This research was encouraged by the need for Christian religious-ethical principles for counselling of HIV/Aids patients and their families within a multi-religious environment. During his lifetime the researcher was a member of Professional Family Care, a multi-religious and multi-disciplinary organization assisting HIV/Aids patients in Middelburg, Mpumalanga. The aim of the study is to highlight the sexual ethos of people from a Christian ethical perspective by means of the example of the character Samson in the book of Judges (Jd 13-16), in order to derive sexual-ethical principles for counselling. The hypothesis is that an ethical relationship exists between the rebelliousness in Samson’s life, and his sexual conduct. A similar relationship can be identified in our current society as a result of the negligence of healthy religious-ethical norms. A socio-rhetorical approach has been applied to explore various textures found in the Samson saga. After a discussion of Old Testament ethics as a subject, emphasis was laid on analysing the intra-textual, ideological, social and cultural, and holiness structures of the Samson saga. HIV/Aids as a social problem is discussed, primarily by means of relevant statistics. Professional Family Care implements an eco-systemic model, viz. an integrated approach involving medical professions, social workers, and religious leaders from all the religions involved. The principles of this approach are explained. After the religious-ethical perspectives of various religions have been highlighted, final conclusions are drawn. The ethical conduct of individuals normally mirrors the dominant ideological framework of the society in which they live. The sexual-ethical conduct of Samson, within its context, and the ethical principles, which can be deduced from that for the current context of Middelburg, Mpumalanga, clearly indicate that a relationship exists between the violation of sexual-ethical norms of the society as well as the consequences thereof for individuals and the broader community. In the light thereof both the positive and negative conduct of Samson have been implemented to formulate basic principles for counselling. / Prof. Johan Coetzee

M.A. / Die doel van hierdie studie is om riglyne vir n geïntegreerde seksualiteit program vir adolosente daar te stel wat aandag skenk aan dwelmmisbruik en verhoogde HIV risiko. Daar is nie hipoteses geformuleer nie. Navorsing vrae is gestel en n literatuurstudie is aan die hand van die vrae gedoen. Daar is gepoog om die profiel van die skool gaande adolosent wat dwelmmiddels misbruik vas te stel. Verder is daar gepoog om die frekwensie van dwelmmisbruik by adolosente vas te stel, sowel as hulle kennis oor die verwantskap tussen HIV/Vigs en dwelmmisbruik. Daar is na die aard en effektiwiteit van huidige seksualiteit programme in die onderwys gekyk om vas te stel of hulle doeltreffend is. n Kwantitatiewe data insamelings metode is gebruik. n Beskrywende en n ondersoekende navorsings ontwerp is gebruik in die studie. Twee honderd-en-vyftig vraelyste is by twee skole versprei. Adolosente van graad agt tot graad elf het die vraelyste ewekansig beantwoord. Die hulp van Statistiese Konsultasie Dienste, te RAU, is ingewin met die optrek van die vraelys sowel as die verwerking van die data. Die profiel van die respondente toon dat die meerderheid 15 jaar en ouer is. Die meeste van die respondente was meisies. Graad nege leerders was die meerderheid van respondente terwyl die ander drie grade eweredig versprei was. Die respondente het meestal by beide of minstens by een biologiese ouer gewoon. Afrikane was die meerderheid van respondente. Blankes was tweede meeste verteenwoordig en die res was verteenwoordig deur Asiërs en Kleurlinge. Leerders het hul skool prestasie as gemiddeld beleef. Belangstelling in skoolwerk was matig. Die misbruik van dwelmmiddels het n verhoogde misbruik oor die naweek getoon. Al die dwelmmiddels was in n mate gebruik, met dagga as die gewildste middel. Die respondente was ambivalent oor die invloed van verhoogde risiko vir HIV met alkohol misbruik. Die meerderheid het bevestig dat daar n verhoogde risiko vir HIV is met die misbruik van dwelmmiddels. Die meerderheid van die adolosente is nie seksueel aktief nie. Die respondente wat wel seksueel aktief is, erken dat hulle in meeste gevalle onder die invloed van dwelmmiddels was tydens hulle laaste seksuele omgang. Die skool is geïdentifiseer as die prominentste plek waar leerders oor dwelmmiddels leer. Die media en tweedens, die skool, is aangedui as die belangrikste plek van leer aangaande HIV. Die leerders verkies klasse waar beide geslagte teenwoordig is. Die medium van onderwys wat verkies word, is n dialoog vorm. Daar is twee groepe adolosente geïdentifiseer in die studie. Die minderheid van adolosente is in gevaar van HIV/Vigs. Die ontwikkeling van n omvattende geïntegreerde seksualiteit program moet gemik wees op die groep adolosente. Aanbevelings met betrekking tot die ontwikkeling van n geïntegreerde seksualiteit program word aan die hand gedoen. / Prof. L. Patel