An exploration of the determinants of sexual risk behaviour among adolescent girls and young women aged 15-24 years in South Africa: a sub-study of the 2019-2022 HERStory2 study

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dc.contributor.advisorKnight, Lucia
dc.contributor.advisorDuby, Zoe
dc.contributor.authorChamuka, Paidashe
dc.date.accessioned2025-01-23T06:12:39Z
dc.date.available2025-01-23T06:12:39Z
dc.date.issued2024
dc.date.updated2025-01-23T06:05:27Z
dc.description.abstractObjective: The study aims to understand why South African adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) engage in sexual risk behaviours, such as unsafe sex and transactional and inter-generational sexual relationships. These behaviours lead to adverse sexual and reproductive health (SRH) outcomes, including HIV, STIs, unplanned pregnancies, and forced sex. By exploring the perspectives of AGYW and community stakeholders, the study seeks to enhance future interventions aimed at reducing the risk of STIs, including HIV, and unintended pregnancies among AGYW. Methods The study is based on the qualitative component of the HERStory2 study, a mixed-methods evaluation of an SRH intervention for AGYW in six South African districts. Data from in-depth interviews with twenty-seven participants were thematically analysed using the social-ecological model as a theoretical framework. Results The findings showed that the reasons for AGYW's engagement in sexual risk behaviour are nested within individual, interpersonal, community, and structural levels. At the individual level, participants reported that AGYW may engage in sexual risk behaviours due to their age, low perception of risk, problematic alcohol consumption, and the need for high grades at school. At the interpersonal level, social media-induced peer pressure was cited as a reason for AGYW's engagement in sexual risk behaviours. Community-level factors included lack of safety and economic activities such as mining. At the structural level, poverty, negative attitudes from public healthcare providers at clinics, and social and gender norms were perceived to influence AGYW's sexual risk behavior. Conclusion The results suggest that AGYW's sexual risk behaviour is influenced by many complex factors beyond the individual. The results call for targeted holistic interventions to reduce sexual risk behaviour and improve the SRH outcomes for AGYW in this high HIV burden context.
dc.identifier.apacitationChamuka, P. (2024). <i>An exploration of the determinants of sexual risk behaviour among adolescent girls and young women aged 15-24 years in South Africa: a sub-study of the 2019-2022 HERStory2 study</i>. (). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Health Sciences ,Department of Public Health and Family Medicine. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/40823en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationChamuka, Paidashe. <i>"An exploration of the determinants of sexual risk behaviour among adolescent girls and young women aged 15-24 years in South Africa: a sub-study of the 2019-2022 HERStory2 study."</i> ., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Health Sciences ,Department of Public Health and Family Medicine, 2024. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/40823en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationChamuka, P. 2024. An exploration of the determinants of sexual risk behaviour among adolescent girls and young women aged 15-24 years in South Africa: a sub-study of the 2019-2022 HERStory2 study. . University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Health Sciences ,Department of Public Health and Family Medicine. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/40823en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Chamuka, Paidashe AB - Objective: The study aims to understand why South African adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) engage in sexual risk behaviours, such as unsafe sex and transactional and inter-generational sexual relationships. These behaviours lead to adverse sexual and reproductive health (SRH) outcomes, including HIV, STIs, unplanned pregnancies, and forced sex. By exploring the perspectives of AGYW and community stakeholders, the study seeks to enhance future interventions aimed at reducing the risk of STIs, including HIV, and unintended pregnancies among AGYW. Methods The study is based on the qualitative component of the HERStory2 study, a mixed-methods evaluation of an SRH intervention for AGYW in six South African districts. Data from in-depth interviews with twenty-seven participants were thematically analysed using the social-ecological model as a theoretical framework. Results The findings showed that the reasons for AGYW's engagement in sexual risk behaviour are nested within individual, interpersonal, community, and structural levels. At the individual level, participants reported that AGYW may engage in sexual risk behaviours due to their age, low perception of risk, problematic alcohol consumption, and the need for high grades at school. At the interpersonal level, social media-induced peer pressure was cited as a reason for AGYW's engagement in sexual risk behaviours. Community-level factors included lack of safety and economic activities such as mining. At the structural level, poverty, negative attitudes from public healthcare providers at clinics, and social and gender norms were perceived to influence AGYW's sexual risk behavior. Conclusion The results suggest that AGYW's sexual risk behaviour is influenced by many complex factors beyond the individual. The results call for targeted holistic interventions to reduce sexual risk behaviour and improve the SRH outcomes for AGYW in this high HIV burden context. DA - 2024 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town KW - HIV KW - adolescent girls KW - young women KW - sexual risk behaviour KW - adverse SRH outcomes KW - South Africa LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 2024 T1 - An exploration of the determinants of sexual risk behaviour among adolescent girls and young women aged 15-24 years in South Africa: a sub-study of the 2019-2022 HERStory2 study TI - An exploration of the determinants of sexual risk behaviour among adolescent girls and young women aged 15-24 years in South Africa: a sub-study of the 2019-2022 HERStory2 study UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/40823 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/40823
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationChamuka P. An exploration of the determinants of sexual risk behaviour among adolescent girls and young women aged 15-24 years in South Africa: a sub-study of the 2019-2022 HERStory2 study. []. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Health Sciences ,Department of Public Health and Family Medicine, 2024 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/40823en_ZA
dc.language.rfc3066eng
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Public Health and Family Medicine
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Health Sciences
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.subjectHIV
dc.subjectadolescent girls
dc.subjectyoung women
dc.subjectsexual risk behaviour
dc.subjectadverse SRH outcomes
dc.subjectSouth Africa
dc.titleAn exploration of the determinants of sexual risk behaviour among adolescent girls and young women aged 15-24 years in South Africa: a sub-study of the 2019-2022 HERStory2 study
dc.typeThesis / Dissertation
dc.type.qualificationlevelMasters
dc.type.qualificationlevelMPH
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