TY - JOUR
T1 - Sacred Sex or Purely Prostitution? Women’s Health during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Roro Kembang Sore Tomb, Tulungagung, East Java, Indonesia
AU - Arimbi, Diah Ariani
AU - Putra, Gesang Manggala Nugraha
AU - Hapsari, Nurul Fitri
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2022,Journal of International Women''s Studies. All Rights Reserved.
PY - 2022/12
Y1 - 2022/12
N2 - The practice of seeking pesugihan (a Javanese term for fortune or wealth, usually achieved by visiting a sacred burial ground of a historic prominent figure or mythical beings) through free-sex rituals is one of the factors that has increased the prevalence of HIV and AIDS, especially in the Tulungagung region of East Java, Indonesia. Often under the guise of tradition, this practice is maintained without proper supervision from governing agencies. To assess this problem, this study focuses on mapping the origin and distribution of free-sex myths in the pesugihan ritual, especially at the burial site of Nyi Roro Kembang Sore, Tulungagung. Data from 2019 to 2021 were collected from interviews with the burial site caretaker as well as the pilgrims or visitors to the site. Through the methods of multiple or mixed discourse analysis and intertextual readings, the study finds that the burial site of Nyi Roro Kembang Sore witnessed a shift from a spiritually oriented pilgrimage to a myth-reinforced sex ritual. Why people visit the site might be driven by various motives, although there is a frequent denial that free sex plays a part in the motivation. Such denial seems to be dangerous, especially for women, as sexually transmitted diseases that women are vulnerable to are not recognized by the local government or society. This shows that women's health is still at the periphery of society, never at the center, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this challenging time, when the COVID-19 disease is prioritized, women’s sexual health seems to be forgotten. Women are at risk for sexually transmitted diseases but their health is never perceived as a serious problem.
AB - The practice of seeking pesugihan (a Javanese term for fortune or wealth, usually achieved by visiting a sacred burial ground of a historic prominent figure or mythical beings) through free-sex rituals is one of the factors that has increased the prevalence of HIV and AIDS, especially in the Tulungagung region of East Java, Indonesia. Often under the guise of tradition, this practice is maintained without proper supervision from governing agencies. To assess this problem, this study focuses on mapping the origin and distribution of free-sex myths in the pesugihan ritual, especially at the burial site of Nyi Roro Kembang Sore, Tulungagung. Data from 2019 to 2021 were collected from interviews with the burial site caretaker as well as the pilgrims or visitors to the site. Through the methods of multiple or mixed discourse analysis and intertextual readings, the study finds that the burial site of Nyi Roro Kembang Sore witnessed a shift from a spiritually oriented pilgrimage to a myth-reinforced sex ritual. Why people visit the site might be driven by various motives, although there is a frequent denial that free sex plays a part in the motivation. Such denial seems to be dangerous, especially for women, as sexually transmitted diseases that women are vulnerable to are not recognized by the local government or society. This shows that women's health is still at the periphery of society, never at the center, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this challenging time, when the COVID-19 disease is prioritized, women’s sexual health seems to be forgotten. Women are at risk for sexually transmitted diseases but their health is never perceived as a serious problem.
KW - Health
KW - Indonesia
KW - Myth
KW - Pesugihan
KW - Sex
KW - Women
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85145831811&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85145831811
SN - 1539-8706
VL - 24
JO - Journal of International Women's Studies
JF - Journal of International Women's Studies
IS - 8
M1 - 9
ER -