Sexual knowledge and practice of adolescent learners in a rural South African school

Abstract

Background: Premature sexual activity has become a norm in South African society, often resulting in teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases (STD). Occurrence of premature sexual activity is related to insufficient education, gender inequal- ities, household poverty and place of residence. The Stepping Stones project uses a 10-session programme to educate learners about relationships, HIV-prevention and teenage pregnancy. The purpose was to measure and describe learners’ sexual knowl- edge and activities in a rural technical secondary school in North-west Province, South Africa.
 Methods: A cross-sectional survey. Questionnaires were distributed to learners in grade 8 to 12. Descriptive statistics was used in analysis.
 Results: Seventy-nine questionnaires were analysed. Despite a young sample, 26.6% were sexually active and 24.1% engaged in sexual activity. The mean age for first-time sexual intercourse was 15.2±2.3 years. The use of contraceptives was low (41.2%) and participants reported difficulty in talking to partners about condom use (54.8%). Almost half (45.5%) of the participants had never heard of STDs. Participants expressed a need to use social media as a sex education tool (12.3%). The primary source of information was from school-based programmes (58.0%).
 Conclusion: Findings point to unsafe sexual practice of learners at a school in rural South Africa, even from an early age. This concern is accompanied by the occurrence of low levels of sexually-related knowledge. The learners would benefit from contin- ued implementation of the Stepping Stones programme. Implementation could be improved by incorporating social media and emphasising gender equality and negotiation skills in sexually vulnerable situations.
 Keywords: Sexual knowledge; adolescent learners; South Africa.

The Effect of Sex Education on Premarital Sex Among Adolescents; Literature Review

“…The results of the 9th journal (Mostert et al, 2020) can be concluded that the level of sexual activity is low among adolescents. However, many adolescents engage in unsafe sexual activities due to inconsistent use of contraceptives, this happens because most adolescents are not sexually active, accompanied by a low level of adolescent knowledge related to sexuality.…”

“I am not shy anymore”: A Qualitative Study of the Impact of an Interactive mHealth Intervention on Sexual Health Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors of South African Adolescents with Perinatal HIV

“…Across SSA, adolescent SRH services are inequitably distributed by region, gender, education, urban-rural residence, economic status, and HIV status (6). In a national survey of South African adolescents, the mean age for rst-time sexual intercourse was 15.2 years (7). Only 40.3% reported contraception use (7), which was dependent on knowledge, relationship status, age difference, accessibility of contraception, and healthcare worker attitudes (8,9).…”

“…In a national survey of South African adolescents, the mean age for rst-time sexual intercourse was 15.2 years (7). Only 40.3% reported contraception use (7), which was dependent on knowledge, relationship status, age difference, accessibility of contraception, and healthcare worker attitudes (8,9). Peer interactions have an established effect on youth sexual behaviors (10).…”

“…Poor SRH outcomes amongst APHIV call for integrated health, educational, and social services, at the intersection of HIV and sexuality, targeted to adolescent populations (2,6). Researchers, healthcare providers, and APHIV alike have recommended the use of mobile health (mHealth) interventions, such as phone applications or text message programs, to connect adolescents with sexual health education and services, due to high smartphone coverage and technological familiarity amongst young people (7,12). To mitigate concerns of security, liability, and regulation of mHealth services (14), the World Health Organization has created a guide that lays out standards for the content, context, and technical features of mHealth interventions (15).…”

Editorial I Reproductive health issues, infections and non-communicable diseases

“…The next three articles are on sexual behaviour and practice. They include: 'use of sachet alcohol and sexual behaviour among adolescents in Nigeria 3 ; sexual knowledge and practice of adolescent learners in rural South Africa 4 ; and sexual behaviours and risk perception of STIs among polytechnic students' in Nigeria 5 . The next group of papers are on, yes you have guessed right, infectious diseases.…”