Navigating Changing Norms Around Sex in Dating Relationships: A Qualitative Study of Young People in Vietnam

Abstract

Social and economic changes in Vietnam since the economic restructuring of the 1980s have caused a shift in norms about premarital sex. While expectations of female chastity remain, sex before marriage is becoming more common among young people. As the formative phase of a parent randomized controlled trial, the present study examined the normative context of sex in dating relationships from the perspectives of young women and men in Vietnam. Men (n = 12) and women (n = 9) studying at two universities in Hanoi participated in semi-structured interviews that explored perspectives on sexual relationships and sexual coercion among their peers. Thematic analysis synthesized participant narratives into broader themes. Our findings confirmed that, as social norms evolve in Vietnam, young women must navigate shifting, and often contradictory, expectations about sex and dating relationships. Women and men expressed the belief that competing sexual expectations often can limit young women’s sexual agency and contribute to the normalization of sexual coercion in dating relationships. However, some women were embracing greater sexual freedom and reframing norms in ways that reflected their sexual agency. Efforts are needed to address these conflicting expectations, to deepen young men’s understanding of this conflict, and to prevent sexual coercion in young adulthood.

The Media and Sexual Violence Among Adolescents: Findings from a Qualitative Study of Educators Across Vietnam

“…Existing effective programs delivered through technology to university students (Yount et al, 2022 ) may be adaptable for the context of high school students, facilitating continuous sexual health and sexual violence education through high school and university. At the university level, there may be a more salient need for sexual violence prevention programming that educates adult students about the nature and scope of sexual violence, the importance of obtaining active consent for sex, the role of (media disseminated) gender norms in perpetuating myths about rape, masculine privilege, and ideas that are harmful to healthy sexual relationships (Bergenfeld et al, 2022b , 2022c ). Notably, peers themselves are an important source of norms about sexual violence alongside media; as such, comprehensive sexual violence prevention programming must address both media- and peer-related risk factors for sexually violent behavior (Yount et al, 2022 ).…”

Gender norms and ideologies about adolescent sexuality: A mixed-method study of adolescents in communities, south-eastern, Nigeria

“…However, this belief contradicts the observed sexual permissiveness among young people, which is influenced by modernization. Studies carried out in Nigeria, Tanzania and Vietnam have also reported that young people believe it is acceptable for adolescents to engage in premarital sex as long as they are not in school or are economically viable and that premarital sex is inevitable (Kagashe and Honest, 2013 ; Udigwe et al, 2014 ; Adogu et al, 2015 ; Bergenfeld et al, 2021 ). This affirms the result of these findings as adolescent boys than girls were more likely to believe that sex is permitted among adolescents as long as contraceptives are used.…”