Avia Collinder, Gleaner Writer
The proliferation of sexually explicit websites on the Internet, and easy access to these by male adolescents, is having a negative effect on the campaign to change risky behaviours among them and, by extension, the campaign to reduce HIV/AIDS infection.
So states community clinical psychologist, Dr. Peter Weller, who, in a study recently discussed at the Caribbean Child Research Conference, stated, "awareness is high but arousal is higher".
Dr. Weller states, "There is indeed a lot of success in increasing knowledge about sexual and reproductive issues, but behaviour is not changing as much. Part of the reason is that arousal is high, especially among young men at whose age and stage are hormonally hyperactive and are naturally attuned to sexual issues.
"What is more, the sexualised nature of the media is constantly stimulating them sexually; access to explicit sex which is far greater than most adults realise."
The study, 'Mediating young men's sexuality', reports the results for adolescents and young men aged 14 to 24 years who participated in qualitative research conducted in Jamaica, Grenada and St. Lucia during 2005 to 2007.
Questionnaires on attitudes
In Jamaica 46 boys and young men participated in five focus groups. The participants completed questionnaires to identify beliefs and attitudes.
"The juxtaposition of graphic sexual imagery, easily accessible from the World Wide Web, with local sexual and reproductive health promotion messages, provide conflicting information and pose serious challenges for these young men as they attempt to negotiate the difficult terrain of gender identity and gender relations," the study said.
According to Dr. Weller, there was a time when parents were concerned about video and cable and "naïve parents breathe a sigh of relief when they see their youngsters around the computer, not realising that they might be viewing extremely explicitly material".
"The depiction of various sexual behaviours can influence what young men believe is normal and acceptable, though it may not, in fact, be in line with social norms. They also get very skewed or inaccurate perceptions of how people look. They think everyone has a 12-inch penis, not knowing that the men on these sites have been selected by size," Dr. Weller said.
False expectations
They may also think that performances in these videos are natural and that they should be able to do the same. "False expectations are created, as they are unaware that these scenes have been done with the assistance of substances like Viagra, and they have been shot and reshot. This leads to performance anxiety."
The boys and men also note that girls who watch these videos expect them to perform.
Weller notes that in such pornographic material, there is also a troubling portrayal of women. "They see women being forced to do things. The denigration of women and other subtle elements reinforce stereotypes.
Dr. Weller also expressed concern that efforts by the Ministry of Health to destigmatise HIV/AIDS has led to the perception that it is a disease with which one can comfortably coexist.
