The reported percentage of births attributable to school going learners has highlighted the concern for adolescents engaging in early and unsafe sexual practices. A review of literature suggests that early sexual initiation and the likelihood of experiencing teenage pregnancy can impede on adolescents' ability to acquire skills, attain high levels of education, and access socioeconomic opportunities. Relatively less attention has been paid to the reproductive patterns and sexual behaviour of adolescents within informal settlements. This research, conducted in Siyanda informal settlement on the outskirts of KwaMashu Township, is designed to explore the sexual patterns and reproductive behaviour of the adolescents there. The study examines differences in sexual behaviour and childbearing experiences among teen mothers, currently pregnant teens; and those that have never experienced pregnancy. The findings suggest that the majority of adolescents residing in informal settlements experiment with and engage in sexual intercourse at ages much earlier than 19. Most teenagers experienced their first sexual intercourse by the second year of high school education. Teen mothers reported higher incidence of multiple sexual partners. Across all adolescents interviewed, the preferred sexual partners were much older males because of level of maturity, financial status; and the ability to negotiate use of contraceptives. Part of the cause of high incidents of teenage pregnancy within this environment was the lack of consistent usage of contraceptives. Many adolescents perceived usage of contraceptives to be impractical prior to conception of first birth. The experience of childbearing was found to have detrimental implications on these young females‟ educational attainment. Many of these adolescent failed to resume school to complete their education due to the lack of emotional and financial support from their partners and family members. Many adolescents highlighted their discontent with the lack of youth integration with the lack of youth integration in community based programmes. Furthermore, communication barriers in nearby health facilities as well as transport restricted their accessibility to obtain counselling with regards to their sexual activities and reproductive patterns. Thus, it is recommended that service delivery should be improved, including providing more health facilities especially the range of methods through which health officials such as nurses, social workers and counsellors which can be made easily accessible to these adolescents on a regular basis. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2012.

This study investigates the impact of family structure on schooling outcomes for children aged 7 to 17 years in South Africa. There is limited recent national research focusing on examining factors affecting schooling outcomes for children beyond economic factors in South Africa. Most literature available is either based on selected provinces, communities and Demographic Surveillance Areas or studied schooling outcomes without delineating the effect of the family structures children live in. This study uses data on a sample of 225 538 children obtained from the Community Survey of 2007 (CS2007) which was conducted by Statistics South Africa. It identifies a taxonomy of family structures unique to South Africa in comparison to other parts of the world especially the developed world given the effects of long term migration and macro-social transformations such as HIV/AIDS, increase in urbanisation, decreasing marriage rates and increasing out-of-wedlock births all of which lead to more complex family structures being observed. The study uses quantitative techniques employing logistic and ordinary least squares regression models to analyse the odds of school enrolment for children and average highest grade completed for age. The results of the study show that family structure impacts on schooling outcomes for children significantly. The study thus arrives at the conclusion that, controlling for all other variables like age, sex, population group, province of residence, socioeconomic status and type of school, family structure has a significant impact on the schooling outcomes of children in South Africa. / M.A. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 2013.

This paper focuses on boys and young men's attitudes, knowledge and practices with regard to pregnancy and HIV infection. The objective of the study is to ascertain how boys and young men perceive the risks of pregnancy and HIV infection. The study further investigates the strategies which the sexually active respondents considered as appropriate, practical and effective in coping with these risks. The study was based on the secondary data which was extracted from the transitions to adulthood survey conducted in KwaZulu Natal during 2001. The analysis was restricted to young men aged 14 to 24 years. The major findings from the study revealed that young men did not perceive themselves at risk of HIV infection. Overall, respondents were fairly knowledgeable about HIV/AIDS and knew where to access condoms, how HIV is contracted or transmitted etc. Findings also indicated that many respondents regarded pregnancy as a matter of great concern. Many respondents perceived pregnancy as highly problematic and were concerned to protect themselves against this risk. The major finding for this study revealed that the majority of sexually active young men used condoms for preventing both pregnancy and HIV/AIDS; while some also used various contraceptive methods to prevent pregnancy. A major factor promoting consistent condom use was the perception of pregnancy as highly problematic. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2006.

Intimate partner violence remains an international public health concern and a human right issue. Fewer studies have been undertaken to address the impact of partner violence on the well being of female university students. The focus has been mainly on adults’ intimate relationships such as marriage and cohabitation. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the factors contributing to the perpetration of intimate partner violence among female university students in Durban. It also seeks to understand the consequences of partner violence as well as barriers in reducing partner violence among female university. The study used mixed methods of data collection. 15 in-depth interviews and three focus groups discussions were conducted in Durban. Consistent with previous research, this study found that young female university students do experience different forms of intimate partner violence, such as physical violence, sexual and verbal abuse by an intimate partner. It also shows various consequences associated with the perpetration of violence against them. Various reasons were reported as barriers in reducing partner violence against female university students. Young women accept partner violence as normal in intimate relationships. Some cases of violence are not reported in law enforcement institutions by young women which make it difficult to prevent partner violence in intimate relationships. These serve as a cause for concern as it put these women at risk of future violence. There is a great need for intimate partner violence prevention programmes in South African educational institutions including the universities. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2011.

Over the past decade, chronic illnesses have increased significantly in developing regions around the world, with implications for health service provision. Research shows that morbidity follows a social gradient in many countries around the world. Though various studies highlight the importance of socioeconomic status as a predictor of a person’s morbidity and mortality experience, there is a dearth of data and literature in the South African context. This study aimed to address this gap by examining the association between socioeconomic status and diabetes and hypertension among participants aged 35 years and older. This was achieved by undertaking the analysis of secondary data from the National Income Dynamic Study. The findings of the study reveal that there is a significant relationship between socioeconomic factors and chronic health outcomes of individuals. People with lower levels of education were more likely to have a chronic illness than those with higher levels of education. However, interestingly the lowest rates of prevalence were found in the unemployed category in South Africa. This draws attention to the need for further research on employment and chronic disease prevalence. An important finding of the study was the relatively higher prevalence of chronic conditions in rural areas and among the Black/African population. This data suggests that changes in lifestyle and behavior in the context of globalization and urbanization may be contributing to changes in the health profile of these communities. Policy makers need to acknowledge that chronic diseases are no longer the preserve of the wealthy with diseases such as diabetes and hypertension evident across all sectors of South African society. By addressing the causes of chronic conditions policies and programs can aim to prevent the emergence of future epidemics. In the long-term, sustainable progress will only be achieved with greater attention directed towards the socioeconomic factors underlying the health profile of the country. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2011.

More than three decades after the outbreak of the AIDS pandemic, sub-Saharan Africa is home to the largest epidemic in the world. Over 70% of infected people live in this region and are aged 15–49 years. Given that it is at this age that young adults are more likely to start families, their death as a result of AIDS gives rise to the crisis of AIDS-orphaned children. Several studies show that the number of AIDS orphans is on the rise and can reach up to 18 million throughout the continent. Generally, patients expect to be admitted in formal health care facilities for adequate treatment but the absence of cure and an increasing number of infected make it difficult for them to be treated as in-patients. In order to fill the gap, the elderly care for AIDS patients and take on the parenting role of AIDS orphans. However, there is not much information on the implications of caregiving on the well-being of the elderly. This dissertation aims at shedding light on this issue – using data from an informal settlement in the province of KwaZulu-Natal – in order to highlight the risks to the health of elderly caregivers. The elderly are the primary caregivers to thousands of AIDS patients and AIDS-orphaned children across sub-Saharan Africa. Their caregiving activities are strenuous and repetitive on a daily basis. Through qualitative data collected from 14 elderly caregivers, this project found that their well-being was compromised by several caregiving activities and the expectations placed upon them were unbearable. The vulnerability of caregivers was emphasized by the high number of dependents that resulted in lowered standard of living. There was also the risk of contracting HIV during caregiving since the elderly were not able to afford protective equipment. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2012.

Teenage childbearing has been a cause for concern in South Africa. A number of studies claim that early childbearing has been increasing, while other studies indicate that say it has remained constant. Despite lack of consensus on the trend, there is agreement that the levels are high. The Reproductive Health Research Unit (2003) survey reported that close to 15 percent of teenage women become pregnant between the ages of 15 to 19 years. Teenage childbearing has raised major concerns for government, researchers and communities (Cherry et al, 2001). Researchers have identified a number of factors which contribute to teenage childbearing. Lately, there has been an ongoing debate about the introduction of social security system (Child Support Grants), which is meant to assist in alleviating child poverty. Some argued that Child Support Grants has contributed in high pregnancies among teenagers. However, the research on the relationship between Child Support Grants and teenage childbearing has not been consistent. This study explored sexual and reproductive patterns observed among teenagers. The focus was on understanding experiences of school going adolescents. The study also aimed to establish the environment surrounding childbearing in schools and the perception of child support grants through interviewing key informants and teenagers themselves. In summary, the study collected qualitative and qualtitative information from teenagers and teachers in schools, and from teenagers collecting CSG from paypoints. Findings from this sudy indicate that sexual practices among teenagers are complex. Teenagers are aware of the negative effects around early sexual initiation and childbearing support. However despite of this awareness, the study shows that more than half (52.7 percent) of teenagers become sexually at an early age more males (53.7 percent) than females (46.3 percent) were sexual active. Of the sexually active teenagers, findings show that 26.7 percent had their first sexual intercourse at the age of 15 years, 22.0 percent at 14 years, and 16.8 percent at the age of 16 years. The median age at sexual debut for both males and females was 14 years. While, teenagers without children were most likely to report that teenage mothers are having children to receive CSG, but teenage mothers did not confirm this. It was also interesting to discover that more males than females believed that teenagers take advantage of CSGs. However, indings clearly indicate that there are mixed perceptions with regard to impact of CSG on teen childbearing. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2012.

Primary health care remains at the top of the government’s agenda. To address the issues of inequity, the Department of Health adopted mobile health clinics to ensure that the places that are hard to reach have access to primary health care. Without good health people do not have means to enjoy other aspect such as education and employment. Apartheid policies implemented by the old regime resulted in many rural areas in South Africa remaining underdeveloped and underserviced. Hence, the introduction of mobile health clinic ensured that the population in rural areas have access to health care. Unlike fixed clinics, there are no specific sets of guidelines set up for the operations of mobile health clinic. This include, displaying health posters at mobile health clinics, providing patients with safe drinking water at the mobile site. With more and more mobile health clinics being added to the rural population there should be established scope of services to for rural population. This will ensure equality of service delivery between the mobile health clinics and fixed clinics. Thus, guaranteeing its acceptability to the users. Using qualitative methods the study explored the experiences of patients at the mobile health clinic. Following the health equity model the study explored what the community of KwaMachi use the mobile health clinic for and the experiences of individual when accessing health care at the mobile health clinic. The findings suggest that patients have both positive and negative experiences at the mobile health clinic. The majority of respondents commented that mobile health clinic offered them an entry point to the South African national health system. They also pointed out the services offered are limited. Hence, providing a range of primary health care services will ensure the maximisation of positive experiences at the mobile health clinic and this is likely to contribute positively to the morbidity and mortality rates in rural areas in South Africa. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2013.

Young people in South Africa grow and develop in a context of high unemployment and poverty. These factors increase their vulnerability of engaging in risky sexual behaviour. The negative outcomes associated with early childbearing have far reaching consequences for not only the young mother and child but also the country‟s labour market and economy. As a result, key to addressing childbearing among young people is to understand the social context which young people are faced with. Therefore, this study aims at identifying the extent and determinants of childbearing among people aged 15-24 years, in South Africa. The data for the study comes from the 2008 National Income Dynamics Study (NIDS). The analysis is restricted to 2623 females aged 15-24 years at the time of enumeration. Analysis is conducted on weighted data so that inferences can be made about the population. The analysis uses descriptive and multivariate analysis to identify possible determinants of early childbearing among young people. The results highlight factors such as age and marital status as possible socio-demographic determinants of childbearing among young people. Socio-economic status is also identified as one of the main predictors of early childbearing for females aged 15-24 years. Social issues such as transactional sex, gender violence and coerced, early sexual debut are discussed as possible determinants of early childbearing. However the analysis of these factors is restricted as they are not measured in the dataset. It was concluded that understanding the social context which influence young peoples‟ decision to engage in risky sexual behaviour is key to addressing the issue of early childbearing. / M.A. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2013.

Background. The study objective was to determine how the population located in five remote rural areas responded to HIV testing offered by mobile clinics operating under Family Health International, an international NGO that provides health services, especially HIV prevention and family planning. The study sought to identify how different segments of the population, classified according to their socio-demographic characteristics, responded to HIV testing. The analysis is based on secondary data, collected between October 2009 and September 2010, on clients who came to seek health services at mobile clinics. The population is geographically located in five districts: OR Tambo in Eastern Cape, Amajuba in KwaZulu-Natal, Gert Sibande and Ehlanzeni in Mpumalanga, and Sekhukhune in Limpopo. Although these mobile clincs provided comprehensive health services, HIV prevention and family planning were the main focus of attention. Methods. A total number of 9015 individuals aged 18 years and older visited the mobile clinics during the period October 2009 to September 2010. Eight socio-demographic characteristics were collected and used to determine the association between HIV testing and the aforementioned eight variables. The association between the independent variables (sex, age, level of education, marital status, occupation, number of living children, district of residence and area of residence) and HIV testing (the dependent variables) was first investigated using a descriptive analysis and then performing a logistic regression. Results. More than 88% of individuals aged 18 years and older who visited the mobile clinics in the areas covered by the FHI project are from rural areas. HIV testing is still low in these areas, even though the services are provided close to their homes by the mobile clinics. It was found that only 34.7% of the mobile clinic’s clients tested for HIV during the period from October 2009 to September 2010. Out of eight independent variables included in the logistic regression model, five were found to have a statistically significant association with HIV testing, being: sex, age, education, occupation and area of residence Although the majority of these mobile clinics’ clients are females (77.1%), males tested in higher proportion than females accross all areas. The results showed that HIV testing decreases with age, with the age category 18 - 24 years testing for HIV in higher proportion than the age group 25 - 34 years and decreasing further when people become older. Individuals are more likely to take an HIV test when their level of education is higher than matric and tend to respond the same to a HIV testing offer when they have no education, primary or secondary level. Employment was found to be an enabling factor to test for HIV. People who are employed tested for HIV in a higher proportion than people who were unemployed or still in school. The area of residence (classified as rural, semi-urban and urban) showed that HIV testing is higher in urban than in semi-urban areas, and low in rural areas. The analysis by sex showed that education is important for women because women who had either primary, secondary or a higher level of education tested for HIV better than women who do not have any level of education. For males, education was not statistically significant regarding HIV testing. The different age groups showed the same pattern for both sexes regarding HIV testing, but young males in the category 18-24 years showed higher odds of testing for HIV than females in the same age category. With occupation variable, females who are either students or employed tested for HIV almost in the same proportion and their odds of testing for HIV were double that of unemployed females. Employed males showed a notably higher difference in testing for HIV than males who were either in school or unemployed. The area of residence showed the same pattern for males and females, with both testing in higher proportions in urban and semi-urban areas than in rural areas. Conclusion. Women from rural areas, with no education, were found to test for HIV less than any other individual in the areas under study. Women tested better when they had been exposed to any form of education. The provision of education to women in the form of an extensive and aggressive door to door HIV awareness campaign should therefore make a difference in increasing the uptake of HIV testing in the five areas covered by the mobile clinics. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2012.