This paper reports on the stigma and discrimination experienced by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students at a rural university in South Africa. Twenty lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students recruited through snowball sampling participated in this study. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was used as a framework for data analysis. Findings indicate that religion-related stigma and discrimination are common at a rural-based university in South Africa. Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students are typically ascribed a range of labels, including 'sinners', 'devils' and 'demon possessed'. They are also exposed to a number of discriminatory acts, such as the denial of financial and healthcare services and threats of and/or actual rape. Study participants reported attempts to convert lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students' sexual orientation which involved the use of intervention in the form of prayers. Derogatory labelling and associated discriminatory acts, for example the threat of rape, led many students to conceal their sexual identity, not attend specific classes, terminate their studies and even attempt suicide. Universities should develop policies to promote greater social inclusion and the acceptance of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students. Policies should also specify the steps or approaches to be taken in addressing discriminatory practices.

Young adults including university students are at high risk of acquiring HIV due to their risky sexual practices. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of risky sexual behaviours amongst regular undergraduate students in Jigjiga University. The researcher used a quantitative, univariate cross-sectional descriptive study. Two hundred and thirty six (236) students were selected using a simple random sampling technique.Data were collected using a standardised structured questionnaire. The study revealed that 70.53% of respondents were sexually experienced. Majority (54.8%) of the sexually experienced respondents were sexually active within 3 months of the study. Up to 30.14% of sexually experienced respondents have had sex with a person other than their current partner in the past 12 months. Only 59.6% of the sexually experienced respondents used condom in their most recent sexual engagement. The findings of this study showed that university students are involved in sexual behaviours that may increase their risk of contracting HIV infection. Based on the above results, researchers recommended the designing of interventions which are contextually relevant to Jigjiga University to mitigate risky sexual practices amongst university students.

Voluntary counseling services are seen as a cost-effective strategy for HIV prevention and management because they help people to cope with their illness and reduce infection rates in others. This study explored and described the experiences of 20 nurses who rendered voluntary counseling in the Vhembe district, Limpopo Province, South Africa. A qualitative and contextual research design was used, with data gathered from in-depth individual interviews and analyzed using an open-coding method. The main experiences of the nurses rendering voluntary counseling and testing arose in the following themes: challenges related to inadequate resources; the emotional drain associated with stress and burnout; and frustration related to certain behaviors and practices of clients and community members. The main conclusions drawn from the findings were that nurses are continuously exposed to emotionally draining activities with very little support from their supervisors, which makes them prone to experiencing burnout.

The aim of this article is to discuss the couple interview as a method of collecting data in interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) studies. This study was conducted in Gauteng, South Africa, with the aim of understanding the experience of living in an HIV-serodiscordant relationship. Seven HIV-serodiscordant heterosexual couples were interviewed (dyadic interviews). This article provides a brief overview of these HIV-serodiscordant couples, as well as gives reasons for using IPA as a methodology for exploring the experiences of HIV-serodiscordant couples and explains the processes and outcomes involved. This article also presents the strengths of using the couple interview such as obtaining in-depth information and observing couple interaction. This is not possible during an individual interview. During the couple interview, the sitting position, interaction, gender, and power dynamics need to be observed. It is recommended that the interviewers be very skilled and experienced. The interviewers need to manage interactions during the interview and be able to adapt the process according to the participants' cultural practices and preferences. This will improve the use of the couple interview as a data collection method in IPA studies when exploring sensitive issues.

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