Abstract:

Sexual coercion is a form of violence, it can result in subsequent trauma, lack of sexual desire, loss of pleasure in sexual life, unwanted pregnancy, miscarriage, and STDs, including HIV/AIDS. However, in Vietnamese culture, sexual coercion within marriage is difficultly recognized because cultural norms such as moral standards of a virtue woman or perception of masculinity and femininity hide it. This paper presents data from a qualitative study based on ethnographic fieldwork and applied an exploratory design. It reveals cultural context, within which sexual coercion in marital setting occurs. Women’s sexual health is restrained by cultural constructions, in which gender inequity plays a crucial role. Women’s bodies and women’s sexuality are “controlled” by a complex interaction of social, economic and cultural factors. The silence and a lack of resistance of women in sex are understood as consent. The lack of information on sexuality and public dialogue makes it difficult for sexually inexperienced people to gain knowledge before entering sexual relationships, and often leads to painful first experiences or trauma. The lack of communication between husbands and wives leads to sexual incompatibility and coercion. All of these factors combine together to make women develop negative attitudes toward sex or to deny sex altogether. The cultural setting and gender regime reinforce a cycle of sexual coercion within marriage that is not easily broken.

Keywords: Sexual coercion, women, masculinity, femininity, consent, Vietnam