Fertility among young people has increased globally and is a major concern, particularly in developing countries. Sub-Saharan Africa is a region that is greatly affected by poverty; HIV/AIDS and an increasing population. Young people are engaging in unprotected sex and this not only increases their risk of having an unplanned pregnancy, but also increases the risk of them contracting HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. In Southern Africa, pregnancy rates among young people are high even though total fertility rates have declined. Many interventions have been implemented to directly address this issue; however, it is perplexing as to why pregnancy rates among young people are so high. Studies have indicated that there are many factors that influence unplanned pregnancy rates among young people. The aim of this dissertation is to understand the reasons for high fertility rates among young people in South Africa. This study draws on qualitative methodology using in-depth interviews with 20 female students at a tertiary institution in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. Students interviewed presented a number of reasons for the high levels of pregnancy among young people. The study findings highlighted that young women have knowledge of contraception and are aware of the importance of contraception in preventing an unplanned pregnancy; however, contraception is being practiced inconsistently and incorrectly. Students are more afraid of the risk of an unplanned pregnancy than HIV/AIDS. Poor interpersonal relations with health service providers were perceived as a common barrier preventing young women from accessing contraception at the local clinics. Furthermore, the interviews suggest that peers exert an enormous influence over young people. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2010.

Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest number of people living with HIV and AIDS in the world. Several studies that were carried out suggest that there is a negative impact of HIV and AIDS on the health sector. This impacts directly on health care providers as they are the first point of contact for ill people. This study seeks to explore the impact of HIV and AIDS on health care provision looking at the perception of health care providers. Qualitative methods were used for collecting data from the health care providers. Two focus group discussions were conducted and ten in-depth interviews were conducted in three health care facilities in Lesotho. Audio tapes were used to record the interviews and thematic analysis was utilized to analyse the data. The results showed that the workload has increased due the increased number of people who seek health care services. There is also a shortage of staff in facilities which leads to health workers having to work extra hours. The study further indicated that there is lack of knowledge among health care providers regarding the management of HIV and AIDS. Consequently, the health care providers fear the risk of contracting HIV from their patients. In addition, the results revealed that the poor infrastructure at the facilities hinder health care providers from performing their duties effectively. The other concern was the lack of support structures from the management. Furthermore, stigma and discrimination emerged as the major problems for providers as work and home. As a result, the health care providers are stressed and suffered from burnout. There is a need for further research on the impact of HIV and AIDS on health providers. Government should take more responsibility for encouraging students to enroll at health training institutes. The curriculum should include an emphasis on HIV and AIDS and workshops on HIV and AIDS should be held. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2010.

The aim of this study was to investigate outcomes of approaches used to mitigate the negative impacts of HIV and AIDS at workplaces in Lesotho using Thetsane Industrial Area as a case study. Garment industries in Lesotho are faced with a serious threat due to the HIV and AIDS prevalence in the country. A huge number of the labour force is leaving firms due to increased morbidity and mortality associated with HIV and AIDS. In view of this, this study investigated approaches used in managing HIV and AIDS in the workplace. In order to optimize the accuracy of the research results, a triangulation research method was utilized. The results indicate production levels to have improved since the advent of the Apparel Lesotho Alliance to Fight AIDS (ALAFA). The findings suggest ALAFA to have taken over the responsibility of HIV and AIDS prevention and management, especially in the garment industries, providing HIV and AIDS victims with all the necessary services needed to keep HIV and AIDS under control. These findings therefore suggest overdependence on ALAFA by the garment industries for HIV and AIDS management. The findings also imply that garment industries had no resources in the form of human capital specializing in the knowledge of HIV and AIDS management from the individual garment industries. Despite the fact that HIV and AIDS still spreads at an alarming rate, the larger implications of this research’s findings, especially relating to the serious challenge faced by the garment industries of losing their labour force to HIV and AIDS, is that the pandemic has lately become manageable given that there are now ARVs and ART to be used as treatment by HIV and AIDS victims. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2011.

This dissertation explores the livelihood activities of Durban's African migrant street traders. The study also seeks to gain insight into the challenges that confront them as well as the perceptions that local street traders have of them. The researcher argues that migrant street traders make a contribution towards the economic development of the city. Migrant street traders are attracted to Durban because of the economic opportunities that the city offers as well as the fact that it has a lower crime rate than cities such as Johannesburg. The concept of livelihood strategy was used to develop the theoretical framework that guides the research. The study makes use of the qualitative research method. Fifteen in-depth interviews were conducted with migrant and local street traders, who were a mixture of male and female. Of the fifteen interviewees, ten were migrant traders (five females and five males) and five were local street traders (three females and two males). The research was conducted in the Central Business District (CBD) in the vicinity of the Workshop Shopping Centre. The findings of the study suggest that migrants make an economic contribution (albeit not a substantial one) to the development of the city. Some of the local street traders recognise this contribution while others do not. Migrant street traders encounter difficulties in accessing the finance and capital necessary to start their entrepreneurial businesses. The other major problems experienced by the migrant traders in the city are to do with crime, the metropolitan police, local government officials, securing of a suitable accommodation, and accessing trading sites, education and healthcare. The research concludes by recommending that the business-training sessions that are arranged by the municipality of local street traders be open to migrant street traders as well. Local communities should also be educated about the positive role of the migrants in the city. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2011.

Sexual and reproductive health care have become key priorities both within developing and developed nations. Young people have been identified as particularly vulnerable to negative health outcomes. South Africa is one such example of a country that presently faces significant challenges in addressing the unmet sexual and reproductive health needs of young people. With the enormous burden of reproductive health problems and the accelerating HIV epidemic, the provision of sexual and reproductive health services remains a challenge. Though various studies highlight the importance of comprehensive services targeted at youth, there is a lack of adequate research in evaluating the extent to which health services are addressing the health needs of clients. This study aimed to address this gap by examining a health care facility for students at one of the largest tertiary institutions in KwaZulu-Natal. The core objective was to determine the extent to which the health services are responding to the sexual and reproductive needs of young people by, exploring the experiences and perspectives of service providers and young men and women in relation to comprehensive, youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health care. This was assessed using a revised version of the Bruce-Jain quality of care framework. Information for this study was obtained using quantitative and qualitative data collection methods including: an inventory of the facility and services, in-depth interviews with staff and exit interviews with 200 clients aged 18 to 24 years. The findings of the study reveal that logistical constraints hindered effective implementation of comprehensive, youth-friendly services by providers. Providers missed opportunities to provide clients with much needed information and services due to staff shortage, client overload, lack of infrastructure, and poor continuity mechanisms. HIV, STIs and unwanted pregnancies were some of the most important health issues among young people visiting the health facility. Very few young men utilised the services. Some of the key findings were that clients continue to experience barriers in interpersonal relations while many expressed the need for more information from providers. In addition, many young women still have an unmet need for contraception. Policy makers need to incorporate the needs of young clients within sexual and reproductive health initiatives. Ideally young people should be involved in the design and implementation process of comprehensive, youth-friendly health initiatives. This would form a platform for addressing the barriers that hinder health service provision. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2011.

Unintended pregnancy has been the subject of considerable research in Lesotho. Lack of priority placed on young people’s sexuality and reproductive health was found to be a major factor exacerbating the rate of unintended pregnancy in the country. The study draws on qualitative data collected from in-depth interviews with university students in Lesotho. In total, 15 in-depth interviews were conducted with 10 women and 5 men. The findings of the study show that unsafe sex coupled with low contraceptive use are the leading causes of unintended pregnancy among young women in Lesotho. Evidence suggests that even though contraceptive prevalence is noticeably low, modern contraceptive methods have a greater potential than other means for reducing the prevalence of unintended pregnancy. The findings of the study also suggest that there is a considerable gender differences in sexual behaviour; males are more likely than females to experience earlier sexual onset, have more sexual partners and to practise unsafe sex. This study recommends that increasing contraceptive prevalence among young people will lead to better reproductive health outcomes. The study also suggests that family planning services should be more male friendly because men play a major role in decision making, and have a great influence on their partners’ decisions to use contraceptives. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2011.

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.

This study explores the socio-economic impact of HIV/AIDS on the elderly in the Ugu North District, KwaZulu-Natal. This study employs qualitative methods using in-depth interviews. The sample consisted of 6 females and 6 males aged 60 and above. The respondents were all black. The respondents either had lived or were living with an HIV/AIDS infected individual in their household. The findings of the study indicate that the high prevalence of HIV/AIDS among the younger generation places a huge social and economic burden on the elderly people, especially those who are caring for HIV infected individuals in their households. The findings of the study show that the elderly are carrying a huge burden because of HIV/AIDS. Elderly men and women revealed the trauma of seeing their children dying in front of them. Providing treatment to a sick person, losing a child, loss of income, stigma and discrimination and caring for grandchildren were some of the difficulties faced by elderly people. The results of the study suggest that elderly people should be a key focus of HIV/AIDS discourse. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2010.

Intimate partner violence is one of the major forms of violence against women, and it contributes to the inability of women to practice safer sex. This study uses a triangulation method to explore the relationship between intimate partner violence and condom use. Secondary data was used for both the quantitative and qualitative analyses. The results from both the quantitative and qualitative analyses revealed that women who report intimate partner violence are less likely to use condom. Other results from the quantitative analysis revealed that women with high socio-economic status are more likely to use condom. However, the qualitative analysis revealed that women experience intimate partner violence irrespective of their socio-economic status. Nevertheless, the two analyses revealed that a woman is less likely to use condom if her partner dislikes it. Moreover, negotiating for condom use could lead to further violence. As a result of this, there is need to target both men and women when addressing the issues of intimate partner violence and safer sex practice. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2003.

The number of Pakistani immigrants who are becoming citizens of South Africa is on the increase. This research was conducted with Pakistani citizens in Durban, South Africa, to examine the individual, social and political decision-making processes that resulted in their citizenship. The motivation for embarking on this study was to highlight the complexity involved in the process of contemplating and acquiring citizenship. In addition to this, local migration literature concentrates on African immigrants, thus this study on the citizenship processes of former Asian immigrants was necessary. Fifteen in-depth interviews were conducted with Pakistani citizens to determine their motivations to acquire citizenship and their experiences with local people and authorities. Pakistani citizens gained citizenship primarily for personal reasons. However, a range of contextual factors were also taken into consideration when deciding whether citizenship would be worthwhile. Social and political factors as well as the circumstances in the country of origin and the destination country were considered during the decision-making process. Durban was favoured as a city to settle in as Pakistani citizens believed it had a multitude of opportunities in comparison with other locations in South Africa. Furthermore, locals have embraced them and this has allowed them to assimilate into local society relatively easily. Pakistani citizens participate politically and make efforts to redress social inequalities; furthermore they are skilled professionals who have honest intentions. Thus they would like locals to abandon the negative preconceptions they hold towards foreigners. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2010.