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How Do Women at Risk of HIV/AIDS in Iran Perceive Gender Norms and Gendered Power Relations in the Context of Safe Sex Negotiations?

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Abstract

Sexual transmission of HIV/AIDS among women is growing in the Middle East region. Despite the fact that there are numerous gender-related sociocultural factors influencing HIV/AIDS protective behaviors, little gender-specificity is carried out in HIV prevention in Iran. In order to close this gap, we aimed to provide preliminary work that explored the perceptions that women at risk of HIV had about gender norms and gendered power and their ability to protect themselves against HIV/AIDS. Twenty-five semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with women at risk of HIV/AIDS, aged 21–49 years, at Voluntary Counseling and Testing Centers or Drop in Centers in Tehran, Iran. Results showed that perceived gender norms were essential barriers of protective behavior through sexual socialization, male control over condom use and sexual decision-making, male pleasure predominating in sexual encounters and sexual double standards, and economic dependencies. In the conclusions, we consider how HIV/AIDS preventive programs can be structured to be gender-sensitive and empowering in Iran.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge the individuals who willingly participated and shared their time and experience in order to make this study possible. This research was conducted in partial fulfillment of a Ph.D. degree in Reproductive Health at Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Midwifery, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran

    Razieh Lotfi

  2. Reproductive Endocrinology Research Center, Research Institute for Endocrine Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Yemen St., Chamran Highway, Tehran, 1985717413, Iran

    Fahimeh Ramezani Tehrani

  3. Department of School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran, Iran

    Effat Merghati Khoei

  4. Department of Public Health, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Farideh Yaghmaei

  5. Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences and Center for AIDS Prevention Studies (CAPS), University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA

    Shari L. Dworkin

Authors
  1. Razieh Lotfi
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  2. Fahimeh Ramezani Tehrani
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  3. Effat Merghati Khoei
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  4. Farideh Yaghmaei
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  5. Shari L. Dworkin
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Fahimeh Ramezani Tehrani.

Appendix

Appendix

Interview Schedule

  1. 1.

    What is your impression of your health status?

  2. 2.

    What do you know about HIV/AIDS?

  3. 3.

    How can women be infected with HIV?

  4. 4.

    How can women protect themselves from HIV?

  5. 5.

    What are the barriers of these prevention practices?

  6. 6.

    How do you protect yourself against HIV?

  7. 7.

    What are the barriers you faced while you have been tried to protect yourself against HIV?

  8. 8.

    How much do you feel being comfortable with using a male condom?

  9. 9.

    What circumstances do lead women to engage in unprotected sex?

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Lotfi, R., Ramezani Tehrani, F., Merghati Khoei, E. et al. How Do Women at Risk of HIV/AIDS in Iran Perceive Gender Norms and Gendered Power Relations in the Context of Safe Sex Negotiations?. Arch Sex Behav 42, 873–881 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-012-0040-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-012-0040-6

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