Interview with Catherine, 17, African, lower middle class, no religion. Women, Risk and AIDS Project, London. Anonymised version. (Ref: LJH16)

This interview is part of the Women, Risk and Aids Project (1989-90) archive which was created as part of the Reanimating Data Project (2018-20).
Anonymised transcript of interview with Catherine, an aspiring fashion designer. Her sex education was very basic, reproductive and biological, and it was only through her friends that she actually discovered what sex is. She did get a lot of information on AIDS prevention from a teacher, which she found more useful than the adverts on television. She also thinks that youth clubs would be a good place for young people to get their sex education from. Catherine is aware of gendered double standards surrounding permissive sexualities and sexual reputation, but her and her friends are not the type to engage in casual sex or one night stands. She describes herself as 'a bit of an angel' - she doesn't partake in any 'risky' behaviours, like drinking alcohol or cigarettes. Her family is from West Africa, and though she is keen to learn about her cultural heritage she is very used to her Westernised lifestyle.