Follower-Centric Influences on Sexual Decision Making in a Pentecostal Church Faith Community

Abstract

This study utilized participatory action research approaches to construct a follower-centric framework for measuring influences on sexual decision making by youth members of a church organization. Participants were Batswana Pentecostal church members self-reporting on their engagement in pre-marital sex (n = 68, females = 62%; age range 15-23 years; median age = 20.3 years) from eight of 26 randomly selected congregations. They completed a multi-stage concept mapping process that included free listing of statements of potential influences on their sexual decisions. They then sorted the statements into groupings similar in meaning to them, and rated the same statements for relative importance to their sexual decisions. Multidimensional scaling and hierarchical cluster analysis of the data yielded a five cluster solution in which church teachings emerged as most salient to the teenagers' sexual decision making followed by future orientation, community norms, knowledge about HIV/AIDS and prevention education. While the youth believed to be influenced by religion teachings on primary sexual abstinence, they self-reported with pre-marital sex. This suggests a need for secondary abstinence education with them to reduce their risk for STIs/HIV and unwanted pregnancies. Concept mapping is serviceable to construct frameworks and to identify content of follower-centric influences on sexual decision making by church youth members.

How Religion Frames Health Norms: A Structural Theory Approach

“…People may distinguish between some of their health norms that they publicly endorse and which align with their faith beliefs, and other health norms that they frame privately guiding them in their personal health choices (Mpofu 2016;Mpofu et al 2014). In that regard, religious adherents might also adopt negotiated health norms that draw from both religion and secular standards (as in Figure 1).…”

Pathways to sexual decision making by Pentecostal church youths in Botswana

“…For this reason, some church communities would apply considerable social sanctions on followers engaging in sexual activity that is contrary to faith teachings [ 8 ]. Regardless, some church followers self-report premarital sexual activity or engaging in sexual activity outside of a marital relationship [ 9 ], increasing their risk for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV [ 10 – 12 ]. With this evidence in mind, some church organizations increasingly collaborate with public health agencies in sexual health education in order to contain, if not eradicate STIs [ 13 – 15 ].…”

“…Sexually active church youth may carry a disproportionate risk for STIs from unprotected sexual encounters as emerging adults [ 16 – 22 ], perhaps due to lower exposure to public health education on contraception use [ 23 ]. For this reason, churches increasingly are mindful of the importance of developing partnerships with public health agencies, which subscribe not only to sexual abstinence, but also to the use of barrier contraception, within or external to a marital relationship [ 10 , 18 ].…”

“…The youth’s personal sense of religiosity choices and decisions would likely influence their actual sexual behaviour as church followers, including abstinence and use of contraception [ 10 , 24 ]. Primary abstinence refers to not having any history of penetrative sex.…”

“…Youth with first-sex (or sexual debut) can elect secondary abstinence with or without a romantic partner, reducing their risk for unwanted pregnancy and STIs [ 24 ]. They may perceive that they have personal agency or the ability to control their social outcomes and their health outcomes [ 10 ].…”