Understanding the role played by parents, culture and the school curriculum in socializing young women on sexual health issues in rural South African communities

Abstract

Background: the decline in South Africa’s HIV infection rates especially among young women is encouraging. However, studies show that the 15–24-year-old cohort remains vulnerable. As they still report early sexual debut, being involved in sexual partnerships with older men as well as having unprotected sex. These risky sexual behaviors may be linked to factors such as the parent–child sexual health communication and the timing of the first talk. The quality of sexual health information received in school may also be important for enhancing healthier sexual behaviors. Aims and Objectives: to investigate the what, when and how sexual health communication occurs in rural South African families and to determine whether such communication patterns have changed over time. We also wanted to get an in-depth understanding of the roles played by culture, sexual health education and peers in the socialization of young women on sexual matters. Methods: a purposive sample of (n = 55) women who were 18–35 years old was selected and interviewed in focus group discussions (FGDs). Results: the FGD findings show that parent–child communication on sexual matters in rural communities is limited to messages that warn against pregnancy. It is also laden with cultural idioms that are not well explained. The school sexual health curriculum also fails to adequately equip adolescents to make informed decisions regarding sexual matters. All this seems to leave room for reception of misguided information from peers. Conclusions: findings highlight a need for designing interventions that can create awareness for parents on the current developmental needs and sexual behavior of adolescents. For adolescents programs would need to focus on providing skills on personal responsibility, and how to change behavior to enhance sexual health.

Parent-child communication about sexual issues in Zambia: a cross sectional study of adolescent girls and their parents

“…The findings confirm the importance of considering the quality of the parent-child relationship when considering involving parents in addressing adolescent sexual risk behaviour. A child who feels that her parents are interested in and understand her problems (connectedness) is more likely to seek advice and guidance about important sensitive issues, such as sex [54]. Indeed, this has been demonstrated in a South Africa study, which showed that when the parent-child relationship was strengthened, it also increased the frequency of parent-child communication about HIV/AIDS and sexuality issues [55].…”

“…These studies found that parents tend to believe that girls who are in school do not have sex and thus do not need information about it [20]. Parents were also more likely to speak to their children about sex when they are older, reach puberty/menses and/or when parents suspect they have romantic relationships and exhibit signs of engaging in sexual behaviour [35,37,54]. However, as suggested by the formative studies conducted for the RISE project [62], it is also possible that out of school girls in rural Zambia perceive themselves as adults who are ready for marriage and therefore are less hesitant to speak to their parents about sexual issues.…”

Prevalence of and Factors Influencing Parent–Child Communication About HIV/AIDS, and Sexual and Reproductive Health Issues in Nigeria

“…Similarly, in a recent study by Ahmed et al 2018, low social support, gender norms, and HIV stigma were among other factors why people from low-and middle-income countries would not discuss or initiate treatment of HIV/AIDS. Mpondo et al (2018), in a study they conducted in South Africa, found that parent-child communication on sexual health matters in rural communities was limited to messages that warned against pregnancy, while the messages were also fraught with cultural idioms that could be difficult to comprehend because of their ambiguous meanings. These findings also confirm the findings of our study that sociocultural and demographic factors influenced discussion of HIV/AIDS and SRH issues between Nigerian parents and their children.…”

“…Besides, parents play a critical role in the socialization of their children, of which sexuality is critical. Mpondo et al (2018) buttress this reality when they say that "sexual health communication that is provided by the parents is considered very important," This fact is further corroborated by Soon et al, when they explained that parents play important roles in influencing adolescent sexual decision-making and access to information about HIV and general SRH issues (Soon et al, 2013).…”

“…Parent-child communication about sexuality, and the understanding of how parents influence their children's feelings, concerns, and decision making have a long history dating back to at least 1965 (Dubbe, 1965). However, during the past decades, parent-child communication studies have expanded beyond sexuality to include content, predictors, and outcomes associated with these discussions (Bastien et al, 2011;Jejeebhoy & Santhya, 2011;Mpondo et al, 2018;Obono, 2012;Soon et al, 2013;Yadeta, Bedane, & Tura, 2014). One reason for this increased interest is the HIV epidemic, which continues to affect millions of adolescents among its victims (Dilorio et al, 2003).…”