The Centre for Sexology and Sexuality Studies carries out multidisciplinary research on sexuality from social science, humanistic, medical and clinical perspectives. Our aim is to develop and stimulate faculty-wide research in sexology and sexuality studies, and also to strengthen national and international research collaboration within the field.

Research highlights

Chairs

Survivors Healing from Abuse: Recovery through Exposure (SHARE) is a brief, exposure-based group treatment for incarcerated female survivors of sexual violence developed by Marie Karlsson and her colleagues. Preliminary evaluations of SHARE have showed declines in depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms from pre- to posttreatment. In this study Marie Karlsson with colleagues examine whether group size matters for the outcome of the treatment.

Two persons beeing close

Through a phenomenological approach, Frida Björklund and Malin Lindroth have explored transgender and non-binary people’s strategies for experiencing sexual well-being. Their study points to strategies that all can learn from: the need to accept and appreciate oneself, not just adapt to gender norms of bodies and behaviors, and to communicate. In addition, being norm-breaking, or stepping out of the gendered paths presented to you, appears to provide new opportunities for people to learn what they enjoy.

Dices with letters forming the word Diabetes

A recent publication authored by Anne-Marie Wangel and Karin Stenzelius shows that problems with sexual dysfunction are common in middle-aged women with long-lasting type 1 diabetes, and may be unreported unless addressed in clinical care. The study is based on data collected through a questionnaire distributed at four hospitals in southern Sweden.

Our research

The centre was established with the intention of further strengthening the University's position as a focual point for national and international research, in parallel with educational and professional development in the field of sexuality. Our research focusses on structural frameworks, institutional contexts and individual experiences, comprising three main themes:

Sexuality, norms and politics

The first theme — sexuality, norms and politics — focusses on norms concerning sexuality in legislation, moral regulation, and discourse. Within this area, our research deals with the construction and mediation of norms by examining politics and policies targeting sexuality. The analytical perspectives applied are developed from social scientific disciplines such as anthropology, sociology, criminology and social work, as well as from humanities disciplines such as gender studies, queer studies, history, human ecology and film studies.

The research questions within this field relate to politics, legislation, public discourse and norms, and include a variety of topics, such as:

  • female genital cutting
  • the regulation of commercial sex
  • narratives of rape
  • attitudes to and representations of HIV
  • perceptions of honour-related violence
  • the governance of same-sex relationships and homonormativity
  • BDSM practices 
  • issues of sexual and reproductive health and rights from a global perspective

Sexual and reproductive health, intervention and prevention

The second theme — sexual and reproductive health, intervention and prevention — has a more direct focus on intervention, prevention and institutional practices relating to sexuality. This theme involves research projects that examine the provision of sexual information and sex education for young people in different contexts, such as: the Swedish education system; the Swedish health care system; Swedish social services; and in institutional care. Other projects explore sexual counselling among religious and multi-ethnic communities and counselling for people who buy sex.

The protection of sexual and reproductive health and rights among different target groups is yet another topic within this field, for example access to health care and social support for people who sell sex, transgender people and young people.

In addition, research within the centre also touches on the implementation and outcomes of different interventions and legal measures targeting, for example:

  • female genital cutting
  • the selling and buying of sexual services
  • human trafficking for sexual purposes

This theme also addresses intervention by looking into institutional practices and examining the ideologies on which interventions are based.

Sexual experiences and practices

The third theme — sexual experiences and practices — brings together research at the micro-level with a focus on individual perceptions and experiences of sexuality. Among other things, this involves ongoing research on:

  • sexual dysfunction
  • sexuality and intellectual disabilities
  • sexual consent
  • sexual risk-taking
  • sexual practices and identities
  • experiences of sexual abuse
  • sexuality and drug use
  • sexual habits
  • sexual fantasies
  • research on sexual health and desire in relation to gender, sexuality, class, ethnicity, ability and age

Research projects and publications

Find out more about ongoing research projects at Centre for Sexology and Sexuality Studies.

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News and events

News

Understanding sex as self-injury behaviour

News

Majority did not experience any change in sexual interest during the pandemic

Researchers at CSS

Sofia Hammarström

Development manager at Knowledge Centre for Sexual Health within Region Västra Götaland. PhD from Linköping University within the field young people at risk of sexual ill health. Contact: sofia.hammarstrom@vgregion.se 

Our centre regularly welcomes visiting academics, from professors to doctoral students, whose research interests align with the centre's activities. To apply, send a CV, information about previous experience, funding, motivation and a research description to Charlotta Holmström.

Organisation

Advisory Board

Advisory Board

Chair

Mariah Larsson, Professor, Department of Film and Literature, Linnaeus University

Members

  • Barbro Lennér-Axelsson, Psychologist, International Planned Parenthood Federation, and Senior Lecturer, University of Gothenburg
  • Carina Listerborn, Professor in Urban Planning, Department of Urban Studies, Malmö University
  • Karin Örmon, Associate Professor, Department of Care Science, Malmö University
  • Katarina Görts Öberg, Doctor of Medicine and Psychologist, ANOVA, and Head of Unit for Sexual Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital
  • Niclas Olsson, Development Secretary, Sexual Health, Malmö city
  • Niels Ulrich Sörensen, Associate Professor and Deputy Manager at The Danish Centre for Youth Research (CeFU), Aalborg University, Denmark
  • Suzann Larsdotter, Social worker and Sexologist, Sexualbyrån Suzann Larsdotter

Senior Research Group

  • Ann-Cathrine Bramhagen, Associate Professor, Department of Care Science, Malmö University
  • Bodil Liljefors-Persson, Professor, Department of Society, Culture and Identity, Malmö University
  • Catrine Andersson, Associate Professor, Department of Social Work, Malmö University
  • Charlotta Holmström, Associate Professor, Department of Social Work, Malmö University
  • Eva Elmerstig, Associate Professor, Department of Social Work, Malmö University
  • Malin Lindroth, Associate Professor, Department of Social Work, Malmö University
  • Mats Lundström, Senior lecturer, Department of Natural Science, Malmö University

PhD Network DSS

Doctoral students for Sexology and Sexual Studies (DSS) is an interdisciplinary doctoral research network based at the Center for Sexology and Sexuality Studies (CSS), Malmö University. Network’s goal is to connect and foster collaboration between doctoral students working in the fields of sexuality, and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). By creating an open space for dialogue and knowledge exchange, we aim to stimulate research collaborations between different faculties and universities and contribute to advancing research in the fields of sexuality and SRHR at the national and international level. Would you like to be a part of DSS or have questions? Please contact PhD students Camilla Ivarsson or Nada Amroussia. 

Camilla Ivarsson

Nada Amroussia

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