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Background Evidence shows that HIV prevalence among young women in sub-Saharan Africa increases almost five-fold between ages 15 and 24, with almost a quarter of young women infected by their early-to mid-20s. Transactional sex or material exchange for sex is a relationship dynamic that has been shown to have an association with HIV infection. Methods Using five focus group discussions and 19 in-depth interviews with young women enrolled in the HPTN 068 conditional cash transfer trial (2011–2015), this qualitative study explores young women’s perceptions of transactional sex within the structural and cultural context of rural South Africa. The analysis also considers the degree to which young women perceive themselves as active agents in such relationships and whether they recognise a link between transactional sex and HIV risk. Results Young women believe that securing their own financial resources will ultimately improve their bargaining position in their sexual relationships, and open doors to a more financially independent future. Findings suggest there is a nuanced relationship between sex, love and gifts: money has symbolic meaning, and money transfers, when framed as gifts, indicates a young woman’s value and commitment from the man. This illustrates the complexity of transactional sex; the way it is positioned in the HIV literature ignores that “exchanges” serve as fulcrums around which romantic relationships are organised. Finally, young women express agency in their choice of partner, but their agency weakens once they are in a relationship characterised by exchange, which may undermine their ability to translate perceived agency into STI and HIV risk reduction efforts. Conclusions This research underscores the need to recognise that transactional sex is embedded in adolescent romantic relationships, but that certain aspects make young women particularly vulnerable to HIV. This is especially true in situations of restricted choice and circumscribed employment opportunities. HIV prevention educational programmes could be coupled with income generation trainings, in order to leverage youth resilience and protective skills within the confines of difficult economic and social circumstances. This would provide young women with the knowledge and means to more successfully navigate safer sexual relationships.

Besides the existence of the epistolary collection entitled Erotic Letters, attributed to him by (some) scholars, almost nothing is known about the author named Aristaenetus. 50 fictional letters of the Collection were written probably in the 6th century A.D. They depict various love and sexual liaisons ; the protagonists are single, married, engaged in extra-marital affairs, in relationships with slaves or hetaerae etc. The focus of the research is on the overall representation of their sexuality. I intend to investigate which gender is more likely: - to show sexual interest (by erotic gaze, smile etc.) - to seduce (by looks, gestures or skills) - to achieve physical contact - to initiate foreplay or sexual activities and - to create the opportunity for their achievement (i.e. the suitable location, time or excuse needed). Additionally, the representations of sexual behaviours of the “regular“ women and hetaerae will be compared. The goal is to determine the (potential) differences and to examine if Aristaenetus‘ portrayal of the hetaerae is in concordance with the previously known information (in other Greek genres they are depicted as more assertive and sexually direct than other women). Furthermore, the results will be placed into a wider context. Aristaenetus‘ gender relations will be compared with those in Alciphron‘s, Aelian‘s and Philostratus‘ collections (2nd or 3rd century A.D.). The final goal is to point to (potential) differences in the representation of male and female sexual agency and sexuality in general throughout the literary subgenre from Alciphron to Aristaenetus and (if they exist) to try to explain them (e.g. the use of different literary sources or the moral impact of Christianity, increased by Aristaenetus‘ time, might change his portrayal of hetaerae).

Infatuation, love and sexual relationships exist virtually anywhere. Coach–athlete sexual relationships (CASR), however, are overlooked and under-researched. Within sport sociology, CASR have been framed predominantly by a sexual abuse discourse. Informed by Foucault’s discourse analysis, this study explores how discourses regarding performance enhancement in elite-sport and coaching, and romantic love, frame female elite-athletes’ experiences with CASR. Interviews with four female elite-athletes aged 26–30 were conducted. The results indicate that CASR are potentially problematic because they intersect and challenge discourses comprising elite-sports, coach–athlete relationships, female sexual agency, and love. Moreover, discourses of power differ between the professional and private contexts. While the athletes expect their coaches to exert dominance and control in the elite-sport context, love relationships are about equally and mutually giving away power and control. Although CASR can facilitate motivation and performance, framing CASR as inherently unequal and abusive can contribute to stigmatisation, secrecy and athlete disempowerment.

In the past two years the term "slut" ricocheted through the North American media and showed up on signs and banners on every continent as young feminists and their allies launched a series of demonstrations under the name of SlutWalks. In January 2011, a Toronto police officer told students at York University that if women wanted to avoid rape they should not dress like sluts. This incident sparked international outrage, with protests spreading quickly throughout the world, and revealed the misogyny and victim-blaming vitriol that characterize contemporary patriarchal culture. In the wake of the global SlutWalk movement, important questions have emerged about "reclaiming" the word "slut," whether this form of protest effectively challenges rape cultures, whether it promotes sexual agency while deploring slut-shaming, and whether it reflects the aspirations of women of color who face different historical and cultural realities without the cushion of white privilege. Using the theoretical framework of transnational feminism and drawing on social-movement research, the goals of this paper are to examine the global SlutWalk movement and to interrogate its significance as a resistance strategy that challenges patriarchal attempts to control women's sexualities through sexual violence and slut-shaming.

Do laws regarding violence against or sexual exploitation of young people recognise gendered and other power dynamics? Cross‐national comparison of legal texts can illustrate the benefits of framing issues of violence/gender/youth in certain ways and offer critical reflection on particular legal frameworks or cultural understandings. This policy review is based on an analysis of select laws regarding gender‐related violence (GRV) as relates to young people in Italy, Ireland, Spain and the UK. Here, GRV is defined as sexist, sexualising or norm‐driven bullying, harassment, discrimination or violence whoever is targeted. It therefore includes gender, sexuality and sex‐gender normativities, as well as violence against women and girls. A tension emerges between granting young people agency and recognising the multiple, intersecting power relations that might limit and shape that agency. This article draws out the implications for the UK in particular, highlighting the absence of preventative measures and the need for a broader approach to combat GRV.

This study explored multiple predictors of sexual well-being in a sample of 253 single, sexually active undergraduate females at a public Mid-Atlantic university. Several factors were identified from past research that might impact sexual well-being: casual sex, sexual agency, sexual attitudes, and sexual desire. Of the four factors, only sexual agency and sexual attitudes were found as significant predictors of sexual well-being. The results suggest that -- of single, sexually active undergraduate females -- those with a greater sense of agency and choice in their sexual interactions and those who maintain more open attitudes toward casual sex have a higher level of sexual well-being. Agency and openness may be important factors in the development of sexual well-being for young women. Limitations of the study, as well as implications for future research and psychoeducational and therapeutic interventions, are addressed. Master of Science

Introduction: The female condom is the only evidence-based AIDS prevention technology that has been designed for the female body; yet, most women do not have access to it. This is remarkable since women constitute the majority of all HIV-positive people living in sub-Saharan Africa, and gender inequality is seen as a driving force of the AIDS epidemic. In this study, we analyze how major actors in the AIDS prevention field frame the AIDS problem, in particular the female condom in comparison to other prevention technologies, in their discourse and policy formulations. Our aim is to gain insight into the discursive power mechanisms that underlie the thinking about AIDS prevention and women’s sexual agency. Methods: We analyze the AIDS policies of 16 agencies that constitute the most influential actors in the global response to AIDS. Our study unravels the discursive power of these global AIDS policy actors, when promoting and making choices between AIDS prevention technologies. We conducted both a quantitative and qualitative analysis of how the global AIDS epidemic is being addressed by them, in framing the AIDS problem, labelling of different categories of people for targeting AIDS prevention programmes and in gender marking of AIDS prevention technologies. Results: We found that global AIDS policy actors frame the AIDS problem predominantly in the context of gender and reproductive health, rather than that of sexuality and sexual rights. Men’s sexual agency is treated differently from women’s sexual agency. An example of such differentiation and of gender marking is shown by contrasting the framing and labelling of male circumcision as an intervention aimed at the prevention of HIV with that of the female condom. Conclusions: The gender-stereotyped global AIDS policy discourse negates women’s agency in sexuality and their sexual rights. This could be an important factor in limiting the scale-up of female condom programmes and hampering universal access to female condoms. Keywords: global policy; AIDS prevention; gender; sexual agency; female condom. (Published: 8 July 2013) Citation: Peters AJTP et al. Journal of the International AIDS Society 2013, 16 :18452 http://www.jiasociety.org/index.php/jias/article/view/18452 | http://dx.doi.org/10.7448/IAS.16.1.18452

Constructions of sexuality and disability have been discussed widely by scholars across a number of fields. However, there has been relatively little research on how people with Cerebral Palsy construct their own sexuality and the salience of the socio-sexual schema which are involved in this process. As such this study aimed to address three questions; 1) the relative salience of public, interactional and private sexual schema in the construction of sexuality for people with Cerebral Palsy, 2) how people with Cerebral Palsy construct sexual participation, and particularly sexual spontaneity and, 3) how people with Cerebral Palsy describe their sexuality. This project utilized a hermeneutic phenomenological approach to explore these questions. In doing so, this study helps fill the gap between how sexuality and disability is constructed external to the individual and how the individual constructs their own sexuality. For this research, seven in-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with five men and two women with moderate to severe Cerebral Palsy. Participant data indicated that how people with Cerebral Palsy perceive sexual experiences with others (interactional) is the most influential factor in the construction of their sexuality. Public influences were cumulatively the second most important factor in the construction of sexuality by people with Cerebral Palsy. Finally, private influences were cumulatively the least influential factor in the construction of their sexuality. Sexual spontaneity primarily was a derivative of sexual exploration. Furthermore, participants defined sexual spontaneity as liberating and allowed them to experience their sexuality with others relatively independent of normative sexual scripts. Participants also described their sexuality primarily in terms of major transitions and experiences which involved others. Based on the findings sexual theory needs to be more cognizant of sexual agency as primary in the construction of sexuality with significant disability. In addition, healthcare providers and people with Cerebral Palsy are likely to be successful partners in sexual health when they promote positive and agentic constructions of sexuality with significant disability. The findings emphasize that people with Cerebral Palsy are cognizant and intelligent agents in the construction of their sexuality. Their articulations, understandings and descriptions of their sexuality demonstrate their interest and awareness in their sexuality and issues related to it. People with Cerebral Palsy are sexual agents and beings who empower themselves.

Sexuality is an integral part of health and well-being. Despite a 30-year history of adolescent sexuality research, there has been little that has focused on more than risky sexual behaviour. For example, there has been little research on conceptions of sexuality and pathways to sexual health. In part, this is because sexual health has been often defined as the lack of risky behaviour and health problems. In the studies reported here, components of female sexual health were identified and tested, including behaviours and cognitions, among groups of girls in their late teens and early 20s. After a review of the literature, four sets of factors appeared central to identifying female sexual health. These factors included sexual subjectivity, sexual agency, psychosocial well-being and sexual exploration. The first factor, sexual subjectivity, had previously been described as important to female sexual well-being, but had been developed within feminist theories and studied with qualitative methodologies. After a thorough review of the literature, no psychometrically sound measure of sexual subjectivity was found. Therefore, an instrument to assess sexual subjectivity was constructed and validated through a series of studies. Partially as expected, five factors were found - sexual body-esteem, entitlement to sexual pleasure from oneself, entitlement to sexual pleasure from a partner, sexual self-efficacy in achieving sexual pleasure, and sexual self-reflection. In additional cross-sectional and longitudinal (6-month, 2 waves) studies, associations between sexual subjectivity, sexual agency, psychosocial well-being, and sexual experience were examined. The results showed that there were concurrent associations between sexual subjectivity and measures of sexual agency and some measures of psychosocial wellbeing. Results also showed that females with more sexual experience (i.e., experience with sexual intercourse, self-masturbation, noncoital orgasmic responsiveness, and same-sex sexual experience) were relatively higher in sexual subjectivity and sexual agency. However, well-being was similar in sexual experience groups when they were compared. In longitudinal analyses, changes in sexual subjectivity, sexual agency and psychosocial well-being were examined for the whole sample and among subgroups defined by levels of sexual experience. Comparisons were also made between those girls who commenced sexual intercourse during the course of the study, those who remained virgins, and those who were nonvirgins at the first assessment. Main effects generally validated cross-sectional findings. Girls who commenced first sexual intercourse relatively earlier increased in self-esteem over time, compared to their virgin counterparts. Girls who reported a history of self-masturbation and noncoital orgasmic responsiveness, and girls who reported no history with either behaviour, increased in sexual body-esteem and self-esteem over time, but the former group of girls were relatively higher in sexual body-esteem and self-esteem than the latter group of girls. Girls who reported a history of one, but not the other of self-masturbation and noncoital orgasm did not change over time. Results also indicated that girls' transition to first sexual intercourse had little association with sexual subjectivity, but some findings were suggestive of a need for further research. Future research, and study strengths and limitations are discussed. There is a need to examine sexual subjectivity as both an antecedent and an outcome using longer time lags with several waves of assessment so that the linkages between sexual subjectivity and other factors can be determined. The implications of sexual subjectivity and sexual exploration for sexuality education are also discussed.

This qualitative study examined how 14 young women's sexual desire and agency was influenced by the messages communicated from their parents and the quality of the parent-child relationship. Previous research results were supported, such as: parents do not communicate about sex frequently, or only about limited topics; mothers communicate more frequently than fathers, and peers communicate more sexual information. Utilizing a postmodern, feminist position, themes of parental transmission of patriarchal social controls were found, such as: fear of being viewed as a slut, gender roles that demand female passivity, sex is scary, and young women are not to have sex, or only in the context of committed relationships. Implications for parenting practices and the importance of developing sexual agency are discussed. Ph. D.