Silencing adolescent sexuality in rural settings

Abstract

Education for sexuality is a central pillar of sexual and reproductive health. However, adolescents living in rural areas are distanced from this discussion. The aim of this article is to analyze the discourse on the sexuality of adolescents living in rural settings and the prospects for breaking with the orders of discourse. It adopts as methodology the action research study in two rural schools in Brazil and Colombia. The data were analyzed using critical discourse analysis. Adolescent sexuality in the context of rural schools is permeated by devices that create silence. The construction of sexuality is characterized by biomedical, biological and sexist models, which are exacerbated in rural settings. It is necessary to reteach the concept of sexuality as a humanizing dimension and make strides in the discussion of how technology and the media interfere in the ways of life and sexuality of adolescents living in rural areas.