1.7 The Impact of Media, Culture, Societal Norms, and Policy on Values and Beliefs Around Sexuality

Media

Media is a major factor that influences values, beliefs, and behaviors. Movies, TV, radio, podcasts, Internet, social media, and print media are everywhere. It’s nearly impossible to escape the nonstop flow of information into our brains on a conscious and subconscious level. The variety of topics related to sexuality in the media is immense. While we may see sexual scenes depicted in TV or movies, we rarely see the entire process. How many times have you seen characters obtain condoms, dental dams, or contraceptives, actually use them, and have a conversation about consent, sexual desires, and boundaries? What about going and getting tested for STIs, communicating with a partner about an STI or unintended pregnancy, or showing the outcome of a pregnancy that isn’t parenting? It seems like the media frequently omits much of the real stuff that goes into being sexually active.

Culture

When it comes to sexuality, culture may come up in a multitude of ways. Culture includes the values, beliefs, traditions, or customs of any shared group of people. Race, ethnicity, and religion are just a few examples of cultural groups. Culture can impact if and how families talk about sex and sexuality and which values they communicate and practice. Take, for example, cultures that:

• Value collectivism over individualism; instead of the individual choosing a partner, their family may determine who they marry.
• Encourage marriage and creation of large families; the use of contraception, other than natural family planning methods, may be discouraged or forbidden.
• Practice plural marriage; more commonly, men have two or more wives, but a small number of cultures’ customs include women having two or more husbands.

Many cultures have current and/or historical experiences of trauma related to sexuality. Consider how white slave owners sexually assaulted Black individuals as a tool of oppression or women and children imprisoned and sexually assaulted during wars and occupations. Additionally, harms caused by the U.S. government specifically include forced and coerced sterilizations, purposely infecting communities with syphilis, and criminalizing non-heterosexual sexual activity (Eskridge, 2008; Jones & Tuskegee Institute, 1993; Stern, 2005). As of 2022, 31 states along with the District of Columbia are still legally allowed to sterilize a disabled person against their will (National Women’s Law Center, 2022). As a result, individuals from these cultures may have a distrust in medical providers or other people in healthcare settings, be wary of government assistance having to do with sexual health or pregnancy, or be less likely to report sexual assault or intimate partner violence.

Societal Norms

Societal norms also influence our thinking. Take for example the ways in which we view gender roles; this can have a significant impact on how we believe we should think and act. In the U.S., traditional gender roles teach men to be the pursuer in relationships and the aggressor when it comes to sex; they should want it all the time, and should know exactly what to do. Traditional gender roles teach women to be innocent and pure, while at the same time sexualizes them.

Policy

Laws and policies can impact your values, beliefs, and actions related to sexuality in both direct and indirect ways. First, the most direct example is policies around sexuality education. While we don’t have federal legislation requiring any sort of sexuality education, historically we’ve had federal funding dedicated to support two very philosophically different programs: comprehensive sexual education and abstinence-only-until-marriage education. Other examples include national and state health care policies and coverage related to contraception, STI testing and treatment, vaccines, annual exams, and other preventive services, as well as parental leave laws. A person’s ability to access and afford healthcare and preventative services directly impacts their sexual health and how they take care of themselves, their partners, and families.

Another area of policy is related to human and sexual rights. If laws are in place that limit the freedom to marry, impede on pregnancy decision-making, fail to prosecute sexual or intimate partner violence, or allow someone to be discriminated against for their gender identity or sexual orientation, a clear message is sent on how society either supports or excludes certain aspects of individual identities.

Finally, consider laws and policies not directly related to sexuality, such as those having to do with general education, the economy, and the criminal justice system. Being able to pay for school or rent, be employed at a livable wage, and be paid equitably regardless of your gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, and race are all influenced by state and federal policies. The results of these different policies can lead to inequities between groups of people. When something isn’t going right in one area of our lives, it can cross over into our relationships and other parts of our sexuality.