"How can we better protect ourselves?": Young lesbians' social representations of sexual health

This article sought to understand the structure of young lesbians' social representations of sexual health, based on their experiences and practices. This is a descriptive, qualitative study based on the Theory of Social Representations. The Free Word Association Test (FWAAT) was used online for 124 self-declared lesbians, aged 18 to 29 years, and of these, seven responded to a semi-structured interview script. The TALP data was processed using IRaMuTeQ software (prototypical analysis), contextualized by excerpts from the interviews that portray experiences and practices, and scientific references on the subject. The results pointed to the terms 'condom', "care" and 'prevention' as core elements in the structure of social representations. In the interviews, these terms refer to the importance attributed to protection and disease prevention, although the condom models are not adapted to the sexual practices of trafficked sex. The participants' practices and experiences also emphasize personal hygiene. The development of effective public policies for lesbian health requires valuing the knowledge they share socially.