Re-envisioning Youth Sexual Health Care: Supporting Sex Positivity in a Digital World

Abstract

Introduction: Youth in a digital world face challenges to the healthy development of their sexuality from exposure to sexting, pornography, and other sexually explicit media. School-based sexual health education does not cover digital sexual content and its impact on sexuality and sexual relationships. Youth often avoid discussing sexual health with parents or other trusted adults, thus often relying on peers, making them ill-prepared to navigate the complexities (e.g., socially, emotionally, and romantically) of sexually explicit content.

Method: A review of emerging evidence for application into clinical practice.

Results: This paper provides nurse practitioners with resources and information to incorporate this re-envisioned approach to sexual health care into practice to provide current, timely, and holistic youth sexual health care.

Discussion: Youth sexual health care must be re-envisioned. Nurse practitioners can improve youth sexual health by incorporating pornography and sexual media literacy, safe sexting, and concepts of consent into care using a sex-positive lens.

Keywords: Youth sexual health; pornography literacy; safe sexting; sex positivity.