This thesis concerns the role of the Social Care Worker in interventions into unacceptable sexual behaviour in people who have a learning disability. It takes as point of departure ways in which support organisations and individual members of staff become aware that a service user’s sexual behaviour needs to be addressed. This raises issues about the service user’s human rights, confidentiality, and the concept of what it is to be ‘professional’ which can affect information sharing between support organisations and also between fellow support workers. In the case of the latter this relates to the workers status within the organisation, relations of power/knowledge which also has implications for the status of these workers as ‘professionals’. The thesis goes on to determine the support workers’ perceptions of what Bourdieu has termed, their ‘field’. That is to say, those behaviours they feel they can address without consulting health professionals. In addition to this, criteria used to decide when it is appropriate to consult health professionals is also described which thus demarcates their ‘field’ as perceived by the social care workers. The subsequent roles of the SCW whether working with or without input of health professionals is then discussed in terms of the individual worker’s ‘proximity’ or working relationship with the service user in question, and also their status within the support organisation. Findings suggest that some front-line workers who can claim closer ‘proximity’ to the service user may not have the same level of information about the behaviour as their managers who work off-site and do not have their direct care. Consideration is then given to accounts of situations in which input from health professionals is sought but is not forthcoming leaving SCWs and their organisations to deal with the behaviour in-house. Some of these such as sexual assault and rape are thus being treated in the community when otherwise the individuals concerned would be treated in locked NHS wards. Thus a new ‘field’ emerges requiring of the SCW a level of responsibility and skill that goes unacknowledged. The thesis ends by considering the feelings of workers involved in interventions into unacceptable sexual behaviour and concludes with recommendations on the education and support these workers require. Acknowledgement of the work they do and re-assessment of their status as workers is also recommended.

This study investigated factors that have an influence on sexual activity and subsequent contraceptive use among school-going adolescent girls in Lesotho, focusing on the districts of Berea, Maseru and Mohale’s Hoek. The factors under investigation from a reproductive health survey included demographic variables (age, district, rural urban residence, class and religion), behavioural variables (drinking alcohol, boyfriend status), and attitude and knowledge variables (including attitude toward sex before marriage, contraceptive use before marriage, and communication with a boyfriend about sex). The methodology comprised a secondary analysis of the 1999 Adolescent Reproductive Health Survey of Lesotho. Bivariate analysis and binary logistic regression were used to establish if significant relationships existed between sexual activity and contraceptive use and the independent factors. A limitation of the study is that the survey instrument contained a limited set of indicators. Thus a number of theories of sexual decisionmaking were excluded from the conceptual framework. Prevalence of sexual activity was lower than expected. This research confirmed that the likelihood of adolescents being sexually active increases with age. A somewhat surprising result was that Catholic adolescents were more likely to become sexually active than adolescents of other religions. Adolescents who live in rural areas, as well as those with a boyfriend were also found to be more likely to become sexually active. Contraceptive use was higher for this Lesotho sample than has been reported for research from other African countries. Nevertheless, the proportion of adolescents not using contraceptives is argued to be a matter of concern. Adolescents in the lowest school class were least likely to use contraceptives, which suggests a lack of control over decisionmaking in this group. Contraceptive use was found to be lower among adolescents who were coerced into their first sexual experience. Adolescents from Mohale’s Hoek, designated the least developed area for this research, were the least likely to use contraceptives. Those adolescents who reported having a boyfriend were more likely to use contraceptives, suggesting a regular partner allows the adolescent some control over decision-making. A positive view of use of contraceptives before marriage was associated with higher likelihood of use. Somewhat surprisingly, use of alcohol was associated with higher likelihood of contraceptive use. The findings suggest adolescent girls can be grouped into different risk categories. Some practice abstinence and some who are sexually active appear to have control over sexual decision-making, specifically in being able to negotiate use of contraceptives. However, there is a group which is sexually active but does not use contraception. This group has a higher rate of coercion as the reasons for sexual activity. The analysis suggests a multi-dimensional set of factors explain sexual activity and associated contraceptive use (or non-use) and that beliefs and attitudes do not always predict an expected behaviour. Interventions should target the most at-risk group and must take into account that belief and attitude does not necessarily predict behaviour.A / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2009.

The male condoms were massively expanded to Africa in 1990s as a result of growing HIV prevalence in most parts of Sub-Saharan Africa. Many transnational non-profit organizations together with national governments were engaged in this expansion of condom distribution. The biggest condom donator are the United States of America which have already provided tens of milliards of dollars to fight against AIDS by distribution of condoms. Was this financial aid used effectively and did the money have the right intended effect? Scientists agree on the statement that the effectiveness of condoms as contraceptives is around 90%. What is the efficiency of using condoms helping against the transmission of the virus HIV, if a single HIV virus cell is much smaller than a sperm cell? With the help of regression analysis using panel data we can give a definite answer to the crucial question -- do condoms help or prevent the spread of HIV virus?

HIV/AIDS is prevalent among adolescent youth in South Africa particularly among adolescent girls. Numerous efforts have been made to contain the pandemic through HIV prevention information in schools and through community and mass media campaigns, but all these efforts seem not to have an impact on the sexual behaviour of the youth. Reports from various studies concluded that although these programmes increase adolescents’ knowledge they have a minimal impact on their sexual behaviour. The current study explores perceptions of HIV/AIDS among a group of adolescent girls (between 14 and 19 years old) as well as the impact of these perceptions on their sexual practices and development. The results revealed that perceptions of HIV/AIDS appear to have an impact on adolescent girls’ sexual practices.

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This doctoral thesis is the first comprehensive, feminist, qualitative study to take a cross-class and cross-generational perspective in exploring women's experiences of gender, contraception and sexuality, as manifested in their narratives about real life and contraceptive advertisements, in post-independence Bangladesh. The existing scholarship on Bangladesh in the areas of gender, sexualities and contraception (see for instance, Caldwell et al., 1998; Cash et al., 2001; Karim, 2012; 2014; Khan et al., 2002; Rashid and Michaud, 2000; Rashid, 2000; 2006a; 2006b) remains largely restricted to providing a cross-class and cross-generational analysis. In fact there is no study that has focused on the experiences of sexuality in the upper class in Bangladesh. Despite their limited focus on the social classes and generations, the studies generalise and conclude that a highly gendered ‘sexually suppressed culture' (Karim, 2012:40) exists in Bangladesh. Moreover, feminist media studies in Bangladesh (Ahmed, 2002; Ahmed, 2009; Begum, 2008; Gayen, 2002; Guhathakurota, 2002; Nasreen, 2002:95; Parveen, 2002) have repeatedly questioned the gendered stereotypes re/produced by the media (including advertisements) but without considering the context of production and/or audience reception of such representations. In contrast, my thesis, studying forty years (from 1971 to 2011) analyses interviews with women (across three social classes and generations) and a corpus of 166 contraceptive advertisements; it also takes into account the production issues. Women's interpretations of these advertisements with regard to their ‘lived realities' in the heteronormative sexual structure of Bangladesh, provide nuanced insights to supplement the existing literatures on gender, media, contraception and sexuality studies. The thesis concludes: women are not entirely powerless in their sexual encounters, rather, the power balance shifts based on women's various identities and the multiple determinants which shape their everyday lives. However, the ‘representation' through contraceptive advertisements operates through a patriarchal ‘circuit of culture' (Du Gay et al., 1997), which only presents a circumscribed ‘reality' and offers a predominantly gendered construction of idealised femininity, masculinity and heteronormative sexuality.

Typescript (photocopy) Includes bibliographical references (leaves 198-259) The role of gonadal steroids in the mating behaviour of rams was investigated in both entire rams and castrated rams (wethers) treated with different steroids.

Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) has been predominantly used for diagnostic purposes and it has been suggested VCT could help reduce the spread of the disease by preventing those who test HIV-negative from contracting the disease and also preventing those who are HIV positive from further spreading it by practising safer sex. While there is research focusing on understanding the implications of VCT for HIV positive individuals, little is to be found on the influence of the experience of VCT on the sexual behaviour of individuals who undergo VCT and obtain HIV negative results. Even less is known about the influence of VCT on university students in South Africa. The aim of the study is to explore the perceived influence of VCT on the sexual risk behaviour of HIV negative female University of KwaZulu-Natal students. This qualitative study made use of in-depth interviews conducted with 6 female university students recruited from the HIVAN Support Centre at the University of KwaZulu- Natal, Howard Collage Campus. The findings of this study suggest that VCT is generally perceived as effective in helping to reduce risktaking among HIV negative participants. At the same time participants felt motivated to do what it takes to obtain a negative result on their next test. However, one participants' felt that her negative results could make her vulnerable to pressures from her partner to practice unsafe sex. For VCT to have a positive impact on the sexual behaviour of individuals who test negative, programmes should provide up to date information, as part of pre and post test counselling, in a clear manner to avoid miscommunication and misunderstanding on the part of participants. Further, more support needs to be provided to individuals who are HIV negative in the form of support groups or open forums that encourage young people to discuss what situations put them at risk as well as assist other members of the group to deal with such situations. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2009.

The focus of this study was to assess the level of knowledge of HIV/AIDS, and to examine the sexual attitudes and behaviour of adolescents with learning difficulties/disabilities. The sample was obtained from a secondary school in Chatsworth that caters for learners with learning difficulties/disabilities. The study used quantitative methods of data collection . Sixty adolescents with learning disabilities completed questionnaires. The findings indicate that adolescents with learning difficulties/disabilities have good knowledge of HIV/AIDS and subsequently the majority is not engaging in sexual activity. The findings can be used to inform future research on adolescents with learning difficulties/disabilities, as well as to inform future intervention strategies. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2008.