"It was like i wasn't even part of society anymore", Normers inverkan på sexuell hälsa ur ett fenomenologiskt perspektiv

Sammanfattning: Sexual health is an important aspect of quality of life. Norms regarding sexuality affect indi-viduals in several aspects. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of norms on sexual health, for nine (9) individuals based on their own written stories. The material consists of nine (9) written posts from the Internet forum Reddit. The theoretical frame of references consists of script theory, social constructivism and social psychology. The analysis was in-spired by descriptive phenomenology, in order to reach thick descriptions of how lack of sex-ual health was experienced. The analyses resulted in two subordinate themes: 1) relational norms and 2) gender norms. These norms can have a negative effect on three aspects of sexual health; 1) freedom from coercion, 2) social wellbeing and 3) mental well-being, based on the individuals’ understanding of themselves and others based on the individuals understanding of the norms. Some of the main problems involved in the lack of sexual health are negative social reactions, social isolation, self-silencing and shame and consent to undesired sex. The results can contribute to an increased understanding of the effects of norms on sexual health that can be of use for professionals who come in contact with clients that suffer from poor sexual health.