Safe sex in the media

Media can be a mirror for reality. People take what they see and apply it to their lives. It’s where behavioral norms in our culture are established, but that isn’t always a good thing.

The casual and unsafe depictions of sex in most media could have real-world consequences.

In the real world, there has been more talk about what constitutes an appropriate sexual encounter — including consent and protection. The importance of both should be obvious.

Obtaining consent before entering into a sexual encounter with someone is paramount. Explicitly knowing the comfort level of everyone involved relieves any possibility of accidentally crossing boundaries. Listening to your partner’s wants and feelings about the situation is the only way to be respectful and appropriate in vulnerable situations.

As for being safe and healthy in these situations, protection is important as well. Sexually transmitted infections are a scary and growing problem among college students. One in every four college students has an STI, while only 54 percent of students use condoms regularly.

The lack of media representation of healthy sexual practices can lead people to believe that asking for consent or protection is not sexy. It perpetuates the myth that they ruin the romantic mood portrayed on screen in Hollywood films or TV shows.

People look to these media outlets as an escape, and it’s unfair to assume people can’t separate what’s on screen from what needs to be done in real life.

But it is also naïve to assume what happens on screen doesn’t affect how people see the world around them. People look toward these media outlets as reflective of the culture around them, and right now the media is telling them there is no room for safe sex in the romantics’ bedroom.

Try to think of the last fictionalized television show you watched that didn’t involve a sexual situation.

Personally, I’m drawing a blank. More than 67 percent of television shows talk about or show sex. The number of television shows that promote safe-sex practices only amounts to 15 percent. This means the majority of sexual situations depicted on television are done without reference to healthy and mature sexual practices.Both consent and protection are extremely important to the health of every sexual partner.
 
That is why it is so important to get rid of the stigmas surrounding the obtaining of both.

It’s not that asking isn’t sexy, it’s just that the media hasn’t been including it in its depictions of sex. If the media are so dedicated to portraying these situations and have a vested interest in remaining the mirror to our culture, it needs to start getting conversations about sex right.

jordrile@indiana.edu