Abstract
The pursuit of pleasure is one of the primary reasons people have sex; and sex is the most common way people contract HIV worldwide. Yet information about how to have (or deliver) pleasurable sex and stay healthy are largely missing from health resources and HIV prevention campaigns. Wendy Knerr and Anne Philpott explore how ‘erotophobia’ in the health and development sectors is hindering effective safer sex promotion, and highlight best practices from The Global Mapping of Pleasure, 2nd Edition, a collection of case studies on pleasure and safer sex communication from countries and contexts around the world.
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Notes
HIV is transmitted through: unprotected penetrative (vaginal or anal) and oral sex with an infected person; blood transfusion with contaminated blood; by using contaminated syringes, needles or other sharp instruments; from an infected mother to her child during pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding (UNAIDS Fast Facts about HIV, (http://data.unaids.org/pub/BaseDocument/2008/20080501_fastfacts_prevention_en.pdf, accessed 26 May 2008).
According to Scott-Sheldon and Johnson (2006): ‘Eroticization was defined as any sexually arousing, exciting, or pleasurable material that was used to promote safe sexual behaviour’.
Erotophobia is a psychology term that describes sexuality on a personality scale. Erotophobes score high on the end of the scale characterized by expressions of guilt and fear about sex. Erotophobes are less likely to talk about sex, have more negative reactions to sexually explicit material, and have sex less frequently and with fewer partners over time. In contrast, erotophiles score high on the opposite end of the scale. Erotophilia is characterized by expressing less guilt about sex, talking about sex more openly, and holding more positive attitudes toward sexually explicit material.
Realising Rights (www.realising-rights.org) is a Research Programme Consortium led by the Institute for Development Studies (IDS). It is funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID); however the views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of DFID.
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Explores how ‘erotophobia’ in the health and development sectors is hindering effective safer sex promotion
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Knerr, W., Philpott, A. Promoting Safer Sex Through Pleasure: Lessons from 15 countries. Development 52, 95–100 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1057/dev.2008.79
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/dev.2008.79