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Sexual Health Blog
Explore SHAPE Europe’s blog for expert insights, community stories, and in-depth perspectives on sexual health advocacy and peer engagement initiatives.
Blog
SHAPE Insights: Perspectives on Sexual Health & Advocacy
Welcome to the SHAPE Europe blog—a dedicated space for dialogue, education, and collective action. Here, we move beyond the statistics to explore the real-world impact of sexual health policies and clinical advancements across Europe.
Our blog serves as a digital forum for our diverse coalition of activists, healthcare professionals, and researchers to share:
We invite you to read, share, and join the conversation as we work together.
Mandela Day 2026 – Stories of Hope 5 years
Mandela taught us that dignity is a collective responsibility. Jyoti embodies that responsibility. She advocates for women, for people ageing with HIV, for U equals U, and for inclusion of people with disabilities in the HIV response. Every day she acts as a global embassador for those who feel unseen.
3 days ago1 min read
Faith, Purity, and Cultural Conditioning
Navigating sexual health under the heavy shadow of "purity culture" is one of the most agonizing, isolating experiences a human being can endure. It forces an individual into a devastating psychological war, where they must constantly choose between trusting modern medicine or trusting the doctrines they were raised to revere.
4 days ago6 min read
The Double Invisible (Disability and STIs)
Disabled individuals are frequently forced into one of two false categories: they are either infantilized and presumed to be completely asexual, or they are hyper-sexualized and fetishized. The radical, ordinary truth—that disabled people have vibrant sex lives, complex desires, and the exact same biological vulnerabilities to infectious diseases as anyone else—is systematically erased.
Jul 146 min read
The LGBTQ+ Experience
It is impossible to discuss queer sexual health without acknowledging the deep, lingering scars of the early HIV/AIDS epidemic. For the older generation of the LGBTQ+ community, the hard-fought sexual liberation of the 1970s was violently interrupted by a virus that decimated an entire demographic while global governments and medical institutions largely looked the other way.
Jul 105 min read
Chemsex and Substance Use
The intersection of substance use and sexuality—often referred to as "chemsex" or "party and play" (PnP)—is a complex reality. It involves the intentional use of substances (such as methamphetamine, GHB/GBL, or mephedrone) immediately before or during sex to facilitate, prolong, or enhance the sexual experience.
Jul 86 min read
Diverse Lives, Unique Realities
Yet, sex workers navigate a world that violently refuses to grant them this pragmatic view. They are subjected to a suffocating "double stigma"—judged relentlessly for the labor they perform to survive, and immediately blamed if they encounter a biological hazard while performing it.
Jul 36 min read
Rainbow June
This June, I am fortunate to be in South Korea. Two years ago, I connected with local communities here, and returning now feels like being welcomed home. The celebrations are known as the “Seoul Queer Culture Festival”, but the spirit is the same: Pride.
Jun 273 min read
The "Curable" Stigma (Syphilis, Gonorrhea, Chlamydia)
When a bacterial infection involves the genitals, the throat, or the rectum through sexual contact, biology is suddenly overshadowed by theology, morality, and centuries of ingrained shame. Syphilis, Gonorrhea, and Chlamydia are the "Big Three" of bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
Jun 266 min read
The Next Frontier in Sexual Health: A Comprehensive Dive into DoxyPEP
To combat this rising tide, the medical community has repurposed an old tool for a new strategy: Doxycycline Post-Exposure Prophylaxis, universally referred to as DoxyPEP. While it is rapidly becoming a focal point for health professionals and advocates, navigating the science, the policy, and the practical application requires a nuanced understanding.
Jun 245 min read
The Silent Rivers (Hepatitis B & C)
These are the silent rivers of the viral world: Hepatitis B (HBV) and Hepatitis C (HCV).
In conversations about sexual health and intimacy, Hepatitis is frequently overshadowed by HIV or visibly stigmatized conditions like Herpes. Yet, millions of individuals globally navigate the complex intersection of liver health, infectious disease, and romantic connection.
Jun 125 min read
The Common Companions (HPV & HSV/Herpes)
The human body is not a sterile environment, and expecting it to be one is a recipe for lifelong misery. By stripping away the moral panic and looking at the science, people managing HPV and HSV can reclaim their bodies, recognizing that a common microscopic companion does not diminish their infinite capacity for pleasure, connection, and profound love.
Jun 106 min read
Mother Courage: Surviving Stigma, Embracing Truth, and Fighting for Life in Albania
I founded the Albanian Association of People Living with HIV/AIDS (AUPLHA). The mission was exceptionally clear: to demand access to life-saving medications, to protect the fundamental rights of patients, and to drag the reality of HIV out of the shadows.
Jun 94 min read
The Infections (Science Decoded)
Science has fundamentally transformed HIV from a fatal diagnosis into a manageable chronic condition. A person diagnosed with HIV today, who has access to modern medication, is expected to live a lifespan equal to someone without the virus.
Jun 95 min read
The Art of Disclosure
Society has conditioned people to view this conversation as a confession—a courtroom moment where one person admits to a fundamental "flaw" and silently waits for the other to hand down a verdict. This framework is not only medically inaccurate, but it is also profoundly damaging to the human spirit. Disclosure is not a confession of a crime. It is an act of profound vulnerability, an invitation to trust, and a fundamental step in adult intimacy.
Jun 86 min read
The Invisible Roommate: Understanding Stigma
The mind begins to play a cruel trick. A person might think, “Who could ever love me now?” or “I have to settle for less because I carry this.” This is the mirror effect. The virus does not destroy the capacity for love and pleasure; the internalized shame does.
Jun 45 min read
Three attacks, one pattern
Three attacks, one pattern: sexual freedom as a litmus test for democracies Authoritarian and totalitarian systems differ in history, ideology and style. In one respect, however, they bear a striking resemblance: they hate freedom. And they oppose diversity. Where democracies erode and rights are curtailed, this rarely happens by chance or in isolation. The transformation follows a pattern: with […]
May 253 min read
One year of “Data instead of dogma” – debates with conviction and openness
One year of ‘Data over Dogma’ – debates characterised by conviction and openness April 2026. For exactly one year now, Harriet Langanke has been hosting a special series of discussions. At the GSSG – Non-Profit Foundation for Sexuality and Health, she welcomes guests to the monthly “Data Instead of Dogma” debate on Thursdays who deal with the topics of paid sexuality and health. The online format has quickly established itself as a forum for […]
May 252 min read
Static knowledge and dynamic understanding – why essentialist thinking blocks scientific progress
Static knowledge and dynamic insight – why essentialist thinking hinders scientific progress Science does not thrive on simply describing the world, but on constantly questioning its own descriptions. It is precisely here that a key dividing line lies: between a static and a dynamic understanding of knowledge. A static understanding is evident where […]
May 254 min read
When morality becomes a substitute religion: Why the debate about sex work so often fails
When morality becomes a substitute for religion: Why the debate on sex work so often falls flat Some discussions are exhausting. And then there are those that no longer even want to be discussions. The debate on sex work increasingly falls into the latter category. Anyone who publicly advocates for the rights of sex workers today often encounters a striking pattern: facts are ignored, scientific findings […]
May 255 min read
Our own power
We all carry dreams and desires, but we also carry the whispers that try to stop us: “No, you can’t”, “you don’t deserve happiness” or “don’t even try.” These voices are not ours. They are fear. And fear grows when we stay silent.
Apr 292 min read
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