ADOLESCENT SEXUALITY AMONG ADOLESCENTS IMMIGRANTS IN ISRAEL

ANITA NUDELMAN MEDICAL ANTHROPOLOGIST

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ADOLESCENT SEXUALITY: DIFFERENT APPROACHES

*BIOLOGICAL DETERMINISM *MEDICALISATION *CULTURAL RELATIVISM *SOCIAL CONSTRUCTIONISM
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OBJECTIVES
TO EXAMINE THE MEANINGS THAT
ADOLESCENTS ATTRIBUTE TO RELATIONSHIPS, LOVE ND SEX, AS WELL AS THEIR PERCEPTIONS AND BELIEFS REGARDING SEXUAL BEHAVIOR, USE OF CONTRACEPTION AND HIV/AIDS

APPLICATION OF RESEARCH FINDINGS IN

CULTURALLY-SENSITIVE SEXUAL HEALTH EDUCATION
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RESEARCH POPULATION

ETHIOPIAN IMMIGRANT ADOLESCENTS

IN STUDENTS IN RELIGIOUS AND SECULAR RESIDENTIAL SCHOOLS

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSIONS: SINGLE
SEX GROUPS (AT LEAST TWICE) 6-10 PARTICIPANTS PER GROUP

COMPLEMENTED BY INFORMAL
INTERVIEWS AND PARTICIPANT OBSERVATION
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PATTERNS OF RELATIONSHIPS
ADOLESCENTS DISTINGUISH THREE SIGNIFICALLY DIFFERENT TYPES:

FRIENDSHIP - PLATONIC STEADY BOY/GIRL-FRIEND CASUAL

THE BOUNDARIES BETWEEN THEM MAY FLUCTUATE
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FRIENDSHIP
WITH A BOY-FRIEND YOU CAN BREAK UP, BUT A (MALE) FRIEND IS FOREVER, YOU DONT KISS OR MAKE OUT, JUST TALK. YOU CAN TALK TO HER ABOUT EVERYTHING. YOU CAN TELL HER PERSONAL THINGS
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STEADY BOYFRIEND-GIRLFRIEND
A SERIOUS RELATIONSHIP SHOULD INCLUDE LOVE, TRUST, RESPECT AND UNDERSTANDING
FOR GIRLS FEELINGS ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE BOYS WANT LOVE BUT OFTEN HAVE DIFFICULTY IN EXPRESSING IT IMPORTANCE OF A GIRL-FRIENDS HONOR
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SEX IS PART OF A RELATIONSHIP, THOUGH ADOLESCENTS ARE OFTEN AMBIVALENT ABOUT IT

GIRLS: IF ITS TRUE LOVE IT WILL STRENGTHEN THE BOND BOYS: IF ITS TRUE LOVE, I WOULD EVEN POSTPONE SEX FOR HER SAKE

REASONS FOR SEXUAL RELATIONS

ROMANCE AND LOVE BOYS: NEEDS AND FUN GIRLS: PRESSURE FROM THE PARTNER PRESSURE FROM SAME SEX PEER GROUP CURIOSITY LOSS OF CONTROL INFLUENCE OF THE MEDIA

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GENDER AND SEXUALITY

ADOLESCENTS SOCIALIZATION PROCESS ENHANCES GENDER SEXUAL STEREOTYPES:

ENCOURAGING INNOCENCE AND

VIRGINITY FOR FEMALES

ENCOURAGING SEXUAL EXPERIENCE

WITH A VARIETY OF PARTNERS FOR MALES
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GENDER AND SEXUALITY

THE FEMALE GENDER SCRIPT: EMPHASIS ON INTIMACY AND LOVE THE MALE GENDER SCRIPT: A MORE SEXUAL ORIENTATION IN RELATIONSHIPS

PROBLEM OF DOUBLE STANDARDS: THE GAME OND THE DREAM

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PERCEPTION OF HIV/AIDS
MOST STUDENTS HAVE A BASIC KNOWLEDGE OF THE DISEASE : AIDS IS A VIRUS A DANGEROUS DISEASE IT IS CONTAGIOUS THE BODY SLOWLY DIES FROM WITHIN THE IMMUNE SYSTEM COLLAPSES

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MODES OF TRANSMISSION
UNPROTECTED SEXUAL INTERCOURSE BLOOD: THROUGH INFECTED SYRINGES
DRUG USERS AND REVENGE PIERCING AND TATOOING

FROM MOTHER TO CHILD

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PSYCHOLOGICAL AND SOCIAL FACTORS

FEAR INFLUENCES ATTITUDES,
BELIEFS AND BEHAVIOR TOWARDS PEOPLE LIVING WITH AIDS

FEAR OF GETTING INFECTED FEAR OF SOCIAL STIGMA ATTACHED

TO AIDS
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TESTING FOR AIDS

IT IS CONSIDERED IRRELEVANT IN A SERIOUS BOY-GIRL RELATIONSHIP

BOYS - BASED ON A GIRLS PERSONALITY

AND BEHAVIOR

GIRLS - BASED ON A BOYS EXTERNAL

BODY FACTORS: HE PLAYS FOOTBALL SO HE CANNOT HAVE AIDS
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CONTRACEPTION
THE PILL PREVENTS PREGNANACY CONDOMS PREVENT PREGNANCY AND AIDS NATURAL METHODS: SAFE DAYS,
WITHDRAWAL, ETC ALTHOUGH SOME AWARENESS EXISTS, NO CONTRACEPTION IS USED ON A REGULAR BASIS
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BARRIERS TO CONDOM USE

PRESSURE FROM PARTNER LESS PLEASURE LESS SPONTANEITY LOVE AND TRUST THE PARTNER EMBARASSED TO ASK INFLUENCE ON REPUTATION CARELESSNESS INTOXICATION (ALCOHOL, DRUGS) AVAILABILITY
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DISCUSSION
DIFFERENT TYPES OF MALE FEMALE RELATIONSHIPS COEXIST, ALTHOUGH MANY ADOLESCENTS PREFER A STEADY ONE, WHICH HAS PERSONAL AND SOCIAL BENEFITS;

FULFILLS THE NEED FOR LOVE AND

AFFECTION FOR YOUTH WAY FROM HOME RAISES THEIR STATUS AMONG PEERS INCREASES FEELING OF BELONGING IN ISRAELI SOCIETY POTENTIAL FOR RAISING SELF-ESTEEM
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DISCUSSION
THE CONFLICTS FROM LIVING BETWEEN
CULTURES (RURAL-URBAN, IMMIGRANTS) IS REFLECTED ON SEXUAL BEHAVIOR, AS WELL AS ON PERSONAL IDENTITY AND ON CONFLICTS WITH PARENTS

UNEQUAL GENDER POWER RELATIONS AND

SEXUAL STEREOTYPES INFLUENCE ADOLESCENT SEXUALITY IN GENERAL AND HIV/AIDS PREVENTIVE BEHAVIOR IN PARTICULAR
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DISCUSSION
LACK OF OPEN INTERPERSONAL
COMMUNICATION BETWEEN MALES AND FEMALES ON ISSUES RELATED TO SEXUALITY CAN HENDER THE DEVELOPMENT OF HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS

DISCREPANCY BETWEEN
KNOWLEDGE AND SEXUAL BEHAVIOR
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DISCUSSION
THE CULTURE OF ADOLESCENCE
ENHANCED BY THE GLOBALISATION PROCESS AND THE MEDIA ALSO INFLUENCES ADOLESCENT SEXUALITY AND SEXUAL BEHAVIOR

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DISCUSSION
LOW LEVELS OF PERCEIVED VULNERABILITY (FISHER, 2005): RISK TAKING BEHAVIOR BASED ON A STRONG FEELING THAT: IT WONT HAPPEN TO ME

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DISCUSSION
I AM WILLING TO TAKE THE RISK. THERE IS A GOOD CHANCE THAT I WONT CATCH AIDS. I WANT TO ENJOY SEX IN ANY CASEGETTING PREGNANT WORRIES ME MUCH MORE THAN GETTING AIDS
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APPLICATION OF THE STUDY

RESEARCH FINDINGS ENABLE A SYSTEMATIC EXAMINATION AND UPDATE OF THE PROGRAMS GOALS AND ACTIVITIES

MORE SIGNIFICANT AND EFFECTIVE SEXUAL HEALTH EDUCATION AND AIDS PREVENTION FOR ADOLESCENTS IN RESIDENTIAL SCHOOLS IN ISRAEL
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THANK YOU!!!

anita_n@netvision.net.il

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