Trauma-Informed Sex Positive Approaches to Sexual Pleasure

Int J Sex Health. 2021 Sep 24;33(4):537-549. doi: 10.1080/19317611.2021.1961965. eCollection 2021.

Abstract

This paper develops a trauma-informed sex-positive framework as a public health, clinical, and research approach to sexual experience over the life course. The framework centers trauma-informed sex positivity as the linkage for sexual pleasure (along with sexual wellbeing and sexual health) to the social, cultural, and legal concepts of sexual justice. By providing a conceptual distinction of sexual pleasure from sexual wellbeing and sexual health, the framework improves clarity about how these constructs are related as well as provides possibilities for detailed operationalization in public health surveillance and in the new research.

Keywords: Sexual pleasure; sexual health; sexual rights; sexual wellbeing; trauma-informed care.