“Condoms Are Boring”: Navigating Relationship Dynamics, Gendered Power, and Motivations for Condomless Sex Amongst Adolescents and Young People in South Africa

Abstract

Condoms remain an important method for preventing HIV prevention and unintentional pregnancies, however their use in South Africa is sub-optimal. We analyzed survey data on reported condom use among 3009 sexually active adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) aged 15-24 years, and qualitative data from interviews and focus group discussions with 237 AGYW and 38 male peers. Our findings describe the current condom use landscape among adolescents and young people in South Africa, illustrating relationship dynamics, gendered power and notions of masculinity which influence condom negotiation and use in young heterosexual South Africans' sexual encounters.

“I always prefer to withdraw than use a condom”: contextualising condomless sex among East Asian and sub-Saharan African international students in Sydney

“…Since participants come from more traditional cultures with conservative sexual norms [21]; condoms may be highly stigmatised in these settings and associated with promiscuous sexual activities [39,40]. Coming from a conservative culture may potentially affect how young people from these settings feel about accessing and/or carrying condoms around in Australia.…”

“I Always Prefer To Withdraw Than Use A Condom”: A Phenomenological Study of Condomless Sexual Practice Among International Students in Sydney

“…Notably, the fear of feeling judged, plays a role in condomless sex among some participants, as it affects condom access as well as its use, even when it is available. This stigma may be attributed to socio-cultural expectation about premarital sexual abstinence 12 and norms associating condoms with in delity and sexual permissiveness 10,39,40 . Despite migrating to a setting with a more liberal sexual culture, sexual perceptions and practices of young people from conservative cultures may still be partly in uenced by their home cultural sexual norms 21 .…”

“…Despite migrating to a setting with a more liberal sexual culture, sexual perceptions and practices of young people from conservative cultures may still be partly in uenced by their home cultural sexual norms 21 . Therefore, stigmatising socio-cultural norms affecting condom access and use in the conservative sexual cultures of participants' backgrounds 39,41 , may still affect their condom use practices in Sydney. Although condom availability increases likelihood of use 42 , ndings of the present study indicate that reluctance to use condoms for several reasons, including condom-related stigma, could discourage some young people from accessing and being in possession of condoms.…”

“…Many of these participants come from more traditional cultures with conservative norms around sex and sexual activities 21 . Condoms may be highly stigmatised in these settings and associated with promiscuous sexual activities 39,40 Pleasure-seeking, curiosity and condom use fatigue…”

“…Many of these participants come from more traditional cultures with conservative norms around sex and sexual activities 21 . Condoms may be highly stigmatised in these settings and associated with promiscuous sexual activities 39,40 . Being from a conservative culture may potentially affect how young people from these settings feel about accessing and/or carrying condoms around in Australia.…”