Browsing by Subject "Sexual health"

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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.
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    Open Access
    Stories from the edge
    (2025) Hartley, Felicity; Passmore, Jo-Ann; Mackenny, Virginia; Knight, Lucia
    Background: Discussing sexual health (SH) is often awkward and taboo due to societal and cultural factors. Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and unintended pregnancies significantly impacts the health and lives of young women (YW). Visual arts-based approaches have been positively used for promoting embodied recall, overcoming language barriers to assist sensitive research and facilitate language-led data gathering. This participatory qualitative study investigates what the novel non-verbal painting process, Stories from the Edge (SFTE), brings to communication amongst a group of YW when talking about their sexual relationships and SH service seeking experiences. SFTE asks how it may enrich dialogues in in-depth interviews (IDIs) and focus group discussions (FGD). Method: Seven isiXhosa YW aged 21 -25 years were recruited to participate in a 6-11 session art-based study where they painted their SH experiences. The data set for the study included multiple large paintings, IDIs, an FGD, and informal discussions. All data including verbal discussions and interviews was recorded and translated where necessary, transcribed and thematically analysed. Results: The YW expressed that painting their SFTE provided an opportunity to express complex emotional experiences of intimate relationships which they found too hard to articulate verbally. Through the process they gained a deeper understanding of themselves and their emerging self-agency within their intimate relationships, and when accessing SH services. Inductive thematic analysis of verbal IDIs, FGD and informal discussions revealed key influences on communication about their intimate relationships and accessing SH services. Closer interpersonal relationships (family, partners, peers) emerged as the most significant contributors to their attitudes and practices, more than the socio-cultural (school and non-governmental organizations) or organizational (health care providers) spheres in their environment. As YW transitioned from adolescence to early adulthood, partners and friends assumed increasing importance. The desire for improved communication about sex, and relationships with those closest to them and when accessing SH services, was mediated by YW's confidence in their own self-agency and the power dynamics within these relationships. Conclusion: The SFTE visual art-based method facilitated the YW in recalling and voicing their SH experiences more comprehensively than language-only led research and promoted their own self-agency. The study underscores the importance of building communication skills of YW to enable them to speak confidently about their needs and desires within their intimate partnerships and when accessing SH service care.