What can we learn about the female condom online? An analysis of visual representations of the female condom on the Internet

ABSTRACT

This study used social functional semiotics and the concept of gender display to examine visual representations of the female condom on Google Images. A content analysis of 195 web images identified that almost half of the images were about the appearance theme of the female condom followed by the how-to-use theme. A majority of visuals did not have captions. Humans were present in 64.1% of the images, with a majority of visuals depicting dismembered female body parts rather than a whole person. These and other findings are discussed in regards to theoretical and health message design implications.

Acknowledgments

I thank Brian Horton for his theoretical insight and Kami Vinton for helping with the coding.

Notes

¹ The feminine touch refers to women more than men being depicted as cradling objects. Relative size refers to the height of male model as compared to female models. Goffman described licensed withdrawal as the emotional response toward social situations such as covering one’s mouth, which may render one psychologically removed from that situation. Goffman argued that is an “empty and maladaptive response when the withdrawal is itself a response to a real threat” (p. 57).