Maintaining a “good girl” position: Young Filipina women constructing sexual agency in first sex within Catholicism

Abstract

How young women negotiate sexual agency in first sex is contingent upon the specific social construction of female and male sexuality and the sexual double standards in a particular local context. Within Philippine Roman Catholicism, a strong religious moral discourse equates virginity with a woman’s honor, making first sex or virginity loss a source of shame. This has implications for women’s experiences of sexual agency. We report on research in which a group of eight young Filipina women wrote their memories of first sex and collectively analyzed these memories. Using thematic analysis, we derived five themes about why they engaged in first sex: (1) “giving in,” (2) “nadala” or “carried away,” (3) love, (4) self-expression, and (5) coercion. Avoiding sexual agency in giving in and nadala is linked to the experience of pain, loss, and shame. Recognizing sexual agency by articulating first sex as a need for sexual self-expression is tied to the experience of pleasure. The absence of sexual agency is seen in the experience of coercion and subsequent trauma. Despite variations in these women’s constructions of first sex, each can be seen as ways of preserving a woman’s social status and maintaining a “good girl” position.

The relationship of religion, religiosity, and parental communication in the sexual behaviors of Filipinos aged 18-25 years in the United States and the Philippines

“…The findings of this study are consistent with previous studies and suggest an association between risky sex behaviors and religion, religiosity, and parental communication (Delgado-Infante & Ofreneo, 2014;Freedman-Doan et. al., 2013;Gipson et.…”

“…In general, Filipinos believe that the only morally and legally acceptable sexual behavior is heterosexual intercourse within a monogamous marriage. Sexual abstinence is intensely promoted for those who are not married (de Irala et al, 2009;Delgado-Infante & Ofreneo, 2014;Gipson et al, 2012).…”

“…Research suggest that religion, religiosity, and open parent-sex communication promote safe sex behaviors among youths (Delgado-Infante & Ofreneo, 2014;Freedman-Doan, Fortunato, Henshaw, & Titus, 2013;Gipson, Gultiano, Avila, & Hindin, 2012;Haglund & Fehring, 2009;Hutchinson, 2007;Landor, Simons, Simons, Brody, & Gibbons, 2011). Family and religion are the two most important social systems in the Filipino culture (Alampay & Jocson, 2011;Chen, Thompson, & Morrison-Beedy, 2010;Nadal, 2009).…”

“…Family and religion are the two most important social systems in the Filipino culture (Alampay & Jocson, 2011;Chen, Thompson, & Morrison-Beedy, 2010;Nadal, 2009). Roman Catholic, the predominant religion among Filipinos, has shaped the conservative values and belief surrounding sex and sexual practices among families and individuals (Delgado-Infante & Ofreneo, 2014;Nadal 2009). Although there is an abundance of research that has explored the relationship of religion and familial variables to youth's sexual behaviors, studies among Filipinos are limited.…”

Intersectional discourses of reproductive agency in the Philippines: A mixed methods analysis of classed constructions of pregnancy resolution

“…Feminist scholars robustly document the influence of gendered discourses on how society views and treats women with unplanned pregnancies (Jones et al, 2019; Marecek et al., 2017). While adolescents are normatively expected to obtain formal educations and become productive adults (Macleod, 2010), many cultures further tie young women’s personal value to their virginity (Delgado-Infante & Ofreneo, 2014). Unplanned pregnancies disrupt both expectations of purity and productivity, which impact the valuation of women’s morality and responsibility (Cockrill & Nack, 2013) as well as their interpersonal relationships and career prospects (Jacobs & Mollborn, 2012).…”