I recently read a research paper regarding Catholic women and sexuality. The paper talked a lot about how women who are raised in religious traditions where sexuality and experiences are talked about often, can often lead to a weird relationship with their body. The purpose of the study was to look at the "potential correlations" between being religious, sexual attitudes, and guilt. I am currently conducting a study related to this topic in AP Research, so it wasn't surprising to me that this article was in my realm of reach. But, the more I thought about it, I realized how connected these two are, and how me and my Catholic friends have also had similar experiences to me.
First, I think it is important to note that I am referring to teenage girls specifically, not all Catholics everywhere, or all Catholic women.
I didn't realize how much my childhood impacted me until this year. The things I like, I learned from my mom. The sports I am willing to watch are the ones my brothers play. The reason I value my Irish-Catholic identity so much comes from my family. All of these things are good, I like that I am similar to the people I was raised with. They are undoubtedly the most important people in my life. But, there has also been a lot of negatives with being Catholic throughout the ages 16-18. This is hard to talk about, but I think it is really important. The way the Catholic church talks about sex and intimate experiences has always made me feel uncomfortable in my own body. Catholic guilt is definitely a universal feeling for all Catholics, but it is on a different level for teenage girls. They are constantly being over-sexualized. The stereotype of a "Catholic school girl" promotes the idea that they are slutty and immature. The way that these women are painted in society negatively taints the perception of their own identities. I just wish that the constant push from adults wasn't to tell girls to wear modest clothing or refrain from all sexual experiences. This is so harmful to their well being. We aren't taught about consent, or protection. Instead, we are shot down repeatedly and told that we cannot tempt boys. It is all very frustrating. In an article from KeKe magazine, there was a really good quote in an article about Catholic guilt.
"The fight against the pressure of catholic guilt isn’t one to gain sex, but one to help girls feel like they are not over-sexualized objects. When girls reach a consenting age, they should feel comfortable enough in their own bodies and make their own decisions regarding it."
Art by Edna Lazaro