Re: Chandigarh Study: girls agree to pre-marital sex to bind boy friends

[Guest guest]

Dear FORUM,

Ref: Chandigarh Study: girls agree to pre-marital sex to bind boy friends.

This study in Chandigarh raises the issue that we need more studies on high risk

behaviors among adolescents in different regions and then target intervention

for these groups. Our emphasis on " high risk groups " ignores high risk behaviors

by the general population.

It looks like that these adolecents are practicing more high risk behaviors than

a sex worker who practices protected sex 100% of the time.

Thanks,

Sathi Dasgupta.

e-mail: <sathi_dasgupta@...>

[Guest guest]

Dear FORUM,

This Chandigarh study also indicates that besides ‘high risk behaviors’, there

is also a need to look into deeper issues of sexuality, love, relationships and

upbringing. If adolescent girls are agreeing to sexual relationships in order to

‘bind their boyfriends’, high risk behaviour is a symptom of deeper issues

connected with relationships between men and women stemming from male and female

sexuality, issues of masculinity and femininity, gender stereotypes and

attitudes.

These issues need to be explored and addressed and a causal relationship between

and among these inherent issues and ‘high risk behaviours’ has to be understood

in order to break the vicious cycle of vulnerabilities and risk factors that

various groups are exposed to.

Drawing comparison between different groups will not help as each group has

their own set of vulnerabilities, beliefs, perceptions, needs and patterns that

need to be addressed.

In solidarity,

Javita Narang

E-MAIL: <Javita_narang@...>

[Guest guest]

Dear FORUM,

I following up to Sathi Dasgupta's posting in regarding

patterns of risky sex -- I have tried to condense my learning in a

monograph based on working with school students for the last 8 years.

The long monograph is available at

http://t8web.lanl.gov/people/rajan/AIDS-india/MYWORK/Gupta_HIV_India.pdf

and other articles on issues of HIV/AIDS in India are available at

http://t8web.lanl.gov/people/rajan/AIDS-india/MYWORK/

I would very much appreciate comments from readers

Best

Rajan

e-mail: rajan@...

[Guest guest]

Dear FORUM,

Agreeing with Javita, I would like to add that to initiate and break the

stereotypical images of males and females in India, media has a major role to

play. The way Indian cinema portrays men and women in movies affects young

people's sexuality and identity. Whilst they are at a crucial stage of

discovering it, this can create confusion for them and eventually they will be

labelled as 'vulnerable' or 'at risk'.

The country needs to the ground work - encourage education on sexuality and

identity.

Regards

Arpita

e-mail: <arpita_2006_aug@...>

[Guest guest]

Dear Forum Members,

I read Rajan Gupta Monograph of 100 pages in one breath. It is very

well condensed facts and full of Insight. I want to congratulate the

auther and his team.

I am a retired Psychologist and my interests are Psychodynamics of HIV/AIDS

prevention. I reccomend that our all members should read rajan gupta monograph.

One copy of it should be kept in all research libraries and women studies

centers.

saraswati singh

E-MAIL: <sarasrns@...>

The url of the monograph is:

http://t8web.lanl.gov/people/rajan/AIDS-india/MYWORK/Gupta_HIV_India.pdf