What does PrEP mean for ‘safe sex’ norms? A qualitative study

While HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is highly effective, it has arguably disrupted norms of ‘safe sex’ that for many years were synonymous with condom use. This qualitative study explored the culture of PrEP adoption and evolving concepts of ‘safe sex’ in Sydney, Australia, during a period of rapidly escalating access from 2015–2018, drawing on interviews with sexually active gay men (n = 31) and interviews and focus groups with key stakeholders (n = 10). Data were analysed thematically. Our results explored the decreasing centrality of condoms in risk reduction and new patterns of sexual negotiation. With regards to stigma, we found that there was arguably more stigma related to not taking PrEP than to taking PrEP in this sample. We also found that participants remained highly engaged with promoting the wellbeing of their communities through activities as seemingly disparate as regular STI testing, promotion of PrEP in their social circles, and contribution to research. This study has important implications for health promotion. It demonstrates how constructing PrEP as a rigid new standard to which gay men ‘should’ adhere can alienate some men and potentially create community divisions. Instead, we recommend promoting choice from a range of HIV prevention options that have both high efficacy and high acceptability.

Let's Talk About the Birds, Not the Bees

Just as math and history classes aim to prepare students to do math and history well, sex education must prepare students to participate in good sex that contributes to their overall flourishing. I reject David Archard’s autonomy-centered view of sex education because it fails to address deeply ingrained social inequalities. I deny Paula McAvoy’s mutuality-centered view of sex education because mutuality and consent are not sufficient for good sex. I draw on Quil Kukla’s work on sexual negotiation and claim that for sex to be good, we must engage in communicative sex that goes beyond consent. Therefore, sex education should not only instruct students how to avoid bad sex, but also enable students to participate in good sex that contributes to their overall flourishing.

Let’s Talk About the Birds, Not the Bees

Just as math and history classes aim to prepare students to do math and history well, sex education must prepare students to participate in good sex that contributes to their overall flourishing. I reject David Archard’s autonomy-centered view of sex education because it fails to address deeply ingrained social inequalities. I deny Paula McAvoy’s mutuality-centered view of sex education because mutuality and consent are not sufficient for good sex. I draw on Quil Kukla’s work on sexual negotiation and claim that for sex to be good, we must engage in communicative sex that goes beyond consent. Therefore, sex education should not only instruct students how to avoid bad sex, but also enable students to participate in good sex that contributes to their overall flourishing.

The Sexual Negotiation Space of Women in the Marital rape in Jember

This study focuses on sexual negotiations carried out by women because of the marital rape that their husbands did. Marital rape itself is a form of violence or forced sexual activity of a husband to his wife. Where, in this case, there are women's rights violated. It is based on the dichotomous ideal role of women and men in marriage, which is a manifestation of gender status that has implications for the division and subordination of sexuality to women. The researcher used the theory of feminist existentialism Simone de Beauvoir, to show the position of women as a socio-culture and sexually subordinated people and women's ability to demonstrate their existence through sexual negotiations in marriage. This study used qualitative feminist methods by using in-depth interviews with seven women who experienced problems with marital rape in their marriage. The results of this study are that sexual negotiation is created because of sexual injustice in the form of marital rape experienced by women in their marriages, where the sexual negotiation room is used by women to bargain with their husbands or even themselves. This process of negotiation shows that women can also fight or show their existence in marriage. It means that women do not have to sacrifice their marriage to be able to show their existence. Women can still be the subjects while borrowing the same structure as patriarchy. Keywords: marital rape, women, sexual negotiations. Referensi: Arivia, Gandis. 2013. Subyek yang Dikekang. Jakarta: Komunitas Salihara-Hivos. Bauvoir, Simone De. 2003. SECOND SEX: Kehidupan Perempuan. Pustaka Promethea Fakih, Mansour. 2012. Analisis Gender dan Tranformasi Sosial. Yogyakarta: Pustaka Pelajar Foucault, Michel. 1997. Sejarah Seksualitas: Seks Dan Kekuasaan. Jakarta: Pustaka Utama Gamble, Sarah. 2010. Pengantar Memahami Feminisme dan Postfeminisme. Yogyakarta: Jalasutra. Painter, Kate. 1991. Wife Rape in the United Kingdom. A paper presented at the American Society of Criminology. Diakses pada 15 januari 2019 melalui http://www.crim.cam.ac.uk/people/academic_research/kate_painter/wiferape.pdf; on. Marlina, Milda. 2007. Marital rape: Kekerasan Seksual Pada Istri. Yogyakarta : Pustaka pesantren. Tong, Rosemarie Putnam. 2010. Feminis Thought: Pengantar Paling Kompeherensif Kepada Arus Utama Pemikiran Feminis. Yogyakarta: Jalasutra. Hadiwijono, Harun. 2010. Sari Sejarah Filsafat Barat 2. Yogyakarta: Kanisius. Woods, Laurie. "Books Review: Rape In Marriage.”. 1983. Laws & Inequality: A Journal Of Theory And Practice (University Of Minnesota Libraries Publishing)