BACKGROUND

The Foundation for Adolescent Development, an NGO working primarily with students and out-of school-youth in Manila University Belt area. FAD has received a grant from Levi Strauss Phils to develop an AIDS information kit targeted at young adults working at Levi’s and other similar factories. This in line one of FAD’s thrust, which is to encourage responsible sexual behavior among adolescent and young adults.
A series of Focus Group Discussions (FGD’s) were conducted among the youth working at a snack food factory and a garments factory in Imus, Cavite in order to gain insights into the target group’s information needs regarding HIV/AIDS.

OBJECTIVES

1. To determine the target group’s current behaviors and practices which could affect their risk of HIV infection, particularly in terms of sexual relations.
2. To determine the target group’s perception about STD’s, particularly HIV/AIDS, and their susceptibility to these diseases.
3. To determine the target group’s knowledge of and attitudes towards STD prevention.
4. To determine the target group’s attitudes sexual responsibility.

TARGET RESPONDENTS

Working youths, ages 18-24 years old, from middle to low-income household. They are employed at factories, usually as manual laborers.

METHODOLOGY

Focus groups were selected due to unavailability of resources needed to mount a full-blown quantitative study. There is a large body research done on youth sexuality, AIDS awareness and prevention, but these are not specific to working youth. It was hoped that FGD’s would yield indications as whether the finding of these quantitative studies can be generalized to this particular sector.

Five FGD’s were conducted among 18-24 year olds, as follows:
Group 1: Sexually active males
Group 2: Sexually active females
Group 3: Males without previous sexual experience
Group 4: Females without previous sexual experience
Group 5: Homosexuals

All male moderators handled the sessions among males and homosexuals, while female moderator facilitated the sessions among female respondents.

Sampling

Convenience sampling was utilized for study. The company’s personnel officer was requested to select respondents based on shift schedules and her familiarity with employees.

KEY FINDINGS

Background/Group Composition

Group 1: Sexually active males
This group was composed of males’ aged 20 to 23. Three out of seven were newly married (less than two years) while the rest have girlfriends.

Group 2: Males without sexual experience
This group ranged in age from 18-21 years old. They were evenly divided among those with current girlfriends and those without. Those without girlfriends say their relationships are serious, having lasted close to a year already.

Group 3: Sexually active females
Due to a recruiting error unforeseen by the researchers, all the respondents in this group were married. Their ages ranged 22-24. Several were married to other workers in the same or nearby factories. One was married to a seaman.
Most of the respondents married their first boyfriends. Only two had previous relationship s prior to meeting and eventually marrying their husbands.

Group 4: Females without sexual experience
This group was composed of girls aged 17-20 years old. Half of them currently have boyfriends, while the other half do not. They claim that these relationships are not too serious yet; three of the four have been going out with their current boyfriends for less than a year, and only one has had a boyfriend for over 2 years. About half of the group has had previous boyfriends, but none of these were serious either.

Group 5: Homosexuals
The group was composed five gay men, aged 18-26. Three of them admitted to either being currently or recently involved, while two claimed that have been sexually involved with other man.

Sexual Practices and Attitudes

Sexual Experience

It is interesting to note that almost all of the sexually active respondents engaged in it within the context of a relationship.

Among the males, most of them said that they had their first sexual experience with their girlfriends. Some say they discussed the matter first with their girlfriends, and planned the occasion together. The rest say it happened suddenly. Most incidents took place either at the male’s or female’s house/boarding house. Only one went to a motel.

“Biglaan lang…”
“Konting bola-bola lang, tapos pumayag na”
“Napagkasunduan namin”

In all cases, the relationship had been going on for a year or less (one month was the shortest). In one respondent’s case, having sex was his girlfriend’s birthday gift to him.
About half of the group have had sex with their previous girlfriend. The rest have only done it with their current wives/partners.

Frequency of sexual intercourse varies, depending on how often the opportunity presents itself.

Among the females with experience, almost all had sex for the first time after getting married. A few had sex with their boyfriends before getting married. One got pregnant as a result, but she claims that they were planning to get married anyway.

Most of these married women say they have sex once or twice a week. Two say, the frequency depends on the number of days off they have within common to their husbands. For all it is always the husband who initiates sex. Even when the women are in the mood for it, they do not bring it up unless their husbands make the first move.
In terms of sexual intimacy, the males without sexual experience claim to have gone only far as kissing and a little petting. Two say they tried to go further, but their girlfriends did not agree. They have not tried to push the issue since.

“Nag-attempt ako, pero ayaw ng babae.”
“…hanggang pusod lang”

The females without sexual experience have had very little physical intimacy. Those with boyfriends say that they only have gone far as kissing and embracing their boyfriends. One said that when her boyfriend tried to touch her breast, she slapped him. He has not tried again since.

Aside from a few girls in the group, the rest do not seem to have experience any real feelings of sexual desire (for their boyfriends or anyone else) yet, and do not know how it feels. The few who admit to having had sexual feeling say they are able to fight it, because they do not want to have sex yet.

The gay men say that their relationships usually start with two men getting to know each other, becoming close, until they start to see each other as more than friends. When a man tells another man that he loves him, they usually end up at either man’s house to have sex.

These are what they call “MU” relationships. They say that almost all “MU” relationships between gays involve sex. Once a couple is “on”, it can be assumed that they will engage in sex.

They also say that oftentimes, gay men are initiated into their first actual homosexual sex by fellow homosexuals who will have sex with them in order to teach them how to do it.

They insist that they succeeding relationship are between a gay man and a bisexual. They say that just because a man has sex with another man does not automatically make him gay.

Views on pre-marital sex

Note that there is a general consensus among the four groups (Homosexuals excluded) that pre-marital sex is bad primarily because of moral/religious reasons. Practical reasons like readiness to take responsibility for its consequences are just secondary considerations.

As for the sexually active males, all of them say they realize that pre-marital sex is wrong, but that they could not help themselves. And that once started, it was difficult to stop.

“Nadadala kasi ng init ng katawan “
“Parang mali na okey, pag nag-umpisa na, wala na….”
“Hindi na ako maka-isip , noong nag -umpisa na kaming mag-halikan.”

Some of the inexperienced males, on the other hand, say that they do not want to have sex yet, primarily because the time is not yet right. One is still putting siblings through schools and is afraid of possible complications, like unplanned pregnancy; while the other wants to wait until after marriage to have sex.

All of them say that the right time to have sex will probably be after marriage or when their girlfriends are ready.

As for the female virgins, all of them agreed that they not yet ready to have sex. Most of the respondents say that they want to wait until marriage, while the rest said they should be older and more financially stable. They said they have to be ready for responsible consequences, if any.

Those who want to wait until after marriage feel that pre-marital is bad, because a girl should preserve herself for her husband-to-be . It should be noted that there is no double standard on their part, because they also say that their husband should also be a virgin on their wedding night.

The girls cited very romantic reasons. They dream of the ‘first time ‘ as their honeymoon night (picturing themselves in wedding dresses), when the whole situation will be perfect.

“Sa honeymoon .. para talagang tama “
“…yung pag-puti ka, talagang virgin ka”

Some say that pre-marital sex is all right ,if a girl really loved her boyfriend, or if she really wanted it already. But they also say that girls who have pre-marital sex are probably those who don’t think about what could happen later.

They say that having sex simply to prove one’s love for one’s boyfriend is wrong. They feel that there are many other ways of showing affection , like being sweet and caring . They say that a boy has no right to demand it of his girlfriends, and they would break up with their boyfriends if the guys insisted .

“para lang patunayan na mahal mo siya? Tanga na ‘yun!”

As for the married females, they say that they didn’t engage in pre-marital sex because they believed that girls should wait. However, they think that pre-marital sex is very common these days, citing examples of co-workers who get pregnant before getting married .

Multiple partners

With the exception of homosexual groups , the respondents generally share the belief that it is wrong to have more than one sexual relationship on going at the same time.
Among the sexually active men , almost all denied ever having more than one sexual partner currently. They claim that they do not engage in sex with anyone other than their current wives/girlfriends . Their reasons are either love/concern for their partners, or a superstition that springs out of a basic belief that it is wrong to be unfaithful.

“Malas daw ang dalawa “
“Naniniwala ako sa karma “
“Isa lang para sa akin . Noong madali ko, kasal na “
“Masasaktan lang siya .May konsensya pa naman ako.”
“ Kontento na ako sa isa. Ibubuhos ko na lang sa asawa ko ang lahat”

A respondent admitted to having two girlfriends simultaneously, but recently broke up with one and is about to marry the other.

Among the inexperienced males, most all said that they do not think it is acceptable to have sexual partners at one time. A few said that going out with several girls simultaneously is all right , as long as it does not involve sex. However, a respondent brought up the idea that it is all right for a men to have multiple sexual partners before marriage in order to be able to choose wisely.

‘Nasa lalaki ‘yun, para makapamili ng ayos”

Both groups of females seem to have never entertained that idea, although a respondents claimed to know girls who have sex with new and varied partners constantly. They levels girls like these as “loose” or “mahilig “ (horny) , or girls who do not take sex seriously . All agree that girls like these were exceptions, rather than the norm .They think that girls who do this are not serious about any particular guy, and are just flirting.

“ Ewan ko , siguro mahilig lang talaga , kahit hindi sila in love…”

The married women’s views on their husband’s pervious/extracurricular relationship are also worth examining.

Most of the respondents say they are aware of their husband’s sexual history. Several said their husbands had previous girlfriends with whom they had sex, and one even had a child with another women . A few say they are sure that they were the first women their husbands have ever had sex with.

On the other hand, gay men who are sexually active tend to be promiscuous. They cite instances of either multiple relationships, or a constant turnover.

“ka be-break pa lang, naghahanap pa ng bago”
“pa-iba-iba, eh; pastime lang”
“kahit ilan, sabay-sabay”

These relationship may be with ‘MU’partners’, casual encounters, or sex they pay for.

Commercial Sex

Only one of the sexually active males has ever had sex with a commercial sex worker, and it was unprotected sex. One said he was afraid of contracting a disease, specifically 'tulo' (gonorrhea ) . The others do not seem to have had a chance, but may consider engaging it in the future.

"Bibigay ka rin siguro, kung nandyan na yung babae "
" Hindi talaga"

Likewise, among the inexperienced males, none of them have had experience with commercial sex workers, either. Most claimed that they had not even thought about it, and when it was suggested to them, they expressed apprehension at the 'cleanliness' of women they terms as 'bayaran'. However, two of the respondents said that they would first see if a CSW was 'clean' , implying that they would consider it if the opportunity presented itself.

" Titingnan ko muna yung babae…. kung malinis o balasubas.
Makikita mo naman sa kilos at bihis ".

Some respondents say they know friends who pay for sex. They think this is all right for others, in order to gain experience, but said they would rather not in themselves .

However, in the related case presented to them at the end of the session, two said they would probably agree to have sex with a prostitute in order to gain experience, provided they knew that the women was 'clean'.

Some suggested alternatives to sex workers . One respondent said that he would rather concentrate his energies on courting a girl he really liked.

On the other hand, the practicing homosexuals in the gay men's group admit to patronizing what could be interpreted as casual prostitution by men on the street. This is when they get dressed up (not necessarily in drag) and walked in the street (rumarampa) of an area other than on their own place of residence to find men.

"Sutsut lang sa kanto maglipas, o gusto ng pansigarilyo"

These are the encounters that the homosexuals pay for. Sometimes, it becomes a game between them and the 'kanto boy'. A kiss on the cheek will be worth fifty pesos, a hickey on the net worth a hundred, and penetrative sex, worth two hundred. These encounters can take place anywhere ; a friend's house, abandoned buildings, the man's house.

"Kahit saan ….. sa bahay, sa damuhan, sa abandonadong gusali…."

Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices towards STD's/HIV

A common thread that runs through the four heterosexual group is that consequence of pre-marital sex they are most concerned about is unwanted pregnancy . Contracting HIV/STD's does not even come in a close second.

All groups lacked basic information regarding HIV transmission. While they had a vague idea that HIV is transmitted through sex and blood transfusions , they all think that one tell if a person is clean or not, just looking at them.

This was particularly true of the males and the homosexuals. The sexually-active males are confident that their girlfriends /wives are clean , even though one of the respondents admits that he is not the first to have and sex with his girlfriend. The inexperienced male say that they would should check out a girl's background "yung hindi babastos-bastos", while the gays say that they ask friends if they know a particular guy,or they judge by his clothes, manners and general appearance. If they have doubts about a particular man, they restrict sex to petting and mutual masturbation.

"Pag hindi ako sigurado, hanggang kamay lang kami.."

It is also worth mentioning that none of the respondents has ever known anyone who was infected with HIV. The homosexuals cited "Japayukis" (entertainers who go to Japan) as the only ones they have heard of as affected .

"Kung meron man, mga Japayuki lang siguro.."

As a result, none feel particularly threatened by HIV/AIDS. The males and homosexuals all feel that they are exercising caution by being careful about who they have sex with, while the females trust that their will be faithful to them.

The married women feel that a man should consider his wife's safety before he even considers having sex with anyone else . One women said that a wife should her husband satisfied so he won't have to look elsewhere. Another said that the best thing to do is to ask a man to get tested before marrying him, since he will never admit anything anyway.

Some married men expressed the same sentiment, saying that one should be careful about having sex with prostitutes, because his wife could be affected.

"Sa bayaran, mag-iingat, kasi maraming pumapasok …
mahirap ng madali , baka maapektuhan ang asawa ko".
“Asawa ko lang…mahirap na, baka magka sakit ka pa sa iba."

No one in any of the groups has even been tested for HIV. One homosexual thinks his regular general check-ups, which include complete blood counts , will tell him if he is infected.

On Condoms

Most respondents agree that the condoms can prevent HIV transmission. But again, the males raised the point that if they know the girl, or if she is 'clean', then there is no need for condoms. They said that they would reserve condom use for times they may have sex with prostitutes.

Others refused to use condoms because they say these are difficult to use, uncomfortable or unpleasant. One was afraid of possible side effects due to chemicals in condoms. One respondents say that if he sleeps with a prostitute, he will masturbate afterwards, "para lumabas uli".

"Nakakahiya, nagsusuot ka, kaharap mo yung babae"
"Yung condom na giveaway, nilalagay sa wallet, pang-porma."

It is interesting to note in particular, the reason why homosexuals do not want to use them. They say that the ejaculate/semen is one of their primary motivations for having sex in the first place. Apparently, there is an emotional bond that is established when a man ejaculates into them, either anally or orally.

"pag nasa loob mo na ang sperm niya, hindi na siya puwedeng magmalaki sa'yo…pag nasa katawan mo na…boyfriend mo na."

Others simply felt that condom interfered with pleasure of sex.

"hindi naman ang strawberry flavor ang
hinahanap mo, eh."

DISCUSSION

Based on the findings , several points can be made:

Current Behaviors/Practices/Attitudes

Pre-marital sex occurs fairly frequently, usually within the context of a 'steady' relationship. There are some noticeable differences in how males and females view things.

Young males seem to just as likely to engage in premarital sex out of lust, or for the sake of experience, as they would out of love. They also to tend to prefer the 'safety' of a partner they feel lis free of diseases.

On the other hand, most females will only do it out of love, and preferably within the confines of marriages, or at least what they consider to be 'the right time', i.e., when they are financially stable, emotionally ready, etc.

This suggest that girls place their higher premium on sex, and are less likely to engage in it hastily. The instances cited by male virgins when they were rebuffed by their girlfriends illustrates how females can control the sexual nature of a boy-girl relationship. The girls themselves admit to having fought sexual feelings because it wasn't 'time'.

This also illustrates how the burden of saying 'no' is left to female, with the males simply trying to get as far as they can.

However, this changes upon marriage, wherein the men take the lead in sexual matters. The wives indicated that they never ask for, or refuse to have sex with their husbands. This indicates that within the context of a marriage, the primary responsibility for both partners' health and safety now lie with the males.

For both males and females, there seems to be a residual moral unease regarding premarital sex. However, there is also a double standard at work, in that they believe that premarital sex is basically wrong, but somewhat acceptable when they themselves are practicing it.

The incidence of other potentially risky behaviors seems to be low, however. Having multiple sexual partners is not common, except among homosexuals. Both males and females seem to have strong moral reservations about it.

Among homosexuals, it is another story, perhaps their low expectations regarding their relationships. Even at the outset, they already seemed think of their relationship as temporary, and so are determined to take sex where they can find it.

Casual sex is also not very common, except again to homosexuals. Engaging in sex with commercial sex workers also not too prevalent, due to respondents' perceived risk of STD infection. However, it must be noted that quite a few of the male respondents expressed willingness to have sex with a prostitute provided she was 'clean'.

Perceptions on STD's/HIV/AIDS

While most respondents have a rough idea of how HIV is transmitted, their knowledge is incomplete. One glaring gap is that they belief that one can tell if a person is infected with HIV or not just by looking at him/her.

At the same time, they perceive their risk of being infected as low. Fear of unwanted pregnancy is much more common among the heterosexual group that concern over STD's/HIV.

They also believe that they only engage in sex with 'clean' or 'safe' partners. They are also confident that their partners are being faithful to them. No one among the respondents has ever had first-hand contact with anyone infected with HIV. This further reinforces the myth that AIDS is a foreigner's disease, affecting only those who have contact with people from other countries.

In contrast, the respondent's perceived control over their safety is high, due to their knowledge gaps. Because they choose the partners, avoiding those whom they think are 'unsafe', or because they has regular physical exams and blood counts, they feel that they are ensuring their safety. This is why most respondents see no need for condoms.

RECOMMENDATIONS

1. Based on the initial findings, it can be concluded that HIV/AIDS information materials targeted at working youth aged 18-25 should focus on the following points :

For all groups :

• Basic HIV facts : what it is, how it is transmitted
• You cannot tell is someone has HIV just by looking at them.
• HIV can be passed from one person to another through a sexual network ; when you have sex with someone, it is like having sex with anyone else they have ever had sex with

For young males and females :

• The best way to avoid HIV infection is by abstaining from sex until you married.
• This is a 'gift' to your future wife/husband
• You will be emotionally and financially ready
• You can be sure of each other
• You can avoid other possible consequences
• If you do have sex, you should both remain faithful to one another

For married couples :

• It is important for couples to be aware of each other sexual 's history, and to understand the potential risks involved
• Couples should consider their partner's safety as well before engaging in extramarital relationships
• When you cannot follow the above, you should also know that condoms are effective way to avoid HIV infection when engaging in risky sexual situations.

2. In terms of communication channels, there are two opportunities that can be tapped.

First are family planning counselors /clinic nurses within the factories. Since the target audience approach these people, Management can integrate HIV/AIDS information with regular services.

Like any other youth sector, the working youth's barracuda is the source of most advice and information. Efforts to stimulate discussion among peers should go a long way.

3. Further Research

Additional research should be made on unmarried, sexually active females; sexually active vs. non-sexually active homosexuals and on the general lifestyle of this segment.

Let’s Talk About Sex. Foundation for Adolescent Development. Manila.