A growing number of studies have connected sexuality, gender, and power to discuss the increasing spread of HIV in women, but the epidemic still poses significant theoretical and programmatic challenges. The current study focuses on how cultural codes underlying sexual experience are manifested in women's subjectivity and orient their interpretations and practices related to the risk of HIV infection. In-depth interviews with 15 women ranging from 18 to 30 years of age led to the reconstitution of three life histories, focusing on their sexual scripts The data were organized using the Nud-Ist software and submitted to hermeneutic analysis. The meanings and practices associated with HIV risk vary according to the moment in life, the sociability network, and the type of bond established with the partner. The findings point to the need to understand the shared sexual meanings in specific contexts, in order to develop more culturally sensitive prevention programs.
HIV; Sexual Behavior; Women