Risk, anxiety and fun in safe sex promotion 2017_11_13 clean.docx

Young people in Western countries are still being taught that sex is something dangerous: ‘Just don’t have sex. You’ll get pregnant and die’. Research shows that presenting sex as a source of anxiety results in negative outcomes for young people’s sexual health, discouraging them from having safe sex conversations or from developing the sexual agency necessary to have happy, healthy sex lives. A recent project attempts to promote sexual health by making safe sex conversations fun. A “‘Yes, no, maybe’” list provides a fun way in which prospective sexual partners can compare and talk about their relative interest in a range of sexual practices – including safe sex. A qualitative pilot study in Australia showed that this approach encouraged young people to talk about safe sex, not as a source of anxiety that is separate from sexual practice, but as something that is part of the fun of sex.