Interview with Shanise, 16-17, Caribbean, working class, Jehovah's Witness. Women, Risk and AIDS Project, London. Anonymised version including field notes. (Ref: LJH9)

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 Shanise, who would like to work within the criminal justice system. She's been brought up as a Jehovah's Witness, but doesn't think it has too much bearing on the decisions she makes - she only follows it when it feels right to her. She has had a bit of tricky time in her relationships with boys and thinks she has had sexual intercourse for the wrong reasons - for now, she'd like to focus on her exams instead. Shanise is adamant that she will continue to use contraception, both condoms and the pill, in her future sexual relationships, but does not consider herself to be at risk of AIDS. Sex education would be much more useful if places were able to offer one-to-one drop in advice sessions, rather than relying on schools to provide it. It was too embarrassing and awkward for Shanise to ask questions in school, and those who did would be shamed by their peers.