10.25377/sussex.10301513.v1
Rachel Thomson
Rachel
Thomson
Interview with Maisie, 20 - 21, White British, upper working class, Roman Catholic. Women, Risk and AIDS Project, Manchester, 1989. Original version including fieldnotes (Ref: TST02)
University of Sussex
2020
Private school
Comprehensive school
Sex Education
Employment
Moral values
AIDS disease
AIDS education
Safe sex
Relationships
Pill
Parent attitudes
Marriage
Traditional values
First sex
Virginity
Regret
Love
Casual sex
Fidelity
Risk
Condom use
White British
Upper working class
Roman Catholic
Catholicism
Sociology
Sociology not elsewhere classified
2020-03-04 11:01:28
Dataset
https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/dataset/Interview_with_Maisie_20_-_21_White_British_upper_working_class_Roman_Catholic_Women_Risk_and_AIDS_Project_Manchester_1989_Original_version_including_fieldnotes_Ref_TST02_/10301513
This interview is part of the Women, Risk and Aids Project (1989-90) archive which was created as part of the Reanimating Data Project (2018-20).<div><br></div>Original transcript of an interview with Maisie, who is training to be a teacher. She went to a private, all girls' school. The formal sex education she received there was by a teacher who was nervous and embarrassed and taught from text books - it wasn't 'personal' enough, and only covered biological aspects such as conception and pregnancy. Safe sex was framed as using condoms to prevent STIs and not having too many sexual partners. Her mum told her about periods and pregnancy. Maisie has a boyfriend and they are using the pill as their main method of contraception, which her parents have been supportive of. She would like to get married one day, but doesn't think it is too important at the moment, and explores where some of her ideas as marriage as the ideal trajectory come from. She had had less serious relationships before her current, and regrets losing her virginity before she had met her current partner. She thinks it is important to love someone that she is in a sexual relationship, and wouldn't have a one-night stand. AIDS education for Maisie came from the news and newspapers - she initially thought only gay people were at risk, but is now aware that everyone is at risk, and would take precautions with any new sexual partners in the future using condoms. She has used condoms in the past and didn't like using them, but doesn't feel there was any stigma around condom use and sexual reputation. Maisie and her friends do not discuss AIDS and risk, and there is a prevalent attitude in their peer group that it 'won't happen' to them.