Socio-cultural factors oppress and construct women as men’s objects of desire and pleasure, thus increasing women’s vulnerability to HIV infection and, subsequently, maintaining the HIV and AIDS epidemic and prevalence in South Africa’s rural areas. South Africa’s rural women and their sexuality has not received adequate attention to date. This qualitative study sought to explore rural women’s perceptions on their sexuality and HIV prevention within the socio-cultural context of Schoemansdal (South Africa). A sample of ten participants, who are women from the Swazi ethnic group between the ages of twenty and fifty, were purposefully drawn to participate in this study. Data were collected by means of tape–recorded, face-to-face interviews and focus group discussions. Results of the study reveal that women’s social and cultural contexts have an influence on their perceptions of sexuality and HIV prevention, and that this poses a hindrance to women’s HIV-prevention behaviours such as condom use. The study’s findings reveal that in examining HIV infection and prevention, women’s diverse contexts and experiences cannot continue to be overlooked. This is because they may provide relevant understanding of the epidemic that is plaguing South Africa’s rural women. / Social Work / M.A. (Social Behaviour Studies in HIV/AIDS)

Text in English / Previous studies have reported a high prevalence of HIV and AIDS among adolescent girls. It is estimated that there are 5,24 million people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). These estimates would mean that about 2.36 million people living with HIV/AIDS would be young women and girls aged 15-24 years. The latest household survey conducted by the Human Science Research Council (HSRC) revealed that the prevalence of HIV is three to seven fold in girls and young women aged 15-24 than boys and young men (HSRC 2014) This resurgence in HIV incidence is occurring at a time when it is believed the epidemic has reached a plateau following aggressive behavioural, biomedical and structural interventions by the Department of Health, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) and civil society in general. A probability sampling method, involving a random selection of elements was used to select 130 young women and girls aged 18-24 presenting at Dr George Mukhari Academic Hospital by simple random sampling. Data were collected by self-administering questionnaires. High unemployment and greater age-disparity in the relationships were found to have a direct correlation with HIV incidence in the population under study. This study also shows that inconsistent condom use, low rate of medical male circumcision of male partners, coupled with lower HIV counselling and testing than the national average, was associated with new HIV infections, in spite of high level of condom availability, knowledge of HIV issues and an exposure to an array of behavioural change communication interventions. / Health Studies / M.A. (Public Health)