The application of a feminist poststructural framework in nursing practice for addressing young women's sexual health

Abstract

Aims and objectives: Using a feminist poststructuralist framework, this paper examines the conflicting discourses of young women who experience power struggles with regard to their sexuality and sexual health practices. It aims to provide nurses with a pragmatic framework for exploring, interrogating and potentially transforming health care situations when caring for young women in a sexual health setting.

Background: Sexuality and sexual health are important components of health and well-being. Young men and women are continually perpetuated with societal ideals of sexuality and sexual health practices. Young women specifically, receive societal and peer pressure to conform to certain sexual health practices that can lead to both positive and negative health outcomes. Nurses and other health care providers may care for young women in a public or acute care setting that are living with these conflicting sexual health discourses.

Design: A review of the literature on young women's sexuality and sexual health was conducted and analysed using a feminist poststructuralist framework.

Methods: A review of the sexual health literature on young women was conducted. Issues identified from the review, as they relate to sexual discourse were power, language, subjectivity and agency. Nursing strategies to address these issues in practice were identified using a feminist poststructuralist framework.

Discussion: The feminist poststructural framework highlights the conflicting discourses related to young women's sexuality and sexual health practices. This paper provides a pragmatic example of how to incorporate theory to improve nurses' understanding of an individual or group's health.

Relevance to clinical practice: Examples of how a feminist poststructural framework can be used to enhance sexual health nursing practice are discussed, such as helping nurses to challenge the status quo and question the sexual health norms among young women.

Keywords: feminist theory; nursing practice; poststructuralism; sexual health; sexuality.