 – 2015
ACADEMIC DEGREES:
Ph.D., University of Helsinki,1991
Research Professor, Population Research Institute, Family Federation of Finland,
Adjunct Professor in Sociology at University of Helsinki
Honorary Associate Professor, Faculty of Health Science, University of Sydney
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Tel.int. +358 40 5827369 , e-mail: osmo.kontula@vaestoliitto.fi
www.kontula.fi
FIELDS OF EXPERTISE:
Sexology, sexual science, sex research, sexual and reproductive health, cultural differences in sexual issues, sex education, adolescent sexuality, couple relationships, orgasms, divorces, family, population and sexual policies, fertility, demographic behaviour
CAREER:
Research Professor, The Population Research Institute, Family Federation of Finland 1998-, Associate Professor, Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki 1996-1997, Senior Researcher, National Crime Prevention Council, Ministry of Justice 1995, Research Director, Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki 1991-1994, Research Fellow, Academy of Finland 1986-1990, Researcher, National Research Institute of Legal Policy, Ministry of Justice 1985.
SCIENTIFIC POSITIONS OF TRUST:
World Association for Sexual Health (WAS)
o Member of Advisory Committee, 2013 – 2017; 2017 – 2021, 2021 – 2025.
o Chair of Sexuality Education Committee, 2013 – 2017; 2017 – 2021; 2021- 2025.
o Member of Scientific Committee, 2013 – 2017; 2018 – 2021; 2021 – 2025.
o Member of Governance Committee, 2014 – 2017
o Gold Medal Committee, 2011 – 2013
- Member of the Editorial advisory board of the International Journal of Sexual Health (IJSH)
The Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality (SSSS)
o President Elect, 2013 – 2014; President, 2014 – 2015; Past President, 2016
o Member of the Board of Directors 2010 – 2016, Member of Executive Committee 2013-2016
o Member of the Board of Directors 1999 – 2002
o Chair of International SSSS Task Force Committee, 2000 – 2004
o Member of Nomination Committee, 2003-2004 and 2010-2012; Chair of Nomination Committee 2016-2017
o Fellow of the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality 2012
The Journal of Sex Research (JSR)
o Associate Editor, 2005 – 2023.
Edited around 2000 manuscripts between 2005 and 2023 that were submitted to JSR for publication .
The European Federation of Sexology (EFS)
o Member of Executive Committee, 2006 – 2014
o General Secretary, 2010 – 2011
o EFS Gold Medal Award, 9.5.2010
o Outstanding presentation prize, 14th Congress of the European Federation of Sexology (EFS), Albufeira, Portugal, May 9-12, 2018
International Academy of Sex Research (IASR)
o Full Member, 1996 –
o Host of the Annual IASR Meeting in 2004 in Helsinki
o Member of Program Committee, 2003-2004
o IASR Committee on Professional Development, 2009 – 2011
The Nordic Association for Clinical Sexology (NACS)
o President 2001 – 2003
o Member of NACS Board, 1999-2003; 2005 – 2010; 2017 – 2018
o Member of NACSAC Authorization Committee, 2001-2003
o Chair of NACS Authorization Committee for Sexological Education and Science (NACSES), 2005 – 2019
o Chair of Scientific Committee in NACS conference 2012
o President of NACS conference 2018
The Finnish Association for Sexology (FIAS)
o President, 1997 – 2002; 2005 – 2010; 2017 – 2018
o Vice President, 2011 – 2017
o Member of Board 2003 – 2004; 2020 – 2023
o Member of FIAS Authorization Committee, 1999 – 2019
o Chair of FIAS Research Committee, 2002 – 2014
Member of Management Committee of COST-Action and Network for the European Sexual Medical Network (ESMN),
2019 – 2022
Co-chair of the ESMN subgroup National sex surveys in Europe.
Sexuality and Aging Consortium at Widener University
• Member of Advisory Board, 2014 –
The European Population Committee (CAHP), Council of Europe
o Consultant in sexual and reproductive health issues, 2002 – 2005
European Sexual Dysfunction Alliance (ESDA)
• Member of Executive Committee, 2004 – 2007
The Finnish Foundation for Sex Education and Therapy (SEXPO)
o President, 1988 – 1991
o President, 2003 – 2007
The Finnish Association for Academic Research (SATY)
o Member of Board, 1987 – 2007
AWARDS
The Warelius Non-Fiction Award received at the opening ceremony of the Days of Old Literature in Sastamala on 1.7.2022. The Warelius Prize is awarded annually to a non-fiction writer who has an extensive and high-quality non-fiction production or who has had a significant impact on Finnish non-fiction.
European Federation of Sexology (EFS) Gold Medal Award, 9.5.2010.
Fellow of the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality in 2012.
Suomen Valkoisen Ruusun ritarimerkki – Order of the White Rose of Finland 2008.
Honorary President. (Kunniapuheenjohtaja). Suomen Seksologinen Seura. Toukokuu 2023.
Distinguished Service to SSSS (The Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality) Award in 2023.
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS:
Altogether more than 400 publications, of which more than 50 are books. See List of Publications.
Examples:
Osmo Kontula. Rakkaus mullistaa elämän (Love is life-changing). Into Kustannus. Tallinna 2024. 368 pp.
Osmo Kontula & Soazig Clifton: History of national sex surveys in Europe. Open Res Europe 2023, 3:199 (https://doi.org/10.12688/openreseurope.16574.1)
Hanneke de Graaf, Kirstin Mitchell, Soazig Clifton , Maria Fernanda Lara, Alexis Dewaele , Joke Duponte, Katerina Klapilova , Gunta Lazdāne , Peer Briken , Bente Træen, Nathalie Bajos , Desiree Ljungcrantz , and Osmo Kontula.
Sex Surveys in Europe: Reflections on over Four Decades of Sexual Behavior and Sexual Health Surveillance.
ANNUAL REVIEW OF SEX RESEARCH SPECIAL ISSUE .
Volume 60. Issue7. September 2023. Pages: 1020-1033 | DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2023.2222403.
Osmo Kontula (2022): Why women have difficulties to have orgasms? – A large scale qualitative study. In Book of proceedings of the Symposium Sexuality in Europe 21st -23rd of October 2021 (Eds. Dejan Bratus & Ethel Quayle). ESMN COST Action. Schloss Leopoldskron, Salzburg. pp 31-38. ISBN: 978-3-200-08133-8
Osmo Kontula (2021): Suomalaisten seksitavat: Seksiä harvemmin ja orgasmien kokemisessa enemmän haasteita (Finnish sex habits: Sex less often and more challenges in experiencing orgasms). Pääkirjoitus (Editorial). Aikakauskirja Duodecimin teemanumero Krooninen sairaus ja seksuaalisuus. Duodecim 2021; 137:2163–4.
https://www.duodecimlehti.fi/lehti/2021/20/duo16487
Osmo Kontula: The Sexual Mind: Exploring the Origins of Arousal. Väestöliitto ry., Population Research Institute. Helsinki 2021. 169 pp.
Kpokiri EE, Wu D, Srinivas ML, Anderson J, Say L, Kontula O et al. Development of an international sexual and reproductive health survey instrument: results from a pilot WHO/HRP consultative Delphi process. Sexually Transmitted Infections. 12 April 2021.
Osmo Kontula (2018): 2020 – luvun perhepolitiikkaa (Family policy in the 2020s). Perhebarometri 2018 (Family barometer 2018).Väestöntutkimuslaitos. Katsauksia E 52/2018. Väestöliitto. Helsinki. 135 pp.
(2018) Contraceptive use among migrant women with a history of induced abortion in Finland, The European Journal of Contraception & Reproductive Health Care, DOI.
Osmo Kontula (2018): Puhuttelevia kokemuksia yksinasumisesta (Challenging experiences of living alone). Työpaperi Nro 9. Väestöntutkimuslaitos, Väestöliitto, toukokuu 2018. 53 s.
Osmo Kontula (2017). Mielen seksuaalisuus: Matka kiihottumisen alkulähteille (Mind sexuality: A journey into primary sources of arousal). 2., uudistettu painos. Duodecim. Helsinki. 206 pp.
Meysam Barzoki, Osmo Kontula, Hossein Makhtari Araghi & Nasimosadat Mahboubishariatpanahi (2017): Dual Contradictory Effects of Self-Objectification on Sexual Satisfaction. Sexuality & Culture, Vol. 21:2:627-642.
Osmo Kontula & Anneli Miettinen (2016). Determinants of female sexual orgasms. Socioaffective Neuroscience & Psychology 2016.
Osmo Kontula: Sexual Cultures in Nordic Cultures. In the Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology, (Ed. George Ritzer). John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. London 2016.
Osmo Kontula: LEMMEN PAULA: Seksuaalinen hyvinvointi parisuhdeonnen avaimena. (CORD OF LOVE: Sexual well-being as a key to happiness in a couple relationship). Perhebarometri 2016 (Family barometer 2016).Väestöntutkimuslaitos. Katsauksia E 50/2016. Väestöliitto. Helsinki. 112 s.
Maaret Kallio & Osmo Kontula (2015). Happy End: Seksuaalisesti vireät parisuhteet. WSOY. Porvoo. 240 pp.
Kontula Osmo (2015). Sex Life Challenges: The Finnish Case. In: James D. Wright (editor-in-chief), International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences, 2nd edition, Vol 21. Oxford: Elsevier. pp. 665–671.
Kontula Osmo. (2014). Challenges and progress in holistic sexuality education of teenagers in Finland. In M. Kenny (Ed.) Sex Education: Attitude of Adolescents, Cultural Differences and Schools’ Challenges (pp. 93-129). Hauppauge, NY: Nova Science Publishers, Inc.
Kontula Osmo (2014). “Pays nordiques” in Janine Mossuz-Lavau (dir.), Dictionnaire des sexualités, Paris, Robert Laffont (coll. Bouquins), p. 623 – 626.
Miila Halonen, Miguel Reyes & Osmo Kontula (2014). Poikanäkökulma seksuaaliopetukseen – kasvattajan opas (A boys’ perspective on sexuality education – Educators guide). PoikaS Tutkimus ja kehittämishanke. Väestöliitto. Helsinki. 68 pp.
Osmo Kontula (2013). Yhdessä vai erikseen? Tutkimus suomalaisten parisuhteiden vahvuuksista, ristiriidoista ja erojen syistä (Together or apart? A study of the strengths, conflicts and reasons for separating among Finnish couples). Perhebarometri 2013 (Family barometer 2013). Väestöntutkimuslaitos. Katsauksia E 47/2013. Väestöliitto. Helsinki. 249 pp.
Osmo Kontula (2013). Sexuality Among Older Adults. International Handbook on the Demography of Sexuality (Ed. Amanda K. Baumle), International Handbooks of Population, Volume 5, DOI 10.1007/978-94-007-5512-3_10, Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht. pp. 195 – 214.
Osmo Kontula (Ed.)(2012). Mitä pojat todella haluavat tietää seksistä (What boys really desire to know about sex). Väestöntutkimuslaitoksen julkaisusarja D 55/2012. Väestöliitto. Helsinki. 278 pp.
Osmo Kontula (Ed.)(2012): Pleasure and Health by education, counselling and treatment. Proceedings of 2012 NACS conference in Helsinki. The Finnish Association for Sexology (FIAS). Helsinki. 163 pp.
Osmo Kontula (2012). Mielen seksuaalisuus: Matka kiihottumisen alkulähteille (Mind sexuality: A journey into primary sources of arousal). Duodecim. Helsinki. 165 pp.
Osmo Kontula & Tarja Sandberg (2012). Halut jäissä? Naisten seksuaalisen halun puute (Frozen desires? Lack of female sexual desire). Väestöliitto. VL-markkinointi Oy. Helsinki. 100 pp.
Osmo Kontula & Emma Terämä (Eds.): Finnish Yearbook of Population Research. XLVI 2011. The Population Research Institute. The Family Federation of Finland. 172 pp.
Osmo Kontula (2011). Trends in teenage live births and their determinants in Europe. BZgA FORUM: Sexuality Education and Family Planning; 14-18.
Osmo Kontula (2011). An Essential Component in Promoting Sexual Health in Europe is Training in Sexology. International Journal of Sexual Health 23:3:168-180.
Suvivuo Pia, Tossavainen Kerttu & Kontula Osmo (2010): “Can There Be Such a Delightful Feeling as This?” Variations of Sexual Scripts in Finnish Girls’ Narratives. Journal of Adolescent Research 25:5:669-689.
Osmo Kontula (2010). The evolution of sex education and student’s sexual knowledge in Finland in the 2000s. Sex Education 10:4:373-386.
Osmo Kontula (2009). Between Sexual Desire and Reality: The Evolution of Sex in Finland. The Family Federation of Finland: The Population Research Institute D49/2009. Helsinki. 255 pp
Osmo Kontula (2009). Parisuhdeonnen avaimet ja esteet. Perhebarometri 2009 (Keys and obstacles of happiness in couple relationships. Family barometer 2009). Katsauksia E 38/2009. Väestöntutkimuslaitos, Väestöliitto. Helsinki. 150 pp.
Osmo Kontula & Elina Haavio-Mannila (2009). The Impact of Aging on Human Sexual Activity and Sexual Desire. The Journal of Sex Research 46:1:46-56.
Osmo Kontula (2008). Halu & intohimo: tietoa suomalaisesta seksistä (Desire & passion: knowledge of Finnish sex). Otava. Helsinki. 384 pp.’
Osmo Kontula (2008). The Influence of Education and family Policies on Age at First Birth. In “People, Population Change and Policies. Lessons from the Population Policy Acceptance Study” (Eds. Charlotte Höhn, Dragana Avramov & Irena E. Kotowska). Volume 1: Family Change. Springer. Dordrecht 2008. pp. 259-275.
Osmo Kontula & Ismo Söderling (2008). Demographic Change and Family Policy Regimes. In “People, Population Change and Policies. Lessons from the Population Policy Acceptance Study” (Eds. Charlotte Höhn, Dragana Avramov & Irena E. Kotowska). Volume 2: Demographic Knowledge – Gender – Ageing. Springer. Dordrecht. pp. 3-20.
Osmo Kontula & Henna Meriläinen (2007). Koulun seksuaalikasvatus 2000-luvun Suomessa (Sex education in school in Finland in the 2000s). Katsauksia E26/2007. Väestöntutkimuslaitos. Väestöliitto. Helsinki. 187 pp.
Elina Haavio-Mannila, Osmo Kontula & Anna Rotkirch (2006). フィンランドにおける
性的ライフスタイルの変容 -３世代200の自分史による調査研究 (The change of sexual lifestyles in Finland – A Research study based on over 200 autobiographies in three generations). (Translation into Japanese by Noriko Hashimoto). Ohtsuki publishing Co., Ltd. Tokyo. 224 pp.
Osmo Kontula & Sirpa Valkama (2006). Characteristics of the sexology profession in Finland in the beginning of 2000s = Caractéristiques de la profession de sexologue, en Finlande, au début des années 2000. Sexologies – European Journal of Sexual Health, 2006:15:1:22-29.
Olev Poolamets, Elina Haavio-Mannila, Osmo Kontula & Kai Haldre (Eds.)(2006). Seksuaalsus Eestis: Ajalugu. Tänapäev. Arengud (Sexuality in Estonia: History, Contemporary, Progress). Eesti Akadeemiline Seksoloogia Selts. Tallinn. 360 pp.
Osmo Kontula & Anneli Miettinen (2005). Synthesis Report on Demographic Behaviour, Existing Population Related Policies and Expectations Men and Women Have Concerning the State. DIALOG Work package 4, Report D15. Working Papers E19/2005. The Population Research Institute. The Family Federation of Finland. Helsinki. 151 pp.
Osmo Kontula (2004). Reproductive health behaviour of young Europeans. Volume 2: The role of education and information. Population Studies No. 45. Council of Europe Publishing. Council of Europe. Strasbourg. 100 pp.
Osmo Kontula and Elina Haavio-Mannila (2004). Renaissance of Romanticism in the Era of Increasing Individualism. In The State of Affairs: Explorations in Infidelity and Commitment (Eds. Jean Duncombe, Kaeren Harrison, Graham Allan & Dennis Marsden). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. New Jersey. pp. 79-102.
Kontula Osmo (2004). Bi- and Homosexuality in the National Surveys in Europe. In Same-sex couples, same-sex partnerships, and homosexual marriages: A Focus on cross-national differentials (Eds. Digoix, Marie & Festy, Patrick). Documents de travail n°124, Ined, pp. 211-223.
Nathalie Bajos, Agnés Guillaume & Osmo Kontula (2004). Le comportement des jeunes Européens face à la santé génésique. Volume 1. Etudes démographiques No.42, Editions du Conseil de l’Europe. Conseil de l’Europe. Strasbourg. 150 pp.
Elina Haavio-Mannila and Osmo Kontula (2003). Sexual Trends in the Baltic Sea Area. Publications of the Population Research Institute, Series D41, The Population Research Institute, Family Federation of Finland. Helsinki. 272 pp.
Osmo Kontula and Elina Haavio-Mannila (2003). Finland (Suomen Tasavalta) With up-dates by the original authors. The International Encyclopedia of Sexuality (Ed. Robert T. Francouer & Raymond Noonan). Continuum. New York. pp. 381-411.
Osmo Kontula (2003). Trends in Teenage Sexual Behaviour, Pregnancies, Sexually Transmitted Infections and HIV infections in Europe. In ‘Reproductive health behaviour of young Europeans.’ Volume 1. Population Studies No. 42. Council of Europe Publishing. Council of Europe. Strasbourg. pp. 77-137.
Elina Haavio-Mannila and Osmo Kontula (2003). Single and Double Sexual Standards in Finland, Estonia and St. Petersburg. Journal of Sex Research 40:1:36-49.
Osmo Kontula and Elina Haavio-Mannila (2003). Masturbation in a Generational Perspective. In Masturbation as a Means of Achieving Sexual Health (Eds. Walter O. Bockting and Eli Coleman). The Haworth Press. New York 2003. pp. 49-83.
Elina Haavio-Mannila, Osmo Kontula and Anna Rotkirch (2002). Sexual Lifestyles in the Twentieth Century: A Research Study. Palgrave. Hampshire and New York. 224 pp.
Ilsa Lottes and Osmo Kontula (Eds.)(2000). New Views on Sexual Health: The Case of Finland. D37/2000. The Population Research Institute. Väestöliitto, Family Federation of Finland. Helsinki. 339 pp.
Osmo Kontula and Elina Haavio-Mannila (1995). Sexual Pleasures: Enhancement of Sex Life in Finland, 1971 – 1992. Dartmouth. Hampshire. 287 s.