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The "Be All and End All"?: Young People, Online Sexual Health Information, Science and Skepticism

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<mark>Journal publication date</mark>30/09/2021
<mark>Journal</mark>Qualitative Health Research
Issue number11
Volume31
Number of pages14
Pages (from-to)2097-2110
Publication StatusPublished
Early online date21/04/21
<mark>Original language</mark>English

Abstract

In this article, we investigate young people's trust in online sexual health resources. Analyzing interviews with 37 young people in Australia using Irwin and Michael's account of science-society relations and Warner's conceptualization of "publics," we explore the processes by which they assess the credibility of online sexual health information. We suggest that when seeking medical information, young people opt for traditionally authoritative online sources that purport to offer "facts." By contrast, when seeking information about relationships or sexual practices, participants indicated a preference for websites presenting "experiences" rather than or as well as "facts." Regardless of content, however, our participants approached online sexual health information skeptically and used various techniques to appraise its quality and trustworthiness. We argue that these young people are productively understood as a skeptical public of sexual health. We conclude by exploring the implications of our analysis for the provision of online sexual health information.