Exploring heterosexual dating and sexual behaviour, and condom use among unmarried young males in Metro Manila, the Philippines
Date
1995
Authors
Lee, Romeo Bulalaque
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The thesis proposes that single young men should be involved in family planning and
AIDS initiatives in the Philippines. The involvement envisioned is one which would
eventually see them use condoms and other precautionary measures, to protect their
partners from unwanted pregnancy, and their partners and themselves from
contracting sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). The proposal is based upon some
psychosocial and demographic realities. The psychosocial realities are that young
men assume a dominant and aggressive role in sexual relationships, and that like their
female counterparts, they face potential negative effects stemming from early coital
experiences. From the demographic perspective, the reality is that a sizeable
proportion of the 13.0 million Filipino adolescents - about half - are males. They tend
to marry several years later than females. The broad gap between puberty and
marriage means that young men have ample time to engage in premarital intercourse.
Such sexual intercourse is not, however, without risks.
Towards establishing the involvement of adolescent males in family planning and
AIDS programs, it is important that their coital behaviour and condom use, and the
psychosocial conditions that give rise to and sustain them, are understood. Since
dating represents one context in which young people experience premarital coitus, it
is relevant to examine it as well. Research-based knowledge from the demographic
and psychosocial standpoints is essential for setting and achieving program goals and
objectives, and for allocation of resources. While a handful of studies have already
provided some understanding of sexuality and condom use among young Filipino
males, there is a need for more investigations.
This thesis seeks to contribute to a greater understanding of heterosexual dating
and coital behaviour, and condom use among unmarried adolescent men. In fulfilling
this objective, the thesis provides an overview of adolescent male sexuality studies
developed and undertaken in other countries; and explores dating and coital
behaviour, and condom use among samples of unmarried university students and slum dwellers in Metro Manila. In the process, it presents a perspective in which
adolescent male coital behaviour and condom use can be viewed and addressed
within the context of current population and AIDS growth control initiatives in the
Philippines.
The core findings reveal that substantial proportions of unmarried young males
have coital experience, and that these young men are exposed to the risks of causing
pregnancy and/or contracting STDs because they have more than one female partner
of varying types, and they have not used or have used condoms only inconsistently.
These risk factors are common not only among the Metro Manilan adolescent sample
interviewed for this thesis, but also among other teenage males covered by various
studies in several countries across the globe. The need to promote condom use among
unmarried young men is thus quite clear. Exactly how this can be accomplished has
no direct and straightforward answer. Condom use is a complex phenomenon: it is
individually-dependent, interactionally-dependent and structurally-dependent. In addition,
it is a controversial issue. The task that lies ahead for the Philippine government to
promote and encourage condom use among unmarried young males will not be easy,
but it should be pursued given the pressing population and AIDS problems, and
given the conduciveness of the present environment for adolescent premarital coitus.
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Thesis (PhD)
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