Embodiment and sexual experiences of some latin American PLWHA men in Japan

In this paper, we present the third part of our ethnographic investigation including HIV-positive Latin Americans living in Japan. In order to investigate the relationship between psychological well-being and sexual activity among our informants, we interviewed 20 male HIV-positive Latin Americans living in Japan. From April to September, 2002 and August 2003, and 2004, we conducted a set of six 60-minute interviews with twenty 28- to 37-year-old HIV-positive males. Three of them were illegal aliens and seven of them claimed to be homosexual. Participants were contacted through a hospital, a NGO, (non-governmental organization) and by snowball sampling. Our analysis of the interviews indicates that concurrent with a negative attitude towards life informants feel disembodied and asexual after seroconversion. However, after resuming their sex life they experience a positive attitudinal change and emotional release. Drug side-effects on libido make them use stimulants and Viagra. Phallocentrism, fears of infection, and discrimination are obstacles to a full sex life. Informants look for casual sex and engage in prostitution in big cities. These findings have several implications for sex education practice.