Explaining unsafe sexual behaviour: cultural definitions and health in the military.

Analytic induction and grounded theory were used to generate and test explanations concerning why members of the Canadian Forces (CF) sometimes engage in risky sexual practices. Interviews were conducted first with seven key informants and later with 71 members of the CF to formulate, test and reshape hypotheses accounting for heterosexual acts without the use of condoms. Findings suggest that unsafe sexual behaviours should not be viewed as irrational or 'deviant'. Rather, they are behaviours that are meaningful for the individuals concerned and conform to certain cultural ideals. Unsafe sexual practices are rooted in localized socially constructed meanings of sex, risk and relationships within the military. The meanings have implications for the ways in which public health information is taken up and used by armed forces personnel, and lead individuals to put themselves at risk of HIV infection and other STDs in certain social contexts. The implications of these findings for policy and intervention development are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]