Browsing by Author "Reddy, Priscilla"

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    Healthcare workers’ beliefs, motivations and behaviours affecting adequate provision of sexual and reproductive healthcare services to adolescents in Cape Town, South Africa: a qualitative study
    (BioMed Central, 2018-02-13) Jonas, Kim; Crutzen, Rik; Krumeich, Anja; Roman, Nicolette; van den Borne, Bart; Reddy, Priscilla
    Background: Adolescents’ sexual and reproductive healthcare (SRH) needs have been prioritized globally, and they have the rights to access and utilize SRH services for their needs. However, adolescents under-utilize SRH services, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. Many factors play a role in the under-utilization of SRH services by adolescents, such as the attitude and behaviour of healthcare workers. The aim of this study therefore, was to explore and gain an in-depth understanding of healthcare workers’ beliefs, motivations and behaviours affecting adequate provision of these services to adolescents in South Africa. Methods: Twenty-four healthcare workers in public SRH services in Cape Town, South Africa participated in this qualitative study through focus group discussions. To fulfill the aims of this study, nine focus group discussions were conducted among the SRH nurses. Results: SRH nurses indicated that they are experiencing challenges with the concept and practice of termination of pregnancy. They explained that this practice contradicted their opposing beliefs and values. Some nurses felt that they had insufficient SRH skills, which hinder their provision of adequate SRH services to adolescents, while others described constraints within the health system such as not enough time to provide the necessary care. They also explained having limited access to schools where they can provide SRH education and pregnancy prevention services in the surrounding area. Conclusions: Nurses are faced with numerous challenges when providing SRH services to adolescents. Providing the nurses with training programmes that emphasize value clarification may help them to separate their personal beliefs and norms from the workplace practice. This may help them to focus on the needs of the adolescent in a way that is beneficial to them. At the health systems level, issues such as clinic operating hours need to be structured such that the time pressure and constraints upon the nurse is relieved.
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    Sexual behaviour of Cape Townhigh-school students
    (Health & Medical Publishing Group, 2003) Flisher, Alan J; Reddy, Priscilla; Muller, Martie; Lombard, Carl
    Objectives. To document prevalence rates for selected aspects of sexual behaviour among Cape Town high-school students and to conduct a survival analysis of age at first intercourse. Design. Cross-sectional survey. Setting. State high schools in Cape Town. Subjects. A multistage cluster sample of 2 740 grade 8 and 11 students at 39 schools. Outcome measures. Ever having had sexual intercourse; for those who had, age at first intercourse, number of partners during the previous 12 months, time since last intercourse; and, at last intercourse, whether the partner had been known for more than 7 days, whether any method was used to prevent pregnancy or disease, and (if so) what was used. Results. Overall, 29.9% had participated in sexual intercourse, with a higher proportion among males and those in grade 11. By the age of 14 years, 23.4% of males and 5.5% of females had participated in sexual intercourse. By the age of 19 years, these proportions were 71.8% and 58.2% respectively. The median time since last intercourse was 4 weeks, the median number of partners in the past year was 1, and 78.4% had known their most recent partner for more than 7 days. At their last coital episode, 65.4% had used contraception, and the most common methods were condoms and injectable steroids, which were used by 67.7% and 43.2% respectively. Conclusions. The proportion of sexually active students has increased since 1990. Intervention programmes should commence in primary school. Large numbers of students are at risk for pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections.