Risk discourse and sexual stigma: Barriers to STI testing, treatment and care among young heterosexual women in disadvantaged neighbourhoods in Toronto.
Available data on indicators of sexual health among Canadian youth indicate that many Canadian young people are experiencing better sexual health outcomes (e.g., lower rates of teen pregnancy) than youth in the past and more of them are engaging in safer sex practices. However, young people who expe...
| Publicado en: | Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality Vol. 21; no. 2; pp. 74 - 89 |
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| Autores principales: | , , , |
| Formato: | research tables/charts Journal Article |
| Publicado: |
University of Toronto Press
2012
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| Acceso en línea: | Ver este registro en EBSCOhost |
| Sumario: | Available data on indicators of sexual health among Canadian youth indicate that many Canadian young people are experiencing better sexual health outcomes (e.g., lower rates of teen pregnancy) than youth in the past and more of them are engaging in safer sex practices. However, young people who experience social and economic marginalization tend to have poorer sexual health outcomes including higher rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). The present focus group study of 49 young women aged 16 to 24 from two under serviced and disadvantaged neighborhood clusters in Toronto yielded insights into their perspectives about STIs and their strategies for dealing with sexual stigma associated with STIs. Our findings indicated that fear-based messages and sexual stigma discouraged these young women from accessing sexual health care. According to the respondents the school-based sexual health messages they received privileged a biomedical approach, emphasizing individual responsibilities. These messages may have inadvertently reinforced stigmatization of STIs in a way that discouraged these young women from engaging in STI prevention education or seeking early testing and treatment. Some young women felt disempowerment and limits on their potential to fully embrace their sexualities. The implications of our findings for effective sexual health promotion include the adoption of socio-environmental approaches that address social and economic marginalization and youth-driven strategies that challenge moralistic discourses and sexual stigma. |
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