Browsing by Author "Perera, Shehani"

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    An exploration of parents' and guardians' perspectives on facilitators and barriers to menstrual cup usage amongst adolescent girls in De Doorns, Cape Winelands
    (2024) Ruya, Natasha; Githaiga, Jennifer; Perera, Shehani
    Adolescent girls in low-income communities in South Africa often cannot afford to buy disposable sanitary pads. Though menstrual cups are considered relatively cost-effective, uptake in South Africa remains low. This qualitative study investigated parents' and guardians' perspectives on factors that enable or hinder menstrual cup use among adolescent girls. Two focus group discussions and 10 individual interviews were conducted with study participants in De Doorns, a farming community in Cape Winelands. Data were uploaded onto NVivo 14 and analysed thematically. The study findings indicate that parents and guardians viewed menstrual cups as a viable option for upholding adolescent girls' dignity and alleviating the financial burden of purchasing menstrual products. This emerged as a supportive factor for adolescent girls' adoption. Further, parents and guardians believed that adolescent girls are a diverse group with varying needs, emphasising the importance of promoting their autonomy in choosing menstrual products. However, they encountered various challenges in adapting to menstrual cups, which left them feeling ill equipped to provide support to their adolescent girls. Concerns related to menstrual cup sizing and fears about potential impacts on virginity were common issues that contributed to their hesitation in endorsing usage among adolescent girls. To facilitate adoption, manufacturers of menstrual cups and community organisations involved in supporting the use of the same should consider parents' and guardians' perspectives, bearing in mind their pivotal roles as caregivers of adolescent girls. Further, there is a need for further knowledge dissemination to increase community buy-in.
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    Sexual health in relation to religious beliefs: perceptions of young women living in Khayelitsha
    (2019) Perera, Shehani; Swartz, Alison
    South Africa continues to have the highest HIV-prevalence in the world, in addition to other sexual health-related issues. A vast majority of its population is also religiously affiliated with Christianity. This study sought to understand how young women living in Khayelitsha experience the relationship between sexual health and religion within the context of uncertainty and socio-economic deprivation. How their sexual health-decision making unfolds given the tensions that arise between religious expectations and socio-economic realities and how they perceive the partnership between religious organisations and public health facilities offering sexual health services was also explored. Data collection consisted of ethnographic field notes, 11 semistructured interviews and 3 focus group discussions with 6 people in each group. Data were then analysed using a thematic analysis approach. The findings reveal that young women experience the tension between religious expectations and their socio-economic realities through the “moral dichotomisation of right and wrong” and that this, in addition to the ‘dynamics of hypervulnerability’ consisting of gender inequalities and economic vulnerability, leads to a sense of lacking control over sexual health decision-making. The call for church involvement in sexual health-related matters reveals a deeper desire for various forms of support as they transition to adulthood in the context of uncertainty and socio-economic marginalisation. The article argues that young people navigating uncertainty and dealing with the complexities of transitioning to adulthood may perceive religion and the church to play the role of a custodian in sexual health issues, however, expectations of the church are difficult to live up to and sit in tension with socio- economic realities. Thus, a division of duties between religious organisations and public health facilities should be established to strengthen sexual health promotion and prevention efforts.