Sexual Behavior of Older Thai Men

Mark VanLandingham, Tulane University
John Knodel, University of Michigan

Many adults, in Thailand and elsewhere, remain sexually active well into late middle and old age. A group that may be at particularly high risk for contracting HIV is older men who do not have access to marital sexual relations. We explore this hypothesis using qualitative data from 9 in depth interviews of currently unmarrried Thai men in their 50's conducted in a central Thai province during June 2001. Semi-structured interview guidelines explored prevailing social norms regarding older male sexuality during the current era; social norms regarding younger male sexuality during the time these men became adults; the number, types, and key features of recent sexual relationships engaged in by these men and by men in their friendship groups; detailed sexual histories of these men; and the understandings these men have about the risks of contracting HIV and AIDS.