Men, women and the trouble with condoms: problems associated with condom use by migrant workers in rural Zambia
Date
1997
Authors
Bond, Virginia
Dover, Paul
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Health Transition Centre, National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, The Australian National University
Abstract
Understanding cultural attitudes to condoms is of the utmost importance in promoting their use as a means of protection against HIV transmission. This article examines condom use in relation to what people see as the purpose of sex, what good sex entails and how this relates to ideas of being a proper woman or man. It seems that the underlying and pervasive ideal is that sex is essentially a procreative act, since an emphasis on male potency and male and female fertility often overrides anxieties about contracting HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. Hence condom use is usually only negotiated within some short-term relationships and then not consistently. Whilst both men and women have negative attitudes to condoms, women because of their economic and ideological dependence on men are in a much weaker position to negotiate condom use.
Description
Keywords
Zambia, condoms, HIV/AIDS, male potency, female fertility, STDs, contraception, cultural attitudes, migrant workers
Citation
Collections
Source
Type
Journal article
Book Title
Entity type
Access Statement
License Rights
DOI
Restricted until
Downloads
File
Description