Sexual well-being: between rights, prevention and freedom The situation in Italy today
When it comes to sexual health in Italy, the conversation often narrows down to the prevention of sexually transmitted infections. In reality, sexual well-being is something much broader: it’s about the right to live in one’s body without shame, to have access to accurate information and effective healthcare services, and to recognize pleasure as an integral part of health. Today, in 2025, the contradiction is clear: we live in an age where technology allows us to access any kind of content in real time, and yet sexuality remains a marginal topic, held hostage by cultural taboos and political choices that slow down its diffusion in terms of education and prevention.
Sexuality and health: two sides of the same coin
The World Health Organization stresses that sexual health does not simply mean the absence of disease. It is a condition that intertwines physical, emotional, and relational health. In other words, we cannot talk about sexual well-being if there is no access to adequate services, if pleasure is experienced as guilt, if prevention remains an abstract concept. The lack of sexual and emotional education in Italian schools weighs heavily on the youngest, who often face their first experiences without tools or awareness. This generates measurable consequences: not only in terms of sexually transmitted infections, but also unwanted pregnancies, difficulty in communicating with partners, and the sense of loneliness that many boys and girls experience.
Why we still talk so little about sexually transmitted infections
STIs (sexually transmitted infections) are on the rise, especially among young people. This is not only due to recklessness: the information gap, the difficulty of finding accessible screening services, and the fear of judgment all play a role. Many health clinics are underfunded, and sexual health services are often not visible enough. The result? Many young people don’t know where to go to get tested, have no reference figures to ask, and turn to the internet, risking unreliable sources. Yet prevention should not be complicated: condoms, free or low-cost testing, regular check-ups with a gynecologist or urologist. Simple tools that, however, require a cultural context where talking about them is not seen as transgressive.
Sexual well-being as a right
Reducing sexuality to a matter of risk is a mistake. It means forgetting that sexual health also includes the possibility of living fulfilling relationships, free from fear and discrimination. Sexual well-being is a human right, and as such it should be guaranteed by public policies. This means:
- Structured and continuous sexual and emotional education in schools, not occasional initiatives;
- Accessible local services offering screenings, psychological and medical consultations without stigma;
- National communication campaigns that speak in a language close to young people, avoiding moralism;
- Training for healthcare professionals to welcome questions and doubts without judgment.
Sexual well-being also means pleasure
Another aspect that is almost always forgotten is pleasure. In Italy, even today, female pleasure remains invisible in public debate, relegated to something private or even embarrassing. But without recognizing pleasure, we cannot talk about true sexual well-being. Body awareness, the ability to express desires without feeling wrong, access to contraceptive tools that respect individual freedom: these are fundamental pieces in building a culture of health that is also a culture of pleasure.
Prevention and care: what we can do every day
While waiting for the system to change, there are concrete steps each of us can take:
- Normalize prevention: use condoms without seeing them as a barrier to pleasure, but as a form of mutual care.
- Get regular tests: many are free and available at public centers. You don’t need to wait for symptoms to take care of your health.
- Talk without shame: with friends, partners, children, or trusted figures. Silence is the first ally of misinformation.
- Seek professional support: doctors, psychologists, sexologists. Asking for help is not weakness, but an act of responsibility.
@m3ttich3 E tu lo sapevi che l’Italia è uno dei pochissimi Paesi europei in cui non si fa educazione sessuale e all’affettività a scuola?
A cultural challenge before a healthcare one
Sexual well-being cannot be seen only as an individual issue. It is a collective matter that concerns society as a whole. As long as Italy continues to postpone the introduction of real sex education in schools, to underestimate prevention centers, and to treat the subject with embarrassment, infection rates will keep rising. But above all, the gap between what young people experience and what they are told will keep widening. Sexual well-being is not a privilege, it is a right. Ensuring it means ensuring a healthier, freer, and more aware life. And this is a responsibility that concerns everyone: institutions, schools, families, but also each of us in our daily lives.
