Women Deemed “Sluts” for Raising Condom Use Erotically

[marmar]

Posted by Ellen Friedrichs at 2:27 pm
February 4, 2010

Women Deemed “Sluts” for Raising Condom Use Erotically


It often seems as if no matter what sexual choices women make, the slut label is never far behind. Wear the wrong outfit? Slut. Sleep with someone too soon? Slut. Don’t use a condom? Slut? Use a condom, but suggest the idea in an erotic way? Apparently, this, too, can be seen as slutty!

In a study just published online in the journal, Sex Roles, researchers looked at whether the manner in which a woman raises the issue of condom use with a sex partner affects how other women perceive her.

To do so they asked 193 undergraduate students to read stories about a sexual encounter between a man and a woman where the female character brought up condom use in three different ways. In the first scenario, the woman expressed concern over STDs and pregnancy. In the second, she simply refused to have sex without a condom. In the third, she talked about how sex would be hotter with a condom because she would feel less inhibited.

The study determined that, “Female students rated the female proposer as less nice, more promiscuous and less like the housewife type when she used the eroticization strategy, suggesting that women are harsher on other women who highlight their sexuality.“

It would be nice to think that in the years since the sexual revolution women no longer had reason to judge each other sexually. Unfortunately, it seems the old joke, “being promiscuous means that you’ve slept with one more person than I have,” rings a little more true than I’d like.


http://blogs.alternet.org/speakeasy/2010/02/04/do-other-women-think-she%e2%80%99s-a-slut-depends-on-how-she-brings-up-the-condom-issue%e2%80%a6/

[scarletwoman]

1. Well, that's rather depressing.

:(

On the other hand it's really a very small sample of a very small group.

[seabeyond]

3. a very small sample of a very small group. .. of very young females with preconcieved notions

with very little experience in life, lol

[glowing]

2. 193 women? Seems like a small survey study. As well, where were these women from?

I think it makes a difference if you are in a small town or south or midwest or from NY city.

[tinymontgomery]

4. People are stupid

In this day and age, not using a condom if your not staying with one person is just plain stupid, STD's getting pregnant etc, why wouldn't a woman ask for a condom. And calling her names because of it is just stupid and immature.

[seabeyond]

7. of course it is immature. they ask a bunch of barely adults.... nt

[Solly Mack]

5. Power...in the 3rd scenario the woman asserted herself...her own power/sexuality

...the "bad" girl

The 1st opts for a way to be seen as not being confrontational...afterall, it was a reasonable request, right?...she expresses her fears, he either reassures her (uses the condom) or refuses (the cad!)...and the decision isn't really hers is it?


In the 2nd, well, that goes back to the "good girls" don't thinking...Yes, she asserted herelf...but still in line with a (so-called) "traditional" female role...virtuous and virginal

[Rainngirl]

6. I wonder why

nobody brought up the possibility that the woman who had to approach the subject "suggestively" was dealing with a man too stupid to agree to use a condom any other way. Sheesh.

[FiveGoodMen]

9. In the article, it was women judging other women and placing that label on them

But you managed to turn it into a slur against men.

Good going!

[BlueIris]

10. Women didn't invent that slur to degrade themselves.

It exists as the result of male-dominated society's misogyny.

Good going!

[Name removed]

11. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[seabeyond]

12. it doesnt seem to state the gals used the word slut. so i assume it is the writer that chose

to define what the gals said as .... slut.

[FiveGoodMen]

15. There's kind of a mixed bag there...

"Female students rated the female proposer as less nice, more promiscuous and less like the housewife type when she used the eroticization strategy, suggesting that women are harsher on other women who highlight their sexuality."

It does seem that the article writer chose to use the word slut, but if the study is to be believed it was women who took a judgmental attitude.

Then again, the way the study phrases that is odd (or maybe just discouraging):

"Less nice" is pretty derogatory and hardly called for...

"More promiscuous" is presumably insulting although that's kind of an eye-of-the-beholder thing since monogamy as a moral imperative is pretty subjective. (People shouldn't promise faithfulness and then cheat, but I didn't see anything about promises like that mentioned in this study)

"less like the housewife type" ?!? Was this study done in the fifties?

Either way, my point is that men and women can hardly be expected to get along if even the things that women do on their own are presumed to be the fault of men. (Which is pretty demeaning to women since it assumes they aren't really responsible for their own thoughts -- something I would never assume)

[seabeyond]

17. i agree. i dont see that this has to do with men. said in posts above, a small group of young

really young gals.

the housewife throws me. what are they suppose to be. non sexual. what person thinks like that today. is a working married woman more sexual.

it all sounded stupid to me

[TheMadMonk]

14. Beg to differ.

Women are far more likely to prejudge other women based on the way they dress than men. AND are far more likely to be negative in their prejudgement.

As one of those "invisible" males, I've sat on the outskirts of any number of conversations amongst women and the level of backbiting is sometimes frightening to behold. As are the factional shifts depending on who is present and absent at any given time.

[seabeyond]

16. yes... women are tough on women. i would like to see us get better with that. nt

[LostInAnomie]

8. I would probably think "Who the fuck does she think she's kidding?"

"hotter", "less inhibited" :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[howard112211]

13. This study suggests that a lot of the "slut" labeling is done by other women.

I have heard women label other women as "sluts" quite a few times.

[TheMadMonk]

18. Beg to differ on the characterisation of the survey group.

The only demographing were are given on them is their approximate age 18-20ish. Also the first time these girls are likely to be out from under parental thumbs, and of an age where most of those who aren't saving "IT" for marriage have already given "IT" away.

Now if the suvery group are from a small (conservative) community college or an institution with strong religious ties then I would indeed take the results with a very large grain of salt and if the paper was soft enough find a better use for it.

However if the survey was taken in a larger institution with students taken from a fair cross section of the community at large then (best valley girl voice) "Oh Em Gee. She is such a slut!!!!" I'd accept it as a reasonably fair characterisation of thinking in that age group.