Culture and Sexuality

     Why do we concern with sexuality nowadays? Why talking about sexual issues is a taboo in some cultures (Shefer, & Strebel, 2002)? It is as natural as food. I think perhaps it is because sexuality is more than physical aspect of sex. Sexuality includes more social and cultural meanings. So what does sexuality mean? Besides the way in which individuals perceive themselves as sexual human, in my understanding, it may also be socialized into the private relationship with others, as well as desires, and expectations. It would vary across cultures and contexts.

     I was enlightened by the assumption that sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are constructed through gender power relations and gender stereotype (Shefer, & Strebel, 2002). The balance state of power between male and female is always playing crucial role in sexuality and sexual practices. In the context where men are the dominant actors, women usually are lack of right and power to make decision on sexual matters. For instance, in the issues of condom use, contraception, pregnancy, and reproduction, female always are the victims. Why women are more vulnerable to unprotected sex, to HIV transmission, to malfunction? Perhaps it is partly due to the unbalance of gender power. Women have little resource and opportunity to decide for their own needs. They have to tolerant for men’s desire, because women depend on men to survive in some cultural context.

     As I was reading the article written by Schoepf (2001), the point, that spread of AIDS infections is influenced by political economy, social relations, reminded me of an example of sexuality in Japan. The government of Japan prohibits the use of oral contraceptives, because the government believes it would decrease the motivation of condom use for Japanese and increase the risk of transmission of AIDS. That might be an important explanation of why Japan has a comparably lower incidence of AIDS, even though in the society men are on the absolutely dominant position, even though men who are married usually seek pleasure from multiple partners. 

     I am thinking that culture should be utilized as a tool of engaging people in acceptable change practice with regard to health behavior, rather than merely as a barrier or a problem. Cultural lens potentially provides clear picture of people’s ways of thinking and behaving. The issues of sexuality are culturally sensitive to different degree in diverse social contexts. For health providers, I think respect is the basis for sexual matters, as well as sensitivity, rather than judging patients wearing colored glass of stereotype.