Past Programs
Sex and Sexuality - 2008
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Despite What They Say
19/10/2008
Babies born with HIV 22 years ago were expected to die, but Shaynon has gone on to live a fairly normal life with a young family, and to enjoy unprotected sex. Despite the odds, his female partner Jessica remains HIV negative.
Twenty-two years ago, in the city of Perth, baby Shaynon was born HIV positive. At the time nobody knew if this little boy would survive and doctors could only guess how long he might live. Medics concluded that if Shaynon lived to the age of ten he would have done well in the longevity stakes.
The public were afraid of people like Shaynon, and the media misrepresented his condition, making people fearful not only of the HIV virus but also of people carrying it. Fear, confusion and misinformation abounded.
At the age of 10 Shaynon believed his time had come. He began to act out and ran away from home, spending time in squat housing and eventually foster care. He also questioned his fate and the expertise of the medical fraternity regarding what they told him about HIV and AIDS.
Birthday after birthday rolled around and at the age of 16 Shaynon took an interest in Jessica, whom he met while she was working at Hungry Jacks. They started dating. It wasn't long before Jessica's parents learned about Shaynon's condition and her father told the love-struck Shaynon to stay away. But they were determined not to let Jessica's parents get between them, and snuck around behind their backs.
Today Shaynon and Jessica have been together for six years and now have two young children. We are aware Jessica is HIV negative, as are the couple's two children.
What's intriguing is that Shaynon and Jessica conceived their little ones naturally and without practising safe sex procedures. Nor did Shaynon 'wash his sperm' -- a precaution usually taken by HIV infected individuals wishing to conceive.
Having lived with HIV for 22 years, Shaynon has invested a lot of time into researching the virus. He has developed some pretty radical views about the ways in which HIV is transferred and how to avoid infection.
Shaynon's story is unique and confronting. The medical profession will not support his challenging stance about HIV but he is OK with this. An HIV free partner and healthy children are testament to his belief that there are a lot of misunderstandings about HIV. His lifespan has more than doubled the predicted time it was said he would live. Despite the odds, this is Shaynon's story.
Showgirls
10/08/2008
This program takes you into the world of 'glamour models'. Nicky-Lee, Lara-Lou and Vanessa are three young women whose world consists of a non-stop circuit of podium dancing, wet-teeshirt modelling and posing, semi-naked for the punters.
The friends are working the summer show scene; but life is about to change as Vanessa attends the maternity unit at her local hospital to check on progress; Vanessa is - show-stoppingly - pregnant. But for the moment, she has not given up working: squeezed into skin-tight corset and lycra hotpants you would never guess that she is just weeks away from giving birth.
Meanwhile Lara-Lou and Nicky-Lee remain in the thick of it - as well as being on stage they're doing the 'bikini car-wash' - As Lara explains, "It's more about washing yourself than the car." Backstage they talk candidly about their families, relationships and the dark side of the industry.
On men they all agree - "they just want boobage."
This program was produced by BBC Radio for the series Lives in a Landscape
Due to copyright restrictions this program will not be podcast or available as audio on demand.
Someone's Waiting For You In The Lobby
03/08/2008
Women who will pay for sex or the company of a charming male stranger are rare, but as more women have access to their own money and independence they are giving it a try.
There are only a handful of men in Australia who work as heterosexual male escorts. This is in contrast to the huge industry of female escorts for heterosexual men and the reasonably large male homosexual escort industry.
There is also a non-sexual male escort service based in Queensland—for those who want an escort who is literally only an escort.
So why are some women paying for it and some men happy to be paid? What actually happens in the bedroom? And if sex is not involved what does the man actually do?
In this program we talk to two of these women and the men who service them.
The women originally interviewed for this program wanted to remain anonymous, so their actual words have been read by actors Rebecca Havey and Rebecca Massey.
