Steven Chen (he/him) is a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences majoring
in health and societies, concentrating in race, gender, and health, with minors
in gender, sexuality, and women’s studies and chemistry. He is interested in
exploring health disparities within LGBTQ+, Chinese, and first-generation low-
income communities. His research project, titled “Exploring the Perceived
Effects of Viewing Sexually Explicit Materials on Non-Heterosexual Asian
Americans’ Well-Being,” studies the impact of viewing sexually explicit
material with Asian American performers on the mental, physical, and sexual
well-being of Asian American emerging adults. His study aims to highlight how
depictions of Asian Americans within the material may either marginalize or
empower Asian Americans, potentially destigmatizing sexual well-being and
informing culturally sensitive medical practice and sexual health education.
At Penn, he coordinates the Netter Center for Community Partnerships
LGBTQ+ OurSpace and the Educational Pipeline Program and has conducted
research on LGBTQ+ health disparities, HIV, and Chinese American health with
the Eidos LGBTQ+ Health Initiative, Penn’s Nursing School, and the Perelman
School of Medicine’s Department of Psychiatry and Family and Community
Health. In his free time, he loves to cook with his friends and explore cafés in
Philadelphia!