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Raunch or romance?
This article explores the relationship between the media and young people’s sexual health as articulated within public health policy in the United Kingdom. It argues that this relationship is largely framed by covert moralism and by a focus on media effect and exposure and sexual risk and harm. Through the presentation of preliminary findings from my own research, which is situated at the intersection between public health, and media and cultural studies, I argue that this framing may in fact constrict and even contain the sexual agency, health and sexual expression of young people. I suggest that this is incongruent with the World Health Organization working definition of sexual health and has implications for sex education, sex educators and practitioners and policy-makers. I conclude by suggesting that the relationship between sexualized culture and the sexual health of young people may be best understood in terms of competency and considered within a pleasure and rights based definition of sexual health.
This article explores the relationship between the media and young people’s sexual health as articulated within public health policy in the United Kingdom. It argues that this relationship is largely framed by covert moralism and by a focus on media effect and exposure and sexual risk and harm. Through the presentation of preliminary findings from my own research, which is situated at the intersection between public health, and media and cultural studies, I argue that this framing may in fact constrict and even contain the sexual agency, health and sexual expression of young people. I suggest that this is incongruent with the World Health Organization working definition of sexual health and has implications for sex education, sex educators and practitioners and policy-makers. I conclude by suggesting that the relationship between sexualized culture and the sexual health of young people may be best understood in terms of competency and considered within a pleasure and rights based definition of sexual health.
