Gendered talk about sex, sexual relationships and HIV among young people in Papua New Guinea

Abstract

This paper presents findings from a qualitative study carried out in three secondary schools in Eastern Highlands Province, Papua New Guinea (PNG). Seventy-three Year 12 students took part in eight gender-specific focus group discussions (three female and five male). Irrespective of gender, respondents predominately understood sex as being for the sole purpose of reproduction within marriage. When discussing sex and sexual relationships, young men used explicit language and referred specifically to sexual organs and activities. Young women did not. Less concerned for privacy, young men talked in public spaces and in groups with same-sex peers about sex and sexual expression, whereas young women discussed such matters one-on-one and in private. These gender differences provide useful entry points for developing appropriate sex and HIV education programmes involving young people in PNG.

Women and HIV in a moderate prevalence setting: an integrative review

“…Throughout the literature included in this review, women were mostly studied in groups depending upon a role they held in society: women who sell or exchange goods for sex [12,30,50-55], young women [13,56] and women as mothers/carers [57,58]. These roles were often the criteria for inclusion in a study.…”

“…Cultural understandings of sexuality and reproduction are discussed at length in a number of the articles reviewed [13,34,55,56,62-64]. Cultural practices such as bride price can increase women’s risk of HIV by placing men in a position of power over sexual decision making.…”

“…Being a pasinda meri results in a freedom to live outside of cultural norms and while an expression of a woman’s agency it often results in stigmatisation, repudiation and physical attacks by both men and women [51,55,64]. Kelly et al report the gendered nature of talk about sex, with young men using explicit language about sex in public spaces, while young women discuss sex one-on-one in private indicating the different ways young women and men discuss sex in PNG [56]. …”

“…The majority of women who sell sex or exchange sex for goods know HIV transmission occurs through sexual intercourse [50,58,66,67], although some young people lack adequate knowledge of HIV, including not knowing HIV is an STI that can occur within marriage or a stable relationship [13,56]. HIV is associated with sex and referred to as sik blong koap (which translates as ‘sexually transmitted infection’) [56].…”

A systematic review of heterosexual anal intercourse and its role in the transmission of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections in Papua New Guinea

“…Cultural notions of pollution, kinship, gender and Christianity have historically prescribed sexual behaviour in PNG [40-43]. As is true of all sexual practices, anal sex is deeply imbued with meaning [12].…”