HIV/AIDS Prevention Guidance for Reproductive Health Professionals in Developing-Country Settings

Gender influences what women and men know and how they learn it, their level of communication about sex and behavior within relationships, and their ability to access reproductive health resources, technologies, and services. It is important to remember, however, that in every society there are many forms of masculinity and femininity that vary by social class, ethnicity, sexuality, and age. It is also now recognized that the multiple forms of masculinity and femininity are dynamic, subject to change, and constructed through social interaction (Rivers and Aggleton 2001; Gutmann 1996).