Virtually Virgins: Sexual Strategies and Cervical Cancer in Recife, Brazil

by Jessica L. Gregg

This book provides a detailed, intimate portrait of a community of women living in a shantytown (favela) in northeastern Brazil, while exploring the complex interplay between gender, sexuality, power, and disease. It reveals how poor Brasileiras are constrained by dominant cultural constructions of female sexuality as a dangerous force that must be controlled by men; yet these women also manipulate these expectations by using their sexuality as a means to secure economic support from men. The book argues that these constructions affect their interpretations of medical discourse on the prevention of cervical cancer. Since women view sex as both a force they can't control and as a necessary tool for their survival, they choose to de-emphasize medical warnings against risky sexual behavior, with grave consequences for their health. The text is threaded with poignant, humorous, sometimes graphic, and always memorable depictions of the women’s lives in the shantytowns, making this serious anthropological study a highly readable one as well.

Genres: Read For School, Anthropology, Nonfiction

232 pages, Paperback

First published April 22, 2003

Reviews

[Milo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another decent book in the studies of women from other countries. A bit dry in parts, but it ultimately spells out some of the circular reasoning and other such matters involving women, sexuality, cervical cancer, and health treatments.

[Cyrene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honestly best ethnography I have read (I haven't read a whole bunch BUT this one is exponentially better than the ones I have read or read excerpts of). Gregg does a great job at getting information across in an understandable manner, analyzing the situation while still emphasizing the view of the women she is studying with lots of direct quotes and descriptions of interactions that really not just humanizes these people but I felt, gives you a much better understanding of them. She also did a good job about not making it all about her and acknowledging her privilege and bias throughout the book. Overall, thought it was really well written, covered an important topic, and made me think and feel.