ABSTRACT
Two major assumptions underlie the attempts by state agencies in the UK to manage the AIDS crisis by advocating the use of condoms as a simple and practical solution to the sexual transmission of HIV (Weeks, 1989): first, that heterosexual sexual intercourse is a factor in the spread of HIV; second, that using condoms is a rational strategy which people can discuss and decide about prior to sexual intercourse. These assumptions, however, are not straightforward as they seem to hide two major areas of ideological tension: between those who consider that heterosexuals are not at risk and those who consider that they are; and between the notion of individual responsibility and the recognition of social constraints on individual behaviour. There have been public statements that AIDS is not an immediate threat to heterosexuals in the UK and USA based on a particular interpretation of official statistics (see, for example, Lord Kilbracken; Fitzpatrick and Milligan, 1990; Fumento, 1990). In opposition to these claims, Britain’s Chief Medical Officer, doctors and epidemiologists are concerned about the likely spread of HIV in the population. They support the current Health Education Authority (HEA) campaigns which advocate condoms and are aimed specifically at young heterosexuals. The second area of ideological tension is between the policy of individual responsibility for safe sex, and the social pressures and relationships which constrain people’s talk and behaviour in sexual encounters. In this chapter we are assuming that a threat to the heterosexual population does exist, and are primarily exploring the complexities of condom use in the experience of young women.
