Today’s youth grow up in a world riddled by HIV/AIDS and its devastating effects. In order to prevent HIV infection in youth, there is an ongoing need to understand the influences that place them at risk in order to develop programmes to mediate these influences towards healthy outcomes. Sexual risk behaviors are influenced by various factors ranging from intrapersonal to social normative and contextual/environmental factors. This study focuses on the social normative contextual influences on adolescent sexual risk behaviours in an attempt to understand sexual behaviours, in a sample of school going adolescents from grades nine, ten and eleven, in the Durban Metropolitan area (N=259). This study aimed to examine the relationship, if any, between protective peer norm influences and adolescent sexual behaviour, including sexual risk-taking behaviours, measured by the dimensions of condom use at last sexual encounter, number of sexual partners and age of sexual debut. The findings showed no significant difference in levels of protective peer norms between those who have never engaged in sexual intercourse (primary abstinence) and those that had. The findings did, however, show significantly higher levels of protective peer norm influence regarding safe sexual practices, particularly condom use, among those who reportedly used condoms at their last sexual encounter, confirming that those who practiced safer sex had higher levels of protective peer norm influence. The findings of this study suggest the need for lifeskills programmes to empower youth to challenge social norms that place youth at risk of HIV infection, and further to include interventions to facilitate the renegotiation of peer norms towards health enhancing alternatives, to protect adolescents against sexual risk behaviours. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2009.

The aim of this study was to ascertain whether or not South African adolescent boys between the ages of 16 and 18 make use of heuristics when thinking about heterosexual relationships. Currently, some of the greatest challenges facing South Africa are that of the HIV/AIDS pandemic and the high rates of violence, especially against women and children. These issues are closely linked with cognitions about masculinity and the male and female gender roles in men and boys. The methodology was qualitative and focus groups were utilized as the method of data collection. The results of this study indicate that adolescent boys do make use of a variety of heuristics and also engage in the process of splitting when thinking about heterosexual relationships. Keywords: Masculinity, adolescents, heuristics, gender roles, heterosexual relationships, HIV/AIDS / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2009.

<p>the motivation of this study is to assess the high risk behaviors that contribute to the spread of HIV and AIDS among the youth. The most influential high risk behaviours that contribute to the spread of HIV and AIDS are unprotected sexual intercourse and having more than one sexual partner.The population for this study includes all full time first year students who registered for the first time in 2006 that attended the orientation week. A stratified, sequential random sample was drawn from the students attending the orientation.</p>

The challenge that confronts South Africa 's emerging democracy is that an increasing percentage of its population is being infected with HIV/AIDS daily . The socio-political impact of the disease has resulted in the development of a variety of macro-level interventions. Despite these initiatives, there has been no decline in the spread of the epidemic. The increasing prevalence of HIV infection among young South Africans in particular, has necessitated an exploration into their risky sexual behaviour. A closer study of the social fields of practice, where knowledge is not only produced, but is constantly contested, negotiated, reproduced and embedded, is suggested. This study uses the principles of feminist theory to focus on gender roles and the related issues of power and risky behaviour. The central argument of this work is that the traditional construction of sexuality, which encourages sexual aggression and promiscuity among young men, alongside female sexual passivity and ignorance, are gendered factors which fuel the spread of HIV/AIDS . In order to examine young peoples' perceptions of the role of gender and risky behaviour, I engaged young people, who were already in the field, to conduct the research. An exploration into the processes of enabling young people to conduct research, while linking the production of meaning to the possibility of human agency and transformative social action, formed an evolving methodology in this work. The research was designed to provide young people with a space for active engagement, participation, immersion and reflection, en route to becoming researchers. Young researchers who conducted research in their youth communities served as deep insider researchers, who possessed an awareness of the slogan systems and semiotics which operated within the cultural norms of the community. The young researchers conducted the inquiry by using a multiplicity of methods, which included visual methodologies, individual interviews and questionnaires. They solicited most of the data from a wider group of 15 to 19 year old African and Indian learners . These learners, who were mainly from a lower socio-economic background, attended the co-educational school, in the province ofKwaZulu Natal in South Africa. The findings of this study reveal how young researchers become empowered by acquiring increased competence in doing research and achieving a greater understanding of the influences of gender and power on risky behaviour. The research report offers methodological insights into the training and enablement of young people as researchers. It reveals how catalytic validity enables a transformation in the young researchers, who, having achieved a heightened understanding of the purpose of the research , actively participated in the research process. The study is significant because it reveals the gradual effacement of the main researcher from the research process, as a natural consequence of engaging young researchers to solicit, generate and interpret data. These new insights evolved as a result of taking the risk of allowing oneself, as a main researcher, to "get off track" and to enter uneven social spaces by doing research differently. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2006.

The study aimed to explore adolescents knowledge, perceptions and behaviors regarding sexual reproduction and sexual reproductive health services in community junior school in Tutume Botswana. A descriptive exploratory design using both the qualitative and quantitative approach was used to guide the research process. Data was collected by means of a self administered questionnaire and two focus group discussions. A total of 76 participants answered the questionnaire and 2 focus group discussions one consisting of the 15 to 17 year olds and the other one consisting of 12 to 15 year olds were conducted. The results of the survey highlighted adequate levels of knowledge regarding sexual matters among adolescents in the school with the bulk of the information being provided by the teacher. Parents, nurses, siblings, peers and the media played a low key role in providing adolescents with information regarding sexual reproduction and sexual reproductive health services. The results of the focus group discussion showed marked underutilization of the local clinic for curative, preventive and promotive services by adolescents. The poor utilization resulting mainly from perceived barriers such as provider attitudes, subjective norms, cultural taboos, inadequacy of the clinic, judgmental attitudes from provider and parents as well as lack of encouragement from authority figures like parents and teachers. Adolescents in the focus group discussion perceive themselves as being susceptible to HIV but did not appreciate the benefits of using preventive measures even though the survey group showed sound knowledge on contraception. Improving the services to align them to adolescent friendly services, improving the delivery of information through other means apart from the teacher and reducing the barriers that discourage adolescents from reaching the reproductive health services will go a long way in improving the utilization of the services by adolescents. / Thesis (M.N.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2009.

<p>the motivation of this study is to assess the high risk behaviors that contribute to the spread of HIV and AIDS among the youth. The most influential high risk behaviours that contribute to the spread of HIV and AIDS are unprotected sexual intercourse and having more than one sexual partner.The population for this study includes all full time first year students who registered for the first time in 2006 that attended the orientation week. A stratified, sequential random sample was drawn from the students attending the orientation.</p>

D.Ed. / This study applied a qualitative, explorative, descriptive and contextual approach. The purpose of the study was to develop, implement and evaluate a peer counselling psycho-educational programme to facilitate healthy sexual behaviour among late adolescents in informal settlements around Gauteng. Based on the purpose of the study, the objectives of this research were: a) to explore and describe the experiences and challenges related to life threatening behaviour challenges among late adolescents; b) to develop a conceptual framework as basis for a peer counselling psycho-educational programme on peer education to facilitate healthy sexual behaviour among late adolescents in informal settlements; c) to describe a peer counselling psycho-educational programme to facilitate healthy sexual behaviour among late adolescents in informal settlements; d) to formulate guidelines and principles for the implementation of a peer counselling psycho-educational programme to facilitate healthy sexual behaviour among late adolescents in informal settlements; and e) to evaluate this peer counselling psycho-educational programme to facilitate healthy sexual behaviour among late adolescents in informal settlements. To achieve the purpose of this research, the research method followed four phases to develop, implement and evaluate the psycho-educational programme. Phase one was a situational analysis by means of fieldwork. Phase two outlined a conceptual framework for a peer counselling psycho-educational programme that was developed from the results of phase one and the literature. Phase three was the outline of the implementation, and phase four the evaluation of the developed peer counselling psycho-educational programme to facilitate healthy sexual behaviour among late adolescents in informal settlements around Gauteng. ii The researcher sought to understand the targeted area and targeted populations; this exercise helped the researcher to identify and address the research problem and also to gain knowledge on the attitudes, norms, and values, and also the lived experiences, of the targeted community. It gave the researcher an understanding on cultural norms and beliefs and assisted in demarcating the extent of the problem. The importance of this exercise was to help the researcher to know the population demographics and the demarcation of the targeted area, which also assisted with resource allocation. During this situation analysis, the researcher identified the need for the exploration of life threatening sexual behaviour challenges among late adolescents in informal settlements. He identified these young people by observing them during site visits in their communities and also through conversations with them. Therefore, the researcher underwent experiential learning to understand the life threatening sexual behaviour, experiences and problems among late adolescents in informal settlements around Gauteng.

A research report submitted to the University of Witwatersrand, Faculty of Humanities, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Masters of Arts (Coursework and Research Report) University of the Witwatersrand, 2016 / This research investigated how sex and sexuality is being represented within Sexual Health Education (SHE), as reported by students who completed matric in 2014. Furthermore, this study wanted to investigate how these representations contributed to the perceived value of the SHE. In South Africa, SHE is located within the curriculum of Life Orientation (LO), a compulsory subject through to Grade 12. Despite being compulsory, there is no external moderation for this subject, allowing schools and teachers to decide on the exact content being taught within LO. The theoretical framework of Social Representations Theory (SRT) guided this research. SRT states that our understanding of the world is based on a collection of social representations, accumulated through interactions with the social world. The school environment is a place where social representations are often challenged by new information covered in lessons, as well as in discussions with peers and teachers outside of class. This study was interested in what social representations are being re-presented in the context of SHE. Five focus group discussions were conducted, following a semi-structured interview schedule, informed by the literature review. The sample consisted of first year students at a Johannesburg university, who completed their secondary schooling in 2014. The findings of this study show that South African youth receive vastly different information, some of which is not complete or accurate. Participants felt their SHE failed to assist them in making adult decisions, as there was a sense that vital information was being withheld, and the information that was imparted within SHE was viewed as irrelevant. This was attributed to the societal taboo against speaking openly about topics of sex and sexuality, which was often perpetuated in the ways that sex and sexuality were socially represented within SHE. / MT2017

The study examined correlates of HIV perceived risks and protective strategies among adolescents in rural Malawi i.e. whether there was an association between socio demographic characteristics of adolescents and subsequent HIV perceived risks and protective strategies. Age at sexual debut is a variable of interest in this study. The objectives were to investigate whether age at first sexual intercourse does influence adolescents’ individual’s risk perceptions of HIV and protective strategies, i.e. does age at first sex set a precedence in the thinking of adolescentswith regards HIV risks and protective strategies such as condom use. Data: This study uses cross sectional data from Wave 3 of a wider study, the Malawi Diffusion and Ideational Change Project (MDICP).The MDICP is a joint collaboration between researchers from the Population Studies Centre at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Malawi‘s College of Medicine and Chancellor College. In this study, a multiple regression analysis on the cross sectional data from the 2004 wave 3of the Malawi Diffusion and Ideational Change Project was done. The focus of this study is on the relationship between age at first sexual intercourse and the individual‘s perception of risk of HIV/AIDS and protective strategies, it examines if there is an association between the two factors. Descriptive analysis: Descriptive statistics to obtain the frequencies of the main variables of interest such as the background characteristics of respondents (gender, marital status, mean age at sexual debut, education, economic status of household) were computed in order to better understand the population under study. Multivariate Analysis: Three separate models were employed; two multinomial regression analysis measuring worry and likelihood of infection against socio demographic variables and a binary logistic regression measuring condom use and the socio demographic variables. Relative Risk Ratios were used to interpret the multinomial logistic regression output while odds ratios were used to interpret the logistic output. Results: Consistent with existing literature, results indicate that early age at first sex is a predictor of HIV risk perceptions and protective strategies. Age at first sex does set a precedence in the future thinking of adolescents with regards to how they perceive HIV risks, as well as how they perceive protective strategies against HIV-particularly condom use. This study confirms that age at first sex alongside with other socio demographic variables are significantly associated with HIV risk perceptions HIV and condom use, while other factors may matter, such as gender, region, HIV knowledge, religion or educational level. Limitations: The information on age at first sexual encounter was based exclusively on respondent’s self–reports. This data collection method often has limitations that are attributed to the tendency for people to under-report socially unacceptable behaviours (e.g. having multiple sex partners) and to over-report socially acceptable behavior. The other limitation is that the study lacks longitudinal data to allow a more in-depth analysis of trends in HIV/AIDS-related indicators. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2011.

In South Africa, HIV and AIDS is a crisis particularly for young women between the ages of 15-24. HIV and AIDS is gendered disease and its spread is heterosexual. The effects of the disease have led to an increasing examination of what sexual and gendered identities mean for young people. Using individual and focus-group interviews, this study explores young people’s sexual cultures amidst the backdrop of HIV and AIDS. It focuses on the ways in which young Indian men and women (aged 16-17) in a low to middle income context in Chatsworth, Durban, construct heterosexual relationships. The study explores how this selected group of learners navigate themselves as sexual subjects in the context of sexual passions and sexual risk. The study focuses on relationship cultures, sexual risk and the ways in which gender is constructed in heterosexual relationships. Currently we know very little of young people’s heterosexual relationships and in particular, we know very little of young Indian sexualities. In the context of sexual risk taking and broader concerns about sexual health, young people’s perceptions about sex and sexuality are important. Insight into how the youth understand gender and sexuality is necessary for addressing educational strategies in sexuality education, Life Orientation and HIV/AIDS education in South Africa. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2010.