Exploring Shame and Stigma in Sex Education: Insights from Emerging Adults

The more shame and stigma that emerging adults experienced or perceived around STIs, the less likely they were to talk about STIs and sex with their parents (Scheinfeld, 2021).

Imagine a sex education classroom that’s as comprehensive as the content we see and consume on Instagram. Imagine one that normalizes the likelihood of contracting an STI, as well as how to navigate it with partners. One that tells us more than just symptoms to look for and how to reduce transmission—a system that provides a deeper dive into what stigma is and how we, as a society, can move beyond it.

If classrooms embodied much the IG approach to sex education content, I wonder how these findings would shift, if at all. I am also curious to the parents’ attitudes and beliefs about STIs, as well as their knowledge about STIs.

This finding is another gem from Emily Scheinfeld (2021)’s article, “Shame and STIs: An exploration of Emerging Adult Students’ Felt Shame and Stigma Towards Getting Tested for and Disclosing Sexually Transmitted Infections.”

Reminders about the study:

Emerging Adults: defined as those who fall within the age range of 18-26

Study Participants: 452 undergraduate students ages 18-25 from a large American Southwestern university; 18 students chose not to disclose their demographic information, however, over half the reported sample identified as non-Hispanic and white (62%) and the majority were women (80.7%); 78.7% reported being sexually active; 40% identified as single, 44.3% were in a long-term, monogamous relationships, and 14.4% reported being in casual relationships.

It’s always important to remember the perspectives included and those who are absent from research, as well as advocate for more inclusive participant groups in the future.

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Understanding Herpes Transmission: Why Tracing Infections to One Partner Can Be Challenging

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Understanding Perceptions After Disclosing STI Results: Insights from Research