Men’s view adding to HIV spread

claimed that visiting sex workers is acceptable because it’s better than raping children.

“Some people raped a child, or even some young girl. However, we don’t have to do that. We can just find out those sex services. There are many places in Cambodia. Just pay them and come back home; that’s OK,” the participant said.

While HIV rates have consistently dipped since their peak in 1998, Cambodia still has the highest rate of infection in Southeast Asia. Meanwhile, most women living with HIV contracted the disease from their husbands. According to the National AIDS Authority, transmission from a spouse is the most common cause of new HIV infections, counting for around 48 percent.

Communication about sex is commonly considered taboo in the Kingdom, a fact that leads to sexual dissatisfaction, low condom use, extramarital affairs and the spread of sexually transmitted diseases. Participants in the study also said condom use within marriage is low because it’s indicative of a lack of trust.

Meanwhile, Cambodian women often display pride in their sexual ignorance, believing that knowledge of sexuality is the domain of prostitutes. Some men interviewed said they would visit prostitutes less frequently if they could experiment sexually with their wives. But they also said their wives would be upset if they suggested new sexual techniques, claiming their spouses view sex “as work”.

In order to address these issues, the report’s authors suggest incorporating sex education into high school curri- cula in order to foster “healthy gender norms and attitudes toward sex”.

According to Ros Sopeaph, director of the organisation Gender and Development for Cambodia, a safe space is needed to encourage men and women to discuss sexuality openly.

“We need to break the wall of silence,” she said. “We need to work with men so they can speak with their partners.”

Equal power relationships between husbands and wives should also be fostered, with policymakers acting as role models, Sopheap said.

There are many places [for sex]. Just pay them and come back home

ATHENA ZELANDONII A sex worker waits for customers in Phnom Penh. A recent study shows that masculine attitudes towards prostitution contribute to the spread of HIV between husbands and wives in Cambodia.