A Critical Discourse Analysis: Unveiling the Discursive Strategies of Condom Use Resistance on Reddit's r/TwoXChromosomes

Abstract

Condom use resistance (CUR) refers to a range of behaviors—from passive refusal to active evasion—used to avoid condom use despite a partner’s request. Beyond its clear public health implications (e.g., elevated risks of sexually transmitted infections [STIs], HIV/AIDS, and unintended pregnancy), CUR also shapes psychological well-being and reflects broader societal and gendered power imbalances that undermine individual sexual agency.

This study investigates how CUR discourse unfolds within Reddit’s r/TwoXChromosomes (2XC; 2025), the largest feminist oriented online community, through the lens of post-structuralist feminism (PSF). PSF provides a framework for understanding how the sexual self is constructed in relation to power and knowledge. The study focuses on exploring how community members negotiate their own sexual autonomy and how the interactive, feminist milieu of 2XC contributes to evolving—and sometimes contested—constructions of the sexual self.

Using Fairclough’s (2013) three-dimensional critical discourse analysis (CDA) model, a mixed methods design was employed. First, quantitative natural language processing (NLP) techniques map patterns and trends of CUR discourse and situate them within their sociocultural context. Next, qualitative analysis, guided by sexual script theory (SST), examines the interplay of sexual norms, power dynamics, and gendered expectations at individual, interpersonal, and structural levels.

By combining PSF, CDA, SST, and NLP, this research aims to reveal how CUR conversations both mirror and reshape feminist perspectives on sexuality. Ultimately, it offers a nuanced account of how power, knowledge, and community dialogue converge to influence condom use practices and beliefs in digital feminist spaces.