Gender double standards in young people attending sexual health services in Northern Thailand

Abstract

Concern about the sexual and reproductive health of young people has been mounting recently in Thailand. Unequal gender relations have a considerable influence on the lives of young people, especially young women, yet few studies have explored the ways in which they have impacted on provision of sexual health care. Drawing upon data from a qualitative study in Northern Thailand, this paper explores the views and experiences of young people in seeking health care, highlighting the kinds of gender double standards and power imbalances that may pose obstacles to their use of sexual and reproductive health services. Findings reveal the vulnerability of sexually active young women in seeking support and care from partners, parents, and service providers. Those who experience adverse outcomes of sexual activity, such as unwanted pregnancy or infection, report facing indifference, victim blaming, or the threat of abandonment by their partners. Because of their fear of disclosure to their parents and communities, of their sexual activity, they opt for clandestine and unsafe abortion and seek the counsel of peers and drugstores rather than parents and providers. At the service provider level, young women report facing threatening and judgemental attitudes, indifferent counselling, and possible violation of confidentiality. This is in marked contrast to the treatment of young men, who generally meet with a more sympathetic and accepting response.

Keywords:

• Gender
• sexual and reproductive health services
• young people
• Northern Thailand

Acknowledgement

This investigation received financial support from the UNDP/UNFPA/WHO/World Bank Special Programme of Research, Development, and Research Training in Human Reproduction, World Health Organization, Geneva. The authors are grateful to Iqbal Shah and Shireen Jejeebhoy for comments and suggestions.

Notes

Service providers' perspectives were also explored and are reported separately in Tangmunkongvoraku et al. (2002). The sample comprised a total of 44 professionals drawn from 15 diverse sexual health settings providing services to unmarried youth. These included government and non‐government family planning centres, provincial health offices, sub‐district health centres, STI clinics, and anonymous HIV testing clinics located in Chiang Mai and Lamphun area. Between two and five clinic staff (including doctors, staff nurses, health educators, and social workers) were interviewed at each site. A criterion for selection was their involvement in delivering services to young people.

This refers to the insertion of abortifactant tablets into the vagina.