Study: Sex And The City Leads To Frank Discussions About STDs

Whether it's a one-night stand or a man you've been with for years, having frank discussion about sexual health with a partner is never easy. But a new study suggest that snuggling up for an evening of TV may make the talk a little less painful—as long as you're watching Sex and the City. Bedroom Lessons From Sex And The City

In fact, college students were more than twice as likely to chat about STDs with their partners after watching the characters of the famed show have similar discussions.

Researchers at Ohio State University observed 243 college students with an average age of 20. The participants were split into three groups, each of which was shown a different version of an episode of Sex and the City. The episode was edited for the study. In version one, Samantha and Miranda openly talk about Chlamydia and HIV with their friends, doctors and sexual partners. In the second version, the diseases were brushed upon, but characters were not shown having extensive discussions with others about the STDs. The third version had no relation to sexual diseases whatsoever.

Immediately after watching their assigned episodes, students filled out a questionnaire that gauged their responses to it. Then, two weeks later, they answered questions online on whether or not they talked to others about STDs and other sex-related issues. At what point in a relationship do you tell your new boyfriend you have an STD

Of those who watched Miranda and Samantha openly discuss Chlamydia and HIV with others, nearly half (46 percent) talked to their partner about sexual health in two weeks following the study. Only 21 percent of those who watched the second version and 15 percent who saw the third version had similar talks.

Such results are pretty impressive, considering only one episode of the show was watched. Study authors say that for students, the women of Sex and the City demonstrated a level of confidence and ability to successfully handle such touchy subjects. Thus, participants had a social script, or a model, to follow in real life. The show was even more effective if viewers could identify with particular characters—the "real-life" Carrie's, Samantha's, Charlotte's and Miranda's reaped the most benefit. 5 Love and Life Lessons From Carrie Bradshaw

Even more interesting, the results applied to men as well as women. Although dudes don't typically get giddy over the thought of a Carrie Bradshaw marathon on E!, watching the episode still made them more apt to discuss sexual health with their partners.

While Sex and the City was the only program involved in the study, the results could easily apply to other shows, as long as the characters are portrayed as having frank, open discussions about the topic rather than shying away from the nitty-gritty details.

The study is published in the June 2011 issue of the Journal of Communication.

Does Sex and the City empower you to openly discuss sex?