‘Your Vagina is a Rice Paddy’

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cassie DeFillipo
Keyword(s):  
Natural Resource ◽  
Rice Paddy ◽  
Sexual Relationships ◽  
Commercial Sex ◽  
Northern Thailand ◽  
Masculinity And Femininity ◽  
Sexual Decisions ◽  
Heterosexual Sex ◽  
Sex Practices

In Thailand, there is an adage that a woman’s vagina is her rice paddy wherein it is considered a natural resource she can harvest when necessary or desired. In a culture where sexual relationships are defined by norms of masculinity and femininity, women’s sexual decisions are often aimed at using this natural resource to perform femininity in culturally idealized ways. Through ethnographic work in commercial sex establishments, this chapter argues that heterosexual sex practices help women express and enact hegemonic femininities in Northern Thailand. In contributing to the literature on hegemonic and multiple femininities, the chapter contends that gender is relational and that analyses of men’s performances of masculinities are insufficient if reviewed separately from women’s performances of femininities.

The epidemiology of HIV and syphilis among male commercial sex workers in northern Thailand

AIDS ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 113 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Beyrer ◽  
P. Kunawararak ◽  
D. D. Celentano ◽  
K. Nelson
Keyword(s):  
Sex Workers ◽  
Commercial Sex ◽  
Commercial Sex Workers ◽  
Northern Thailand

“My Wife is Married and So is My Girlfriend”: Adaptations to the Threat of AIDS in an Arrestee Population

1995 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott H. Decker ◽  
Richard Rosenfeld
Keyword(s):  
Safe Sex ◽  
Sexual Relationships ◽  
Behavioral Adaptations ◽  
Modal Response ◽  
Sex Behaviors ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
High Level ◽  
Level Of Risk ◽  
Sex Practices

A study of behavioral adaptations by a sample of arrestees to the safe-sex campaign documents a high level of risk for HIV, even among those who practice safe sex. Subjects described their preferred safe-sex practices in confidential interviews. The modal response for both males and females was “none.” Large proportions of the sample reported adaptations of questionable effectiveness. Those reporting the officially prescribed safe-sex behaviors often practice a permissive form of safe sex. The results underscore the need for AIDS counseling for arrestees who believe that strict safe-sex practices place intolerable restraints on forming and sustaining sexual relationships.

scholarly journals CORE GROUPS AND THE TRANSMISSION OF HIV: LEARNING FROM MALE SEX WORKERS

2005 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 117-131 ◽  
Author(s):  
MELISSA PARKER
Keyword(s):  
Sex Workers ◽  
Sexual Relationships ◽  
Unprotected Sex ◽  
Commercial Sex ◽  
Male Sex Workers ◽  
Core Group ◽  
Sexual Contacts ◽  
Male Sex ◽  
Social And Sexual Networks ◽  
Selling Sex

A growing and substantial body of research suggests that female sex workers play a disproportionately large role in the transmission of HIV in many parts of the world, and they are often referred to as core groups by epidemiologists, mathematical modellers, clinicians and policymakers. Male sex workers, by contrast, have received little attention and it is not known whether it is helpful to conceptualize them as a core group. This paper draws upon ethnographic research documenting social and sexual networks in London and looks at the position of five male sex workers within a network comprising 193 men and seven women (as well as 1378 anonymous sexual contacts and 780 commercial contacts). In so doing, it suggests that there is no evidence to show that male sex workers are more or less likely to acquire or transmit HIV in the course of commercial sex compared with other types of sexual relationships. In addition, men engaging in non-commercial sex all reported having unprotected sex in a variety of contexts and relationships and there is no evidence to suggest that men who are not sex workers play less of a role in the transmission of HIV. In short, these data suggest that it would be inappropriate to conceptualize male sex workers as a core group. This is not to suggest that public policy should continue to overlook male sex workers. New and inventive approaches are required to reach out to a vulnerable but diverse group of men, selling sex for a variety of reasons; even if these men are no more vulnerable to acquiring and/or transmitting HIV than other men and women that form part of their network.

The epidemiology of HIV and syphilis among male commercial sex workers in northern Thailand

AIDS ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 517-521
Author(s):  
Piyada Kunawararak ◽  
Chris Beyrer ◽  
Chawalit Natpratan ◽  
Waldo Feng ◽  
David D. Celentano ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sex Workers ◽  
Commercial Sex ◽  
Commercial Sex Workers ◽  
Northern Thailand

scholarly journals Context Within Which Female Same-Sex Develops and Practiced in Tanzania: Qualitative Study among Women Who Have Sex with Women in Dar-es-Salaam City

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Jackline V. Mbishi ◽  
Switbert R. Kamazima ◽  
Happiness P. Saronga ◽  
Saidah M. Bakari
Keyword(s):  
Peer Influence ◽  
Dar Es Salaam ◽  
Sex Behavior ◽  
Same Sex ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Opt Out ◽  
Sex With Men ◽  
Heterosexual Sex ◽  
Sex Orientation ◽  
Sex Practices

Background: Homosexual identification among women as lesbian, bisexual or transgender does not encompass the whole pool of women who practice same-sex behavior. Straight women especially youths are more increasingly willing to have sex with fellow women. This article establishes the reasons that influence same-sex orientation and behaviors among women in Tanzania. It explores the self-reported push/pull reasons that ultimately leads women to same-sex behavior among sampled through individuals. Method: This is a cross-sectional descriptive and retrospective study which was conducted in Dar es Salaam between January and February, 2021. The participants of the study were WSW, proxy WSW, and women who at one time had female same-sex relationships. The study also used community members aged 18 years and above but only those who met the inclusion criteria. Data were collected through qualitative in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, interviews, and life stories. All the data generated through the study were analyzed thematically. Results: The findings indicate that women who practice same-sex behavior believe that their behavior occurs naturally through biological reasons. Some of them attribute earlier negative experiences with men as a trigger to opt out of heterosexual sex. Most participants also cited past unpleasant sexual experiences with men such as rape, being emotionally detached from men as factors that lead to developing desires to have sex with fellow women. Conclusion: There are biological and social-economic factors that lead women to practice same-sex behaviors. Women, who are born with male attributes become sexually unattracted to males, opt to engage in same-sex practices because of displeasure from having sex with men. Further, economic hardships in societies force women to engage in same-sex practices through peers who are financially well-off and are searching for peers to exploit sexually. Research should focus on investigating peer influence and social media’s effects on women’s decision to engage in same sex practices.

Adult Attachments and Sexuality: Implications for Understanding Risk Behaviours for HIV Infection

1992 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 399-407 ◽  
Author(s):  
Judith A. Feeney ◽  
Beverly Raphael
Keyword(s):  
Attachment Style ◽  
Attachment Styles ◽  
Safe Sex ◽  
Sexual Relationships ◽  
Sexuality Research ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Heterosexual Couples ◽  
Aids Epidemic ◽  
Adult Attachment Styles ◽  
Sex Practices

In response to the AIDS epidemic, there has been an intensification of interest in human sexuality research in general and “safe sex” practices in particular. Most research models have been somewhat mechanistic in focus, however, with little recognition of the significance of affectional needs in the formation and maintenance of sexual relationships. In this paper we propose that relationship issues are central to an understanding of the expression of sexuality, and that attachment theory provides a useful perspective on human sexual bonds. It is suggested that future research could usefully extend the conceptualisation of adult attachment styles by exploring the meaning of attachment relationships for gay and heterosexual couples, and the implications of attachment style for the behaviours associated with sexual relationships, including the negotiation of safe sex practices. Such research would have direct relevance for prevention programs relevant to HIV/AIDS.

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