Use your browser's BACK button to return to your page of origin.
Urban women's gender scripts: Implications
for HIV prevention.
Culture, Health & Sexuality 2003;5(1):1-17.
Ortiz-Torres B, Williams SP, Ehrhardt AA.
Abstract
Women's and men's gender roles and expectations regarding romantic and sexual
encounters have been shifting, and the need to develop HIV preventive strategies
has underscored the importance of understanding the contextual dynamics related
to sexuality. Urban women's gender scripts were investigated as part of a
comprehensive study that evaluated the efficacy of a theory-driven HIV/STI
prevention programme. One hundred and thirty ethnically diverse women living
in New York City participated in this study. Qualitative analysis was conducted
of scripts generated as part of a semi-structured interview. Women's gender
scripts were examined via descriptive narratives of their ideal romantic
encounters. Results indicate that (a) both traditional and non-traditional
gender scripts are evident in women's narratives; (b) distinct flirtation
and sexual phases have similar and differing elements that assist in the
initiation, progression, and ending of each phase; (c) type of communication
used varied by the phase with verbal communication being more prevalent in
the flirtation phase, and non-verbal communication used more often in the
sexual phase; and (d) safer sex is not included in most women's gender script
narratives. The findings have implications for HIV prevention and suggest
the need to 're-write' present scripts, expand the repertoire and intent
of safer sex messages, and incorporate cues to pre-sexual and sexual romantic
encounters that could facilitate safer sex discussion and participation.