“Consent is sexy”: A poster campaign using sex-positive images and messages to increase dyadic sexual communication

Abstract

Objective: “Consent is Sexy” (CIS) is a poster campaign incorporating sex-positive messages to promote consent and increase sexual communication among college students. We assess reactions to the campaign and associations between campaign recall and communication attitudes and behaviors. Participants: Male and female undergraduates at a Midwestern university were recruited (N = 284). Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted. t-Tests, logistic and multiple linear regressions were used to analyze the data. Results: Over half (56%) of participants recalled the campaign and reactions were positive. Students who recalled CIS had more positive attitudes towards sexual communication (p = .04) and greater perceived behavioral control (PBC; p < .01). Conclusions: Results show many students paid attention and reacted positively to CIS posters and results offer dissemination insights. Consent campaigns should continue to cultivate positive attitudes and PBC in regards to sexual communication.

KEYWORDS:

• campaign evaluation
• consent
• mass media campaigns
• sexual communication

Conflict of interest disclosure

The authors have no conflicts of interest to report. The authors confirm that the research presented in this article met the ethical guidelines, including adherence to the legal requirements, of the United States and received approval from the Institutional Review Board of The Ohio State University.