A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Arts in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology in the Department of Psychology at the University Of Zululand, 2017 / Virginity testing stands at the forefront in South Africa’s battle against the spread of HIV/AIDS. Most of rural communities uphold and insist that Black South African girls must remain virgins until marriage, with a belief that virginity is the greatest defense against the spread of HIV/AIDS. In South Africa, virginity testing is mainly practiced in KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape (Scorgie, 2002). Although this custom contributes meaning and value to most traditional people, it has been heavily criticized and also challenged by the community. The objectives of the study include the following: (a) to explore the experiences encountered by virginity testers, both positive and negative experiences, (b) to find out under which circumstances virginity testers do their work. A qualitative study was carried out in the rural areas of Mubatuba, KwaZulu-Natal. Eight female participants were used in the study, with the ages ranging between 40 and 64. Snowball sampling method was used to recruit participants. The bits and pieces of the collected data were coded into meaningful patterns and analyzed using content thematic analysis. The study managed to shed light on the perspectives of virginity testers. While it is seen by virginity testers as an effective tool for prevention of pregnancy and HIV/AIDS infections in rural areas, rape has become a big problem. While promoting virginity testing one should also look and think about issues related to the safety and security of both young girls and virginity testers.

<p>This study formed part of the broad theme on the impact of HIV and AIDS on school-going learners sponsored by the Dynamics for Building a Better Society programme of the University of the Western Cape and the VLIR Partnership. HIV and AIDS poses a unique challenge to society in that it is a private disease transmitted mainly through unprotected sex that still has no known cure. A challenge to society invariably challenges schools. Primary school principals are obligated to respond because learners in the 5 to 14 year age range provide an opportunity for education, advocacy, prevention, treatment and support. This study aimed to contribute to a better understanding of school leaders and their responsibility towards HIV and AIDS and poverty.</p>

<p>This study formed part of the broad theme on the impact of HIV and AIDS on school-going learners sponsored by the Dynamics for Building a Better Society programme of the University of the Western Cape and the VLIR Partnership. HIV and AIDS poses a unique challenge to society in that it is a private disease transmitted mainly through unprotected sex that still has no known cure. A challenge to society invariably challenges schools. Primary school principals are obligated to respond because learners in the 5 to 14 year age range provide an opportunity for education, advocacy, prevention, treatment and support. This study aimed to contribute to a better understanding of school leaders and their responsibility towards HIV and AIDS and poverty.</p>

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / This study formed part of the broad theme on the impact of HIV and AIDS on school-going learners sponsored by the Dynamics for Building a Better Society programme of the University of the Western Cape and the VLIR Partnership. HIV and AIDS poses a unique challenge to society in that it is a private disease transmitted mainly through unprotected sex that still has no known cure. A challenge to society invariably challenges schools. Primary school principals are obligated to respond because learners in the 5 to 14 year age range provide an opportunity for education, advocacy, prevention, treatment and support. This study aimed to contribute to a better understanding of school leaders and their responsibility towards HIV and AIDS and poverty. / South Africa

Thesis (MA (Psychology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT:A lack of research on disabled women and HIV and AIDS within the South African context has been identified by various authors. The present research is a qualitative investigation into the lived experience of seventeen disabled South African women. Their knowledge of and attitudes towards HIV and AIDS and sex and sexuality, their lived experience with regards to these issues, as well as to sexual abuse, rape and violence, and their access to HIV related health care services is explored in the present study. Semi-structured questionnaires were employed. Content analysis revealed that most participants knew of HIV and of ways of HIV transmission, and slightly fewer of them knew where to access HIV and AIDS related health services. The vast majority of participants reported that they saw no difference between sexual practices and sexuality of disabled- compared to non-disabled people. Misperceptions of others’ with regard to the sexuality and sexual practices of disabled people were identified as the main barriers to disabled women’s equal access to HIV and AIDS related health services, and to their freedom of choice and expression in terms of sex and sexuality. Almost all of the women had been subjected to rape, sexual abuse and violence. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: ‘n Tekort aan navorsing oor gestremde vroue en HIV en VIGS binne die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks is deur verskeie outeurs geïdentifiseer. Die huidige navorsing is ‘n kwalitatiewe ondersoek na die lewenservarings van sewentien gestremde Suid-Afrikaanse vroue. Hulle kennis van, ervanrings rondom en houdings teenoor HIV en VIGS, seks en seksualiteit, seksuele mishandeling, verkragting en geweld, en kwaliteit van toegang tot HIV en VIGS-verwante gesondheidsdienste word in hierdie studie ondersoek. Semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude is met die vroue gevoer, en inhoudsanalise is toegepas. Bevindinge sluit in dat die meeste vroue van HIV en van oordragsmetodes bewus was. ‘n Effe kleiner groep van deelnemers was bewus van presies waar om toegang tot HIV en VIGS-verwante gesondheidsdienste te verkry. Die oorgrote meerderheid van die vroue het geen verskil gesien tussen die seksuele praktyke en seksualiteit van gestremde en nie-gestremde persone nie. Die wanopvattings van ander (nie-gestremdes) rakende seksuele praktyke en seksualiteit van gestremde persone is aangedui as die grootste struikelblok tot die vroue se gelyke toegang tot HIV en VIGS-verwante gesondheidsdienste, asook tot hulle vryheid van keuse en uitdrukking in terme van seksuele praktyke en seksualiteit. Bykans al die vroue in hierdie studie is al blootgestel aan verkragting, seksuele mishandeling en geweld.

The current report was an exploratory case study that utilsed a mixed mehtodology to consider the HIV and Aids wellness context of a South African small to Medium Enterprise (SME), hereafter called company A. This study aimed to investigate company A by observing the knowledge. Attitude and practices (KAP) of emmployees, as well as their reported behaviours on disclosure of HIV status. HIV and AIDS are critical issues, with South Africa, having the highest rate in the world (UNAIDS, 2010). While various projects are in place to promote prevention and decrease infection rate, infection statistics plateaued at a high leve. The situation in South Africa thus needs to be examined from a different perspective, approaching the epidemic as a case study, rather than through the systematic models and interventions used in the past. A KAP survey and open ended questionnaire were used, as they formed the forefront of the assumptions usally in interventions that look at behaviour change model such as the Health belief model (HBM) and social cognitive theory (SCT) and the relationship between knowledge, attitude and practices and dissclosure of HIV status. The research observed that while no clear cut relationships can be found between knowwledge, attitude, practices, and the decisin of whether to dissclose the HIV status, the context and experience of the epidemic is far from straightforward, and needs to be tackled in it`s entiriety. While the intention of policies and interventions may be good, without the requisite investigation of the context, the attempts may not be as successfull as they could be.

<p>The school environment presents a valuable opportunity for the identification, monitoring and support of children made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS and poverty. Many children are caring for parents suffering from AIDS related illnesses and/or they are the main breadwimnner of the household. As a reult of HIV/AIDS and poverty therefore, children might be dropping out of school, or their ability to performadequately at school might be significantly reduced. The main aim of this study was to use a case study approach to explore and describe support provision in a South African formal school, examining in particular, the relative significance of leadership, organisational development and gender-related matters in addressing the needs of children made vulnerableby HIV/AIDS and poverty.The availability and quality of this support is analysed within the context of the Western Cape Education Department (WECD) transforming itself from a system focussed on controlling schools to a system focused on supporting schools.</p>

<p>The school environment presents a valuable opportunity for the identification, monitoring and support of children made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS and poverty. Many children are caring for parents suffering from AIDS related illnesses and/or they are the main breadwimnner of the household. As a reult of HIV/AIDS and poverty therefore, children might be dropping out of school, or their ability to performadequately at school might be significantly reduced. The main aim of this study was to use a case study approach to explore and describe support provision in a South African formal school, examining in particular, the relative significance of leadership, organisational development and gender-related matters in addressing the needs of children made vulnerableby HIV/AIDS and poverty.The availability and quality of this support is analysed within the context of the Western Cape Education Department (WECD) transforming itself from a system focussed on controlling schools to a system focused on supporting schools.</p>

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / The school environment presents a valuable opportunity for the identification, monitoring and support of children made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS and poverty. Many children are caring for parents suffering from AIDS related illnesses and/or they are the main breadwimnner of the household. As a reult of HIV/AIDS and poverty therefore, children might be dropping out of school, or their ability to performadequately at school might be significantly reduced. The main aim of this study was to use a case study approach to explore and describe support provision in a South African formal school, examining in particular, the relative significance of leadership, organisational development and gender-related matters in addressing the needs of children made vulnerableby HIV/AIDS and poverty.The availability and quality of this support is analysed within the context of the Western Cape Education Department (WECD) transforming itself from a system focussed on controlling schools to a system focused on supporting schools. / South Africa

M.A. / This study explores the experience of pregnancy from the perspective of HIV-positive women. To shed light on this phenomenon, the existing literature was examined and it was found that very few studies have investigated South African women’s experience in this context. Existing findings tend to focus on the day-to-day impact of HIV on a woman’s mothering role rather than on her experience of pregnancy in particular. Pregnancy can be viewed as a process of growth, during which the relationship between the mother and her baby is prepared. For most women, acceptance of pregnancy is associated with the development of an attachment to the foetus. However, the nature of emotional support received during pregnancy can affect the development of the mothers’ attachment to the baby. Moreover, a pregnancy experience is coloured by a complex of personal needs and expectations, health status, as well as emotional, psychosocial and physical circumstances. In this regard, an HIV-positive status may influence an expectant woman’s perception of her health. Generally, being HIV positive and physically healthy is experienced as a complex psychological state, where a chronic sense of uncertainty can precipitate various somatic and psychological symptoms of distress. HIV-positive individuals who experience the most distress tend to have difficulty with initiating contact with sources of support. The focal point of this study was to understand the psychological implications of pregnancy delineated by an HIV-infection, as well as the meanings that these mothers attribute to the experience. Accordingly, a phenomenological framework was adopted to investigate the lived world of the HIV-positive pregnant woman. Phenomenologically informed interviews were conducted with HIV-positive women in the last trimester of their pregnancies, with the aim of obtaining an in-depth account of their experience of pregnancy. These women all knew about their HIV status for at least three years before falling pregnant. The interviews of three of the four participants were transcribed, followed by analyses and descriptions that were guided by phenomenological principles. The findings offer a phenomenological description of themes that form part of the phenomenon of pregnancy in the face of an HIV-positive status for these women. Their experience of pregnancy was characterized by significant emotional distress fuelled by fear of disclosing their status to their children and health care staff, uncertainty about the future, as well as having significant worry about their own and the baby’s health. These mothers adopted a cautious, wait-and-see attitude toward the pregnancy and they coped by distancing themselves from negative affect. Because they did not want to burden their families, they carried much of their emotional distress on their own. HIV-positive pregnant mothers seem to be proactive in looking after their health, possibly as a result of antenatal care. However, they are vigilant about physical changes as well as markers of health, such as CD4 counts, and shifts can be anxiety provoking. Finally, pregnancy intendedness forms a significant part of the overall experience, where a pregnant mother may consider termination of an unexpected pregnancy on the grounds of her HIV-positive status. Negotiating the decision or ability to terminate, can also have an influence on the overall experience of the pregnancy. In conclusion, an overview of the findings leads to tentative recommendations that may alleviate the emotional difficulties experienced by HIV-positive pregnant women. These findings need to be viewed in conjunction with the evaluation of the strengths and limitations. Although this study has yielded some findings that can contribute toward a deeper understanding of HIV-positive women’s experience of their pregnancies, a number of additional issues have arisen as a result of these findings. There is thus a need for further research on the topic and to this end, some suggestions for future research are offered.