'You'll always stay right': understanding vaginal products and the motivations for use among adolescent and young women in rural KZN.
Cult Health Sex
; 21(1): 95-107, 2019 01.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-29658830
ABSTRACT
The use of vaginal products may increase the risk of HIV infection by affecting the vaginal biome. Understanding what vaginal products young women are using, and why, is key to assessing the complexity of sexual health and risk. This study reports on findings from research with adolescent and young women in rural KwaZulu-Natal about the vaginal products they use and motivations for using them. The study identified over 26 products that young women used to enhance their sexual experience and found some young women spent time preparing and sourcing vaginal products in order to pleasure and retain partners. Opinions differed about vaginal product use. While some women perceived that vaginal products could provide a means of out-performing other women, retaining a partner and providing sexual autonomy, there was a stigma attached to using them. Study findings highlight the social value of using vaginal products, especially in settings where partner retention is linked to economic survival. Expanding our understanding of what products are used and the reasons young women use them warrants continued investigation.
Key words
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Sexual Behavior
/
Attitude to Health
/
HIV Infections
/
Cultural Characteristics
/
Vaginal Douching
Type of study:
Etiology_studies
/
Prognostic_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
Aspects:
Determinantes_sociais_saude
Limits:
Adolescent
/
Adult
/
Female
/
Humans
Country/Region as subject:
Africa
Language:
En
Journal:
Cult Health Sex
Journal subject:
CIENCIAS DO COMPORTAMENTO
/
CIENCIAS SOCIAIS
Year:
2019
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
South Africa