Feminist Approaches to Youth Sexualities

Anonymised interview transcript with 23 year old young woman (Katherine) working and studying in Manchester, interviewed as part of WRAP (Women, Risk and Aids Project, 1989-90).

Interview covers her decision to do a PhD and get married as well as her future plans to work before having children possibly as an R.E. teacher. She shares her views on teaching about sexuality and relationships within an R.E. lessons stating that it is important not to be dogmatic and to emphasise a sense of discovery and the importance of equality in relationships. Discusses her experiences of sex education at a single sex Church boarding school which included early talks on the biological aspects and later talks on the moral aspects. Talks on contraception were provided too late and it was hard to get contraception at boarding school. At home her mother gave her a book to read and had some discussions with her. Shares an experience of meeting a man aged 16 who said ‘right, I'm going to have sex with you’ and how this changed her own behaviour. Also discusses her contraceptive decision making and having relationships without sexual intercourse as well as hearing about AIDS, her initial reactions and thoughts on the ‘negative’ campaign. She reflects that her knowledge of AIDS does not impact on her sexual behaviour and decision making and discusses her knowledge of the difference between HIV and AIDS.

Title	Interview with Katherine, 23, White British, middle class, Protestant. Women, Risk and AIDS Project, Manchester, 1989. Anonymised version including fieldnotes (Ref: MAG07)
Description	Anonymised interview transcript with 23 year old young woman (Katherine) working and studying in Manchester, interviewed as part of WRAP (Women, Risk and Aids Project, 1989-90). Interview covers her decision to do a PhD and get married as well as her future plans to work before having children possibly as an R.E. teacher. She shares her views on teaching about sexuality and relationships within an R.E. lessons stating that it is important not to be dogmatic and to emphasise a sense of discovery and the importance of equality in relationships. Discusses her experiences of sex education at a single sex Church boarding school which included early talks on the biological aspects and later talks on the moral aspects. Talks on contraception were provided too late and it was hard to get contraception at boarding school. At home her mother gave her a book to read and had some discussions with her. Shares an experience of meeting a man aged 16 who said ‘right, I'm going to have sex with you’ and how this changed her own behaviour. Also discusses her contraceptive decision making and having relationships without sexual intercourse as well as hearing about AIDS, her initial reactions and thoughts on the ‘negative’ campaign. She reflects that her knowledge of AIDS does not impact on her sexual behaviour and decision making and discusses her knowledge of the difference between HIV and AIDS.
Identifier	MAG07/O
Subject	White British Middle class Protestantism Post-graduates Marriage Sex education Faith schools Moral values Religious beliefs Pressure Coercion Expectations AIDS disease AIDS testing Contraceptive cap Pill Responsibility Family Planning Clinic Sexuality Homosexuality Boarding schools.
Date	27/04/1989
Creator	Women, Risk and Aids Project (WRAP, 1989-90)
Publisher	The Reanimating Data Project (2018-20)
Type	Text
Temporal Coverage	1989
Spatial Coverage	Greater Manchester, UK
Rights	CC BY-NC 4.0

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