“Not Used But Almost…”—A Gender and Agency Analysis of the Grey Zone Between Consensual and Nonconsensual Sexual Intercourse

Abstract

Rape is a widespread but underreported problem among women. In this article I explore the complexities surrounding the fine line between consensual and nonconsensual sexual intercourse, by studying a rape through which a young woman was infected with HIV. I provide an analysis of how to understand and interpret this episode by applying a gender perspective based on patriarchy—namely, women's submissive position in heterosexual situations compared with men—and the concept of agency, that is, the individual's own decision-making ability, own choices, and different courses of action available, to outline the frame of action available to the informant. The inclusion of agency and a gender perspective offers new dimensions on how to understand and give meaning to narratives that are seldom told.