Academic literature on the topic 'Sex instruction for teenagers – South Africa – Gauteng'

This study investigates the causes, consequences and possible solutions of teenage pregnancy. It indicates that socio-economic factors play an important role in the occurrence of teenage pregnancies. In addition the study suggests that a range of factors, including, cultural norms and individual needs, impact on the childbearing decisions of teenage females. The study demonstrates that the most important negative consequences of teenage pregnancy include dropping out of school, unemployment, single parenthood and higher levels of poverty. An important finding of the study is that policies and programmes aimed at reducing teen pregnancy rates, and eliminating the negative consequences experienced by teen mothers and their children, are unlikely to be fully effective unless they realistically address socio-economic imbalances faced by many young women in South Africa.

The phenomenon of teenage pregnancy among school-going youth is on the increase in South Africa, despite the existence of a number of intervention programmes. Although both curricular and co-curricular awareness programmes targeting this phenomenon are currently employed within South African schools, these programmes have patently not met with much success, since the problem remains acute. It was the question why these programmes are not succeeding in alleviating the problem that prompted my interest in undertaking this study. Based on literature that suggests that those programmes that are successful in reaching the youth are designed through participatory processes, rather than being designed by outside experts, my thesis proposes that prevention programmes that are designed and implemented by the youth for the youth may be more successful in helping them to make healthy decisions in terms of their sexual behaviour. This study attempted to engage youth in a participatory way in identifying and exploring their perceptions of teenage pregnancy and using the knowledge thus gained to design, implement and evaluate prevention strategies in their school. The study is informed by social learning theory and adopted a participatory action research (PAR) design, which is located in a critical paradigm. I purposefully recruited twenty-four youths (14 females and 10 males) to participate. The primary research question that guided this study was: “How can peer educators be engaged to create prevention strategies to reduce teenage pregnancy and its impacts?” The following sub-questions were identified from the primary research question: What do learners themselves know feel and experience with regard to the causes and effects of teenage pregnancy How might a participatory methodology help learners to create relevant and contextualised strategies for addressing teenage pregnancy? How can such strategies be implemented in a school system? What recommendations could be made for addressing teenage pregnancy in a contextualised way? The research was conducted in two cycles. In Cycle One, data was generated through two focus group discussions, led by a young researcher from the community to encourage openness and honesty. In addition through snowball sampling, six teenage mothers and two teenage fathers agreed to be interviewed individually. The same questions were asked in the two discussions and the individual interviews, namely: “What do you know, feel and think about teenage pregnancy?” In the first cycle, I responded to my first sub-research question. Interviews, drawings and focus group discussions were used to generate data. Three themes emerged from the data to provide insight into how the youth at the school perceived the phenomenon of teenage pregnancy. The findings from this cycle revealed certain tensions between what youth said they needed and what adults, such as teachers and parents, thought they needed to know. The participating teenagers regarded themselves as sexual beings, while the adults in their sphere of influence preached abstinence, moralised or merely cited the facts, without entering into any discussion of how young people could deal with social pressures and better protect themselves against unplanned pregnancy. The participating youth were clearly aware of how to prevent pregnancy, but the social barriers to using condoms or contraceptive pills were a stumbling block. They possessed knowledge of the potential consequences of risky behaviour, but this did not stop them from engaging in such behaviour. In the second cycle of the research, the participants used the findings of the first cycle to develop prevention messages and strategies to convey these messages to their peers. They used participatory visual methods to accomplish this. The findings from this cycle revealed that a peer education approach helped participants to increase maturity in sexual decision-making, had a positive effect on the learning and acquisition of new skills, and improved critical thinking relating to sexuality. The study also had a positive impact on other learners’ knowledge and the attitudes displayed by both learners and teachers, and also led to improvements in school policies related to sexuality education. It is contended that the study contributed important theoretical and methodological insights. Knowledge generated from the study could make a contribution to the field of sexuality education and how it should be approached in schools, particularly in communities facing social and economic adversity. The methodological contribution of this study provided guidelines and theory on how participatory action research and participatory methods can be implemented in schools to enable youth to influence change in their schools, not only regarding teenage pregnancy, but also other social issues.

Thesis (MCur (Interdisciplinary Health Sciences. Nursing Science))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010.<br>ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Reproductive health is the right of every person. The new Children’s Act (Act 38 of 2005) gives to children 12 years and older rights to reproductive health, which includes contraceptive access as well as information on sexuality and reproduction. They have the right to HIV/AIDS testing and treatment with only their own consent. The aim of the study was to investigate the personal and contextual factors which influence the accessibility and uptake of reproductive health education during early youth (13 to 18 years). The study also aimed to identify contextually appropriate recommendations toward improved reproductive health provision for these youths. A descriptive, non-experimental, research design was employed with a primarily quantitative approach. A sample of 270 participants, constituting 20% of the study population (N=1373) was randomly selected from Northlink FET Colleges, Cape Town. A self-completion structured questionnaire was used to collect the data. Ethical approval was obtained from the Health Research Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University. Permission to conduct the research was obtained from the management of Northlink FET College. A group of 30 participants, who met the inclusion criteria, constituting 11% of the sample, participated in a pilot study. Reliability and validity were assured by means of a pilot study and the use of experts in the field, nursing research and statistics. Data was collected personally by the Principal Investigator. The data analysis was primarily descriptive in nature and presented in frequency tables, proportions and measures of relationships, using where indicated Chi-square (x2) and Mann-Whitney U tests. A thematic approach was used to analyze the qualitative data yielded from the open-ended question. Subsequently, in order to strengthen the investigation, the qualitative data, within the identified themes, was quantified based on a validated analytical approach. The results show that 74.1% (n=195) of participants were sexually experienced by the time of the study. Of the participants who reported having already had sexual intercourse, 60.5% (n=115) indicated having made their sexual début by the age of 16. A third of participants (33.2%,n=77) received their first reproductive health education by age 13. Only half of the participants (50.4%,n=116) indicated that the reproductive health education they received always influenced them to make safer sex choices. Of the participants, 21.9% (n=59) stated that they felt that they were in some way hindered in accessing contraceptives during age 13 to 18 years. The vast majority of the participants (94.4%, n=255) indicated that they would prefer reproductive health education to be provided by a professional healthcare provider at a clinic (61.5%, n=166) or by a nurse at school (33%; n=89). Increased reproductive health education within the schooling systems was requested by 52 (19.3%) participants, with more than 30% (n=84) indicating their home as the preferred source of such education. Several recommendations, grounded in the study findings, were identified, including the provision of reproductive health care and accessibility to contraceptives for youths as young as 12 years within a school setting. This care should be provided by healthcare professionals, such as nurses, on a similar operating basis as that which is provided in primary health clinics. The findings reveal to the pressing need for the development, implementation and evaluation of an alternative model for reproductive health care provision in order to assure the complete deliverance of the rights and care to youths as stipulated in the new Child Act (Act 38 of 2005).<br>AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Voortplantings gesondheid is die reg van elke persoon. Die nuwe Kinderwet (Wet 38 van 2005) gee aan elke kind 12 jaar en ouer die reg tot voortplantings gesondheid, wat insluit toegang tot swangerskap voorbehoeding en informasie aangaande seksualiteit en voortplanting. Die jeug het ook die reg tot HIV/AIDS toetsing en behandeling met net hulle eie toestemming. Die doelwitte daargestel is om te bepaal watter persoonlike en kontekstuele faktore die toegang en gebruik van voortplantings gesondheidsonderrig bevorder en/of benadeel by jonger tieners (13 tot 18 jaar). Die studie sou ook vasstel wat die voorwaardes is vir n toeganklike voortplantings gesondheidsorg diens vir hierdie tieners. !n Beskrywende, nie-eksperimentele navorsingsontwerp was gebruik met n primer kwantitatiewe benadering. !n Steekproef van 270 deelnemers, insluitende 20% van die studie populasie (N=1373) was vanuit die Northlink Verdere Onderrig en Opleidings Kolleges (Kaapstad) by die studie betrek. Die vraelys gebruik was gestruktueerd en is self deur deelnemers voltooi. Etiese Komitee van die Mediese Fakulteit te Universiteit Stellenbosch verkry asook die Bestuur van Northlink Kollege. ’n Loodstudie was gebruik, waarby 30 deelnemers wat inpas by die insluitings kriteria (11% van die studie populasie) betrek is. Die betroubaarheid en geldigheid van die studie is deur die loodstudie, die gebruik van ‘n statistikus, verpleegdeskundiges en die navorser-metodoloog versterk. Die finale data is persoonlik deur die navorser ingevorder. Data was geannaliseer met die bystand van ’n statistikus en is as frekwensie tabelle uitgebeeld met die gebruik van Chi-hoek (x2) en Mann-Whitney U toetse. ’n Tema benadering is geneem om die kwalitatiewe data te annaliseer. Gevolgens is die data van die kwalitatiewe studie gekwantifiseer. Die bevindings van die studie het getoon dat 74.1% (n=195) van deelnemers seksuele ondervinding voor die studie gehad het. Van die deelnemers het 60.5% (n=115) hulle eerste seksuele ondervinding gehad voor die ouderdom van 16 jaar. Van die deelnemers het 33.2% (n=77) hulle voortplantings onderrig teen 13 jarige ouderdom ontvang. Net 50.4% (n=116) van deelnemers het bekend gemaak dat die onderrig wat hulle ontvang het, hulle altyd gelei het tot veiliger seksuele keuses. Van die deelnemers het 21.9% (n=59) het gevoel dat hulle op een of ander manier verhoed was om voorbehoeding te bekom. Van die deelnemers, sou 94.4% (n=255) verkies het om alternatiewe voortplantings gesondheidsonderrig van ’n professionele gesondheidsorg voorsiener te ontvang, 61.5% (n=166) in klinieke en 33% (n=89) deur ’n verpleegster by ’n skool. ’n Toename in voortplantings onderrig binne die skoolsisteem is versoek deur 52 (19.3%) van die deelnemers, met 30% (n=84) van die deelnemers wat voortplantings onderrig van die huis af sou verkies het. Die hoop word dus uitgespreek dat die voorsiening van voortplantings gesondheidsorg aan kinders so jonk as 12 jaar binne die skool sisteem voorsien kan word, deur ’n professionele gesondheidsorg verpleegster op ’n soortgelyke basis as in publieke gesondheids klinieke. Die studie se bevindinge lei die navorser tot die voorstel om n alternatiewe model te ontwikkel en beplan. Hierdeur moet die voorsiening van voortplantings gesondheidsorg geskied wat sou verseker dat die volledige regte en sorgvoorwaardes aan die heug toegestaan deur die nuwe Kinder Wet (Wet 38 van 2005), aan voldoen word.

Teenage pregnancy is one of the social and health problems in many communities of South Africa and is escalating (Richter, 2005). Teenage pregnancy is also a global health problem as it affects the whole world and has been a concern to health workers like medical doctors, nurses, community developers, educators and parents (Maholo, 2009). In addition, the risk of dropping out of school due to pregnancy is considerable to teenagers as it results in a lack of qualifications and future unemployment.The purpose of this study was to determine the perceptions and experience of teenage fathers who are both learners and fathers and their views on the effects of teenage pregnancy. Furthermore, this investigation was undertaken to investigate the implications of teenage fathers‘ experiences on sex education. This study followed qualitative research approach as it is based on male teenage pregnancy which is a real consequence of teenagers engaging in sexual activities (Silverman, 2006). In this study the data collected through in depth interviews and personal journals were analyzed.This study revealed that all the teenage fathers interviewed were not happy that they were teenage fathers instead they were disappointed, shocked, and regretful and did not believe that they could become fathers at their respective ages. They also regretted themselves for becoming teenage fathers as it delays them in their studies. They have been taught about sex education at school in a learning area called life orientation so they do not blame school but themselves for their actions.

Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2013.<br>The problem of youth has been a key issue in South Africa since 1994, with youth seen as needing extra guidance and leadership if they are to bring about the country that many hope for. The interest in youth is also spurred on by recent studies that claim that once adolescents establish certain behavioural patterns that it becomes difficult to modify these patterns. Little research exists that describes the ordinary sociological experiences of youth, especially on sensitive issues that attract a lot of public attention- such as teenage sex and pregnancies, and what is perceived as the ‘slipping of youth morals’. There is great concern that youth are experimenting with sex at too early an age in their social and political development (Frimpong 2010: 27). In my thesis I focus on the thinking, choices and decisions that learners at one high school in Cape Town seem to make with regard to sex and sexuality, and how their choices seem to be influenced by a variety of discourses attached to the provision of a sex education programme at the school; discourses that organise their everyday thinking and actions in very concrete ways. A key goal of the study was to disarticulate and re-articulate the deficit mentality that shapes discourses of sexuality in South Africa, and to develop ‘sexual’ stories and strategies of story-telling that allow the voices of learners to be heard (Pillow 2004). My focus in this study is mainly to explore how the sex education programme reconstitutes youth’s sexual identity. In my qualitative study I challenge the tendency to view youth participation in teen sex using mainly an abstinence-only discourse, and suggest that sex education programmes ‘contaminate’ and ‘mutilate’ youth understandings of sex and sexuality in quite complex ways.

The most widespread intervention in South Africa into the sexualities of young people is school based sexuality education. However there is a dearth of research in this area, and studies that have been conducted highlight major weaknesses with implementation. Research from Western countries indicates that the messages conveyed in sexuality education are resisted if they conflict with the desired sexual subjectivities of young people. This indicates a need for further research into desired youth sexualities, and school based sexuality education. While South African studies of young people‘s talk about sexualities have been conducted, there is a paucity of literature in this area from a discursive perspective. This study is situated within a feminist post-structuralist paradigm, utilising a performative-performance analytical approach which synthesises Butlerian theory with a narrative-discursive methodology. This approach enables an analysis of both the macro-discursive power webs within which sexualities are situated, and the micro-discursive activity through which sexual subject positions are constructed. I used this approach to analyse the talk of groups of students from a Further Education and Training College about the sexualities of High School learners and their own past sexuality education. Findings showed that that the most dominant discursive resources which were utilised to construct sexualities were societal sexual norms discourses. These foundational discourses constructed gendered sexualities of compulsory hyper-heterosex for men, and compulsory compliant girlfriendhood for women. Such gendered sexualities reinforced patriarchal and abusive gendered and sexual practices. Ways in which participants troubled the dominant gendered sexualities through the performance of alternative sexual positions were analysed, as these 'troubling' performances indicate mutable aspects of the normative gendered field. Participants drew on a discourse of disconnect when talking about their school sexuality education, and their parents‘ (lack of) communication with them about sex. This suggests that adultist attempts to construct a 'responsible' sexual subject position for young people are resisted when such a position is constructed in a non-relational manner. Collusion between the constructed gendered sexualities and the discourse of disconnect results in the un-performability of a 'responsible' sexual subject position. These findings were used to provide suggestions for enhancing school based sexuality interventions.

Adolescents have become focal points of discussions and debates regarding sexuality and reproductive health matters. However, little research has been done particularly in South Africa to examine their knowledge concerning abortion and emergency contraception. Research indicates that a substantial proportion of adolescent pregnancies are unintended or unwanted. Abortion and emergency contraception are both time-sensitive services. Thus having accurate and comprehensive knowledge about both abortion and emergency contraception is pivotal, in the case of unintended or unwanted pregnancy or when engaging in unprotected sex or experiencing contraceptive failure that could lead to pregnancy. The 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) defined reproductive health rights for both men and women as the right to "decide freely and responsibly the number, spacing and timing of their children and to have the information and means to do so" (p. 60). That is, men and women should "have the right to make decisions concerning their reproduction free of discrimination, violence and coercion" (ICPD, 1994, p.60). Based on these definitions, it is rather evident that comprehensive and accurate knowledge are at the core of one's ability to make an informed consent. This is confirmed by Adler's (1992, p. 289) definition of informed consent or choice "a) access to sufficient information b) understanding the information c) competence to evaluate potential consequences d) freedom to make a choice and e) the ability to make and express that choice". It is from this framework that this study emerged. The aim of this study was to examine adolescents' knowledge concerning abortion and emergency contraception. The participants were Grade 11 learners between the ages of 15-24 years from five different schools in the Buffalo City Municipality. A sample of 514 was achieved. Data were analysed using descriptive cross-tabulation, chi-square and qualitative methods where appropriate. The results revealed that most of the participants did not have sufficient accurate knowledge concerning the Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Act, consequences of legal abortion and emergency contraceptive pills to make informed decisions. Furthermore, data also revealed that the participants' schools playa role in their sexual activity, their knowledge about the Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Act and about emergency contraceptive pills. Although this method made it feasible for the researcher to make general assumptions, non-responses were one of the limitations of the study. Similar research in various municipalities/cities in and outside the Eastern Cape is recommended so as to increase further awareness concerning the level of knowledge that adolescents have about contraceptive pills particularly emergency contraceptive pills, the Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Act and abortion in general.

Thesis (MPhil)--University of Stellenbosch, 2011.<br>ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The study was conducted at the Lungisa High School, at KwaDwesi in Port Elizabeth. The study aimed at describing attitudes of parents of adolescents of this school as possible reasons for the lack of sexuality education for their adolescents. The sample comprised 150 parents of adolescents (guardians) who participated in the survey. Probability sampling was used. This means that each member of the parent population had a specificable probability of being chosen. A questionnaire, two focus groups and interviews were used to solicit responses. Use of descriptive statistics helped in presenting and analysing the data. The survey revealed that parents‟ attitudes inhibit them from talking about sexuality issues to their adolescents. Parents also fear that if they talk about sexuality issues to their adolescents, they will be sexually active at a younger age. Responses of participants (married parents living together, single mothers, single fathers and guardians) indicated this concern. It can be concluded that education for parents of adolescents is imperative. They must be caused to join the fight against HIV and AIDS, but first they must shed these attitudes to reduce HIV infection and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Suggestions and recommendations of the syllabus for this kind of education are discussed under the “Conclusion and Recommendations” part of the research article.<br>AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie was uitgevoer by Hoërskool Lungisa op KwaDwesi, Port Elizabeth. Die fokus van die studie poog om die houdings van ouers van adolessente as moontlike redes aan te voer vir die gebrek van seksualiteitsopvoeding vir hul adolessente kinders. 'n Steekproef van 150 ouers (sowel as voogde) het deelgeneem aan die opname. Die waarskynlikheid monsterneming metode was gebruik. Dit beteken dat elke lid van die ouer-populasie het 'n bepaalde waarskynlikheid om gekies te word. 'n Vraelys, twee fokusgroepe en onderhoude is gebruik om reaksie van die deelnemers uit te lok. Die gebruik van beskrywende statistiek het gehelp met die voorstelling en analisering van data. Die opname het getoon dat die houdings van ouers verhinder hulle om seksualiteitskwelpunte met hul adolessente kinders te bespreek. Ouers vrees dat die praatjies met betrekking tot seksualiteitskwelpunte met hul adolessente kinders sal lei tot vroeë seksuele betrokkenheid op 'n jonger ouderdom. Antwoorde van deelnemers (getroude ouers wat saamwoon, enkel ma's, enkel pa's en voogde) het hierdie besorgheid aangedui. Ter afsluiting kan beklemtoon word dat opvoeding van ouers uiters belangrik is. Ouers moet aangemoedig word om aan te sluit by die oorlog teen Vigs, maar hulle moet eers hul houdings aanpas sodat MIV-infeksie en ander seksuele oordraagbare infeksies verminder word. Voorstelle en aanbevelings van die sillabus van hierdie soort opvoeding word bespreek onder die “Slot en aanbevelings” gedeelte van hierdie artikel.

This research study focuses on the sexual encounters of teenagers. Teenagers do not always have private intimate places of their own and tend to use school grounds, toilets and classrooms to engage in sexual activities. Recently, various newspapers published articles about teen pregnancy and sex on school grounds. The alarming rate of sexual activities at schools among South African teenagers became a driving force for the researcher to investigate this phenomenon. The goal was to develop in-depth understanding of the experiences of teenagers being engaged in sexual activities at school and social work support required. A qualitative approach was employed following explorative, descriptive and contextual research designs. The study was conducted in the Gauteng province. Semi-structured interviews were employed to collect data. Purposive sampling was utilised. Analysis of data was conducted according to Tesch (cited in Smit, 2002) and Guba's model (cited in Shenton, 2004) was employed for data verification.<br>Social Work<br>M.A. (Social Science (Social Work))