A qualitative study of the lived experiences of young Chinese females in condom use negotiations

Based on a qualitative study of young Chinese females' lived experiences of condom use negotiations, this paper discusses how a gender and power perspective provides a new frame of reference in which to examine the shaping of young women's perception and decision-making regarding contraception. The recurrent themes of the narratives collected through individual interviews with 10 adolescent pregnant females living in Hong Kong indicate that their lack of bargaining power for sexual safety is maintained by the structures of social norms and their strong affective attachments to their partners. The findings facilitate practitioners' development of a multi-layered understanding of the power dynamics in sexual relationships and draw implications for further practice and research. Chinese cultural factors have also been explored in a contextual discussion on the influences of traditional gender roles on the constitution of adolescent sexual identities and sexual behaviours.