ABSTRACT
Language use is centrally important to the way in which we constitute our experiences of health and illness, as well as ultimately being of clear practical importance to those working in the healthcare professions, who must communicate medical ideas on a regular basis. This chapter investigates the language young people use in relation to sexual health issues, which may have important practical implications for healthcare professionals who need to communicate with this age group on a regular basis. Research on communication in institutional healthcare settings in particular has contributed significantly to the sociological study of health practitioners and patients. Negative constructions of teenage sexual health are generated by an ‘outsider perspective’, prompted by what researchers deem to be the issues rather than young people themselves.
