Are women’s dreams of finding their own Prince William or Mr. Darcy making them susceptible to Internet Lotharios?
For her doctoral thesis, School of Nursing PhD candidate Cindy Masaro is investigating how social forces within a digital era are shaping women’s sexual behaviour and risk-taking during dating and early intimate encounters.
Masaro says her findings will help to make public health interventions more effective. To date, education campaigns on condom use and safe sex have focused mainly on teens and twenty- somethings. But over the past decade, rates of transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV have steadily increased among Canadian women aged 30 to 60. ?(See sidebar for details).
“There’s very little research on adult women’s sexual behaviour,” says Masaro. “Existing studies indicate that many women are not using condoms, but the reasons they are not engaging in safer sexual behaviour are not known.”
She says one possible factor could be the sped-up nature of hookups in today’s online dating world. “Researchers have shown that computer-mediated communication accelerates development of a sense of trust and closeness. Very quickly there can be exchanges of highly intimate information.”
Another influence may be the traditional scripts and romantic narratives that underpin gender roles, observes Masaro.
“Women frequently watch films or read books about finding that one true love, the person who will transform their lives. They may be tempted to put on the blinkers when a potential partner appears to fit that bill.”
When something bad happens – such as a diagnosis of chlamydia – women can feel quite devastated, says Masaro who works part time as a nurse-clinician at a Vancouver ?STI/HIV clinic.
“They believed the guy to be clean and healthy.”
For her study, Masaro will ?compare how face-to-face ?encounters and computer-mediated ?communication – from texting to ?online dating – influence women’s decisions. Through an online survey, Masaro will gather data on variables such as: type and frequency of communications; time to sexual intimacy; trust; sexual self-disclosure; discussions about safer sex; women’s motivations for having sex; feelings of pressure to have sex; and sexual risk behaviours.
“Little attention has been paid to adult women’s sexuality and STI or HIV behaviours as they are assumed to be at low risk.”
Masaro says, “For many adults in older age groups, condom use may be associated more with pregnancy prevention than the dangers of STIs or HIV, especially if prior to dating, they had been in a long-term relationship.”
In fact, recent Canadian statistics show that significantly fewer women aged 25 to 49 report condom use at last intercourse compared to those aged ?15 to 24.
Masaro says that health interventions and campaign messaging must consider the broader cultural and social contexts. For instance, health campaigns often place the onus on women to negotiate condom use.
“Some women may lack the power to negotiate condom use. A woman might refrain from using condoms in an effort to please her partner and develop intimacy. Others may find that condoms hamper their sexual pleasure or enjoyment.”