No abstract available. / Thesis (M.Dev.Studies)-University of Natal, Durban, 2002.

In light of the current HIV/ AIDS epidemic. the sexual risk taking and health seeking behaviour of South African adolescents is of extreme interest to rescearchers and programme implementers. Using a database of adolescents between the ages of 14 and 22 from Durban Metro and Mtunzini Magisterial District in KwaZulu-Natal Province. This paper seeks to investigate which antecedents impact most on adolescent sexual behaviour. Risk taking behaviour of interest is whether or not a condom was worn at last intercourse. The analysis also seeks to test the impact of Life Skills education in school on this behavioural outcome. Although much of the literature has pointed to more distal factors having greater influence on adolescent health seeking and risk taking behaviour. This analysis has showed that issues relating more closely to levels of communication within a relationship, attitudes towards the use of condoms. and previous health seeking behaviour. have the greatest impact on condom use. Those adolescents who wore a condom the first time they had sex. who felt they could confidently convince their partner to use a condom and who maintain high levels of communication with their partner. were found most likely to have used a condom the last time they had intercourse. / Thesis (M.Dev.Studies)-University of Natal, Durban, 2000.

AIDS is a syndrome that affects millions of South Africans. Adolescents have been regarded as a potential high-risk group with regard to HIV infection due to their increased sexual activity. Changing behaviour, even that of adolescents, who are just beginning to experience and experiment with their sexuality is perhaps the biggest challenge facing HIV / AIDS prevention in South Africa. There is an urgent need for more knowledge and information on adolescent sexuality, and their knowledge of and attitudes towards HIV / AIDS that can impact intervention programmes. The aim of this research was to examine knowledge, attitudes and behaviours regarding HIV / AIDS among adolescents at a rural Junior Secondary School in the Eastern Cape. The study used both qualitative and quantitative methodology. The participants were grade 7 to 9 learners at the school; 46 males, and 74 females (n=120). The research instrument used was an anonymous self-report questionnaire. Data on behavior was gathered through 9 open-ended questions. Findings revealed that adolescents had higher-level knowledge about AIDS although there were also misconceptions. Their attitudes were both negative and positive. Data on reported behaviours revealed that most learners have changed their behaviours, 90% reported that they would use a condom to prevent the spread of the disease and, they indicated that a person should have one partner. It is recommended that a programme be developed to educate adolescents about sexuality in an objective and factual manner. Outsiders, not necessarily teachers should be used to implement such programmes, and the programmes should be adaptable to any circumstances, as not all schools have the facilities to their disposal like videos and films. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2004.

My focus in this research study is the understanding that young Indian women have of risky sexual behaviour within the context of HIV and AIDS. The main objective of this study is to understand how young Indian women perceive themselves as sexual beings and how aware they are about the HIV and AIDS virus. The influencing factors in my embarking on a study of this nature are two-fold. Firstly, the literature on sexuality of Indian women is limited. According to Bhana and Pattman (2008) the Indian community is not regarded as being problematic therefore not much is known or done with regard to Indian sexualities. Secondly my interest in conducting this research and focusing on young Indian women is that there now appears to be an increase in the number of young Indian women who are indulging in risky sexual behaviour at very early stages in their lives. I have purposefully selected six young Indian women based on their age group which is between 16 - 17, as well as from a specific context which is a secondary school in Phoenix. The sample group is not fully representative of all 16 and 17 year olds but has the potential to provide invaluable information and insight into how young women develop their sexual identities especially within the context of HIV and AIDS. The qualitative research method approach was employed as it provided me with the opportunity to comprehend how these young women understand sexual risk and the reasons why they would engage in risky sexual behaviour. The research design employed was a focus group interview with a 90 minute interactive session as well as individual interviews for each participant which lasted about 60 minutes. My findings reveal that Indian women are agentic and that there are a number of factors that influence and contribute towards an increase in the number of Indian women who are engaging in risky sexual behaviour and becoming sexually active at ages that do not prepare them for the negative consequences of risky sexual behaviour. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2012.

This study explores the meanings that young African schoolgirls aged 16 turning 17 from a high school in Umlazi, Durban give to their sexual identities. Using qualitative research methods in the form of semi-structured open-ended interviews and focus group discussions, their understandings of sex, sexuality and sexual risk were explored. The aim was to investigate why these young girls expose themselves to risk by engaging in unprotected sex, in spite of sex education and many interventions and campaigns related to Human Immune- Deficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) infections' awareness which these girls receive in school. Poverty, unemployment and crime plague this community and it is within this context that these girls make sense of their sexual identities. The main findings of this study are that these young girls resist being placed in a subordinate position and the patriarchal system which the society and boys attempt to impose. Furthermore, most of these girls come from broken families where grandparents have a responsibility to sustain the family. In the process, girls expose themselves to sexual risk as they become vulnerable to peer pressure. Girls' response to their challenges with regards to sexual identity is to act like boys, have multiple partners, and dump the boys who demand sexual favours. In response, this study aims to enlighten the girls regarding the dangers inherent in their behaviour and to assist them with safer ways of assuming 'girl power'. Girl power implies that girls are empowered with skills to be self confidence, be confident with themselves by protecting themselves from sexual infections and to take informed decisions as they negotiate their sexualities. The findings reveal that girls reject the patriarchy that subordinates them and are now taking a position of girl power. I conclude that, in assuming their power over boys, these young girls want to behave like boys and have multiple partners which put them at risk. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2012.

The aim of this study was to explore African high school boys' articulations of masculinity, the meanings they give to their sexuality and risky sexual behaviours in the age of HIV/AIDS. The study focused on finding out what explanations boys offer for engaging in risky and unsafe sexual practices. The study used qualitative research in the form of focus group discussions and individual interviews. Seven African high school boys aged 16 turning 17 were the source of data. The findings show that some boys engage in unprotected sex, while others indicated that unprotected sex is risky. This study argues that the risky sexual behaviours that boys engage in are closely related to their constructions of masculinity. It also found that the meanings boys give to their sexuality are also influenced by external factors whereby they imitate what their peers do in order to gain acknowledgement from them and the society. Alcohol is a key factor promoting unsafe sexual practices, while social networks, such as Facebook and Mixit, are used by boys to share sex videos and pictures, thus exposing them to too much sex. With regards to implications, this study shows that the notion of being a real man is something that most boys want to achieve. Being a real man is tantamount to being courageous enough to engage in risky practices. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2012.

The HIV/AIDS pandemic is acknowledged as a disease that has harmful impacts on the social and economic development of developing countries. Much of the research on the pandemic has not, until recently concentrated on its impact on the education sector and on teenagers as people living with HIV. This study investigates the lives and experiences of HIV positive teenage learners (main participants) in some Intshanga schools in KwaZulu-Natal. As teenagers are essentially minors, and would be under the care of parents or other caregivers, it was necessary to learn more about the lives of the teenagers from caregivers in the community and from family members within families where there are individuals living with HIV. The study provides some insight into how other people like family members and caregivers understand the pandemic as well as the role they play in the lives of those infected by the HIV virus. Empirical data was collected over a period of a year (2004-2005) and yielded the following main findings: * Fear about disclosing one's status: HIV and AIDS are still not accepted as one of the significant realities of the lives of learners. It is regarded as a shameful disease which most members of the community prefer not to talk openly about. * Effects on affected learners: Social, economic and cultural circumstances and perspectives impact negatively on relationships in general and on relationships significant to learners themselves, i.e. parent-child and adult. * Persons living with HIV are called names by those who are seemingly not affected. * Teenagers report that they avoid using local healthcare services because they have on occasion experienced being verbally abused at these health care centres. * Teenagers are not assisted in dealing with peer pressure. * Teenagers are vulnerable to making disastrous choices. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2008.

No abstract available. / Thesis (LL.M.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2005.

HIV/AIDS is a global pandemic; and for South African Authorities it is still a huge concern. 17 per cent of the population aged 15 to 49 live with the HIV virus and KwaZulu-Natal remains the area most affected by the pandemic. In order to prevent the disease’s expansion among university students, the health authorities have make available across all campuses and for free Choice and Love condoms.This study explores the perception of the positioning of these government brands compared to the other commercial condoms available among students at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. The study is in part a survey, using research questionnaire administered to more than 200 students at the Westville and Howard College and Nelson Mandela Medical School campuses to determine their perceptions of the competing condom brands. The study primarily makes use of the marketing theory of brand positioning to address the issue; a perceptual map is designed indicating the respective positions of the competing brands. The survey revealed that the Love brand is not very well known by students, and confirmed that the Choice brand is perceived as poor. One reason provided is the negative association of the South African government with the brand. Many students complained of experiencing a bad smell after using Choice. That led to the variant of scent being used in the study as an essential component for condom preference. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2013.

Background: Adolescents in Botswana, especially women, face many sexual and reproductive health (SRH) challenges including high maternal mortality, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including HIV, and unintended pregnancies, despite available SRH services. The youth friendly service (YFS) concept has been initiated and various strategies developed to address adolescents concerns. However, services remain underutilized and barriers to accessing services still exist. Aim: The aim of this study was to determine patterns of utilization of sexual and reproductive health services by adolescents attending senior secondary schools in Gaborone in 2012. The specific objectives were to: identify SRH services utilized by adolescents in the district; identify factors associated with adolescent utilization of YFS in the district; and determine barriers and facilitators to utilization of available YFS by adolescents. Design: This was a health systems research, which was conducted through an observational study, with descriptive and analytic components. Methods: 506 adolescents attending at the three (3) senior secondary schools in Gaborone were sampled through a simple random sampling strategy in each school. Parental consent and assent from participants was requested before respondents completed a self-administered questionnaire which was designed for the data collection. The questionnaire was pilot tested prior to the study. SPSS version 16 was used to analyse the data. A chi-squared test and logistic regression were used investigate association, and a p-value <0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results: The findings of this study revealed that utilization of SRH by adolescents was low and the level of awareness of youth friendly services was also low. The study revealed that utilization of SRH was higher among female adolescents compared to their male counterparts. The study identified factors which hinder adolescents YFS utilization, which include: location of the facility, no interest in YFS, staff attitudes and behaviours, and inconvenient hours of operation. Conclusion: Identifying patterns of utilization of SRH services by adolescents attending senior secondary schools in Gaborone can help strengthen programmes at all levels of service delivery and the country at large. The Botswana Ministries of Health, and Education and Skills Development can re-orientate, or develop new initiatives that will deal with barriers to access and assist adolescents to fully utilize the available services. / Thesis (M.Med.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2014.