CHAPTER 4: RESULTS
4.5 Data analysis using Engeström’s model of the activity system
4.5.2 The sexual activity system of an unmarried woman
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having multiple sexual partners gives one a good reputation. An unmarried man is aware of the advantages of staying away from sexual relationships but has much at stake in terms of his status.
There was also tension between the component of the mediating tool of the condom and the object of the activity, sexual pleasure. For unmarried men in this study, having sex was for pleasure purposes and condoms were seen to reduce sexual pleasure. This was most clear in extracts 10, 11 and 12 (in section 4.2.3) above, where male participants argued that condoms reduce sensation. It seems most unmarried men felt that condoms reduce the pleasurable sensations of sex. This creates a dilemma because unmarried men are aware of condom use as protective health behaviour and may not practice safe sexual behaviour if it takes away their gratification. The decrease in sensation when using condoms creates a barrier against actively choosing protected sex.
This tension is a manifestation of a secondary contradiction between the component of the mediating tool of the condom and the object of the activity, sexual pleasure. The tension is also weak because many unmarried men are not willing to use condoms consistently, particularly with their regular partner, because they decrease sexual pleasure. Long-term relationships were considered risk free because known partners were considered safe partners. This was most clear in extracts 71, 72 and 73 in section 4.4.1 above, where participants indicated that they had used condoms only at the beginning of the relationship because they did not yet know each other.
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relationship. This was most clear in the sections 4.3.7 and 4.3.8 above, where female participants indicated their fear of insisting on condom use because this may lead to loss of a partner.
The analysis shows that the tools which mediate this activity include condoms, injectable contraceptives, safe sex knowledge and messages, and HIV testing. Many unmarried women mentioned being on injectable contraceptives to prevent pregnancy. An example of was seen in extract 82, where the participant preferred the use of injectable contraceptives to prevent pregnancy to the use of condoms. Unmarried women were concerned about the risk of HIV infections, as stated in section 4.3.7. They mentioned HIV testing as way of knowing each other’s status and used this knowledge as a justification for non-use of condoms. This was most clear in extract 89, where the participant indicated that she had known her HIV status during pregnancy. This activity is situated in the community of unmarried women. Unmarried women were submissive to their male sexual partners in the activity, as seen in section 4.3.7; their sexual activity was governed by their male sexual partner’s desires. For instance, many unmarried women raised the idea of condom use, but in most cases it was not used if the male partner was against its use. These aspects relates to the division of labour component of the activity system.
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Subject: (Unmarried woman)
Rules
(Monogamous relationship, should retain the
relationship)
Community
(Unmarried women) Division of labour
Horizontal: Responsible for injectable contraception and sexual safety
Vertical: Submissive to the activity
Outcome (Identity, HIV,
pregnancy) Mediating artefacts
(Condoms, HIV knowledge, injectable contraceptive, HIV
testing)
Object (Permanent sexual
partner, sexual pleasure, love)
Figure 4.2. The model of sexual activity system of an unmarried woman.
The analysis suggested the manifestation of tensions in the activity system of sexual activity of the unmarried woman. The unmarried woman is faced with tension between the object of the activity, love, and the mediating tool, the use of condoms. For unmarried women, sex was viewed as a way of showing love and commitment to the partner. This was evident in extracts 67 and 68 above, where participants suggested that love and sex are the same things by saying
“I will never know how much I really love him unless I sleep with him”. Thus, condom use was perceived as inappropriate when having sex with someone with whom one is in love.
Insisting on the use of condoms challenged the unmarried women’s expression of love to their partners. This was evident in extracts 69 and 70, where participants indicated fear of jeopardising the possibility of love through insisting on condom use. This creates a dilemma as it might mean that couples discontinue the use of condoms in order to show love to one another. This tension is a manifestation of the underlying secondary contradiction between the object of the activity, love, and the mediating tool of the condom. It is a significant tension because many unmarried women perceived themselves at great risk of HIV infection due to their partner’s infidelity (as stated in extract 38 above) but felt that they could not insist on
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condom use because it may lead to them losing this partner.
There was also a tension between the object of the activity (having a permanent partner) which is tied to woman’s identity, and the mediating tool of the condom. For many unmarried women in this study, losing a sexual partner means loss of power and status within their peer group. So, in most cases they avoided condom use, and the confrontations related to this, in order to maintain a steady relationship; this is seen in section 4.3.7 (extracts 60, 61 and 62) and section 4.3.8 (extracts 69 and 70) above. Although many women showed concern about the risk of HIV infections, they were also concerned about maintaining a stable relationship. This presents a dilemma as the risk of losing a sexual partner may outweigh the risk of HIV infections. This tension is a manifestation of the underlying secondary contradiction between the object of the activity (having a permanent partner) and the mediating tool of the condom. It is a major tension because unmarried women recognise the risk of HIV infection due to unprotected sex but cannot insist on condom use because condom use compromises their desire to have a relationship.
Another tension was between the component of the mediating tool of the condom and the component of the norm of ‘trust’ in a long-term relationship. In long-term relationships, unmarried couples come to trust that their partner will be faithful and therefore the couple might not use condoms. This was most clear in extracts 72, 73 and 74 in section 4.4.1 above. In these relationships, the risk of HIV infection is not seen as great and there is a belief that the trusted partner would not put the other at risk in this way. Requesting condom use, in these relationships, is associated with unfaithfulness. This makes initiating and negotiating condom use a dilemma for people in these relationships because it threatens this trust which is assumed.
This was seen in extracts 78 and 79 above.
However, it was clear that infidelity was common in this community, particularly among men (as was most clear in sections 4.3.3 and 4.3.2), suggesting that people in long-term relationships might be at high risk of HIV infections. This tension is a manifestation of the underlying secondary contradiction between the component of the mediating tool of the condom and the rule/norm component of ‘trust’ in long-term relationships. It is a weak tension because long-term relationships are still relationships where partners trust each other and do not use condoms.
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