INTERNET USE, CYBERSEX AND RISK: A QUALITATIVE STUDY AMONG MALE TEENAGERS FROM LOWINCOME AREAS IN LI

1
INTERNET USE CYBERSEX AND RISK A QUALITATIVE
STUDY AMONG MALE TEENAGERS FROM LOW-INCOME AREAS
IN LIMA PERU

• Victoria Villacorta MA
• Unit of Health Sexuality and Human Development
• Cayetano Heredia University School of Public
  Health

2
BACKGROUND

• Increasing accessibility and use of Internet
• Increase of demand for Internet interactive
  sessions with sexual content
• Male teenagers are the most frequent users of
  such Internet services
• Our goal was to explore how cybersex could lead
  to risky sexual practices among male Peruvian
  teenagers

3
METHODS

• Exploratory and descriptive study
• 22 male teenagers between 15 and 19 years old
• Inclusion criteria
• ever having had sexual intercourse and
• reporting regular internet use in Internet Cafes.
• In depth interviews and focus groups
• Here we focus on sexual activity that takes place
  inside an Internet Cafe (Cabina Privada de
  Internet)

4
INTERNET CAFES (Cabinas Privadas de Internet)
5
FINDINGS

• The Internet Cafe infrastructure is set up to
  facilitate certain kinds of sexual activity
• Male teenagers do engage in sexual activity with
  peers in Internet Cafes
• Risky sexual practices are diverse from non-
  protected oral sex to non- protected anal sex
• These kind of practices are seen as part of a
  process for sexual learning and developing their
  masculinity
• Sex partners are essentially casual
• Most of the times there is no condom use

6
CONCLUSIONS

• Internet is a powerful technology tool to expand
  entertainment practices including Cybersex
• Internet use also allows users to seek find and
  practice new ways of sexual interaction
• Sexual Health Programs should use the Internet to
  inform young people
• It is important to work with internet cafes
  owners
• More studies should be conducted to further
  understand such practices and promote public
  policies regarding Internet use for sexual
  purposes among teenagers and young people that
  respect their sexual rights and autonomy.