Safe Spaces, Social Media and Sexuality: The Risk and Opportunities of Silenced Voices

Abstract

Abstract For sexual health organizations, establishing a safe space to talk about sensitive topics is an important prerequisite for information exchange and open dialogue. With the popularity of social media and mobile phones, these safe spaces are moving online. This paper examines one of these spaces, the Love Matters Kenya Facebook page, as an example of a sexual health organization using social media to discuss sexuality with young people. I observed interactions on the Facebook page over a period of six weeks, and also led an online focus group discussion. The results showed that the key elements of a safe space are: good moderation, users’ ability to create their own online personas, and a community atmosphere that enables trust to grow.