Dating Violence and Self-Efficacy for Delayed Sex among Adolescents in Cape Town, South Africa

In South Africa, dating violence is known to be widespread among  adolescents, and is therefore a major public health issue because of its association with sexual risk behaviours. The objective of the study was to examine the relationship between dating violence and self-efficacy for  delayed sex among school-going adolescents in Cape Town, South Africa. The study is based on analyses of data from a school-based health  education programme targeting sexual and reproductive health issues.The study involved 3,655 school-going adolescents aged between 12 and 17 in Cape Town, South Africa. The data was collected by means of a  self-administered questionnaire composed of 153 items on sexual and reproductive health, dating violence as well as socio-demographic  characteristics. The results indicated that males showed a higher  percentage of both dating violence victimization and perpetration, as  compared to females. It was also found that adolescents from lower socio-economic backgrounds were more likely to be the victims of dating violence as compared to those from a higher socio-economic background. Female learners showed higher levels of self-efficacy for delayed sex than their male counterparts. Although the result revealed that there was a significant association between self-efficacy for delayed sex and socio-economic  status, this link decreased with age. It is concluded that educational  programmes aimed solely at improving self-efficacy for delayed sex is insufficient. Such programmes must also aim at preventing dating violence  and equipping adolescents with the skills to negotiate their way out of dating violence. Afr J Reprod Health 2014; 18[2]: 46-57).Keywords: STI, HIV, Sexual Risk Behavior, Sexual Debut, Coerced Se

Epileptic Patient may be pardoned…but for AIDS you should know”: HIV/AIDS, Stigma, Discrimination and Biographical Disruption

Objective: To determine the prevalence of HIV/AIDS-related stigma and discrimination, and to identify the perceptions of community members towards HIV/AIDS and persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in Ghana.Methods: A cross-sectional survey of 45 PLWHA, 46 family members of the PLWHA, and 184 non-affected community members from three administrative districts in Ghana was conducted.Results: Descriptive analysis revealed that only 17.8% of PLWHA indicated that their HIV status has strained relationship with family and community members. Almost half (46.7%) of the participants indicated that people in their communities perceive HIV/AIDS as a curse and slightly more than half (53.3%) see the disease as punishment from God. Over (86.7%) of PLWHA believed that community members feel threatened by the presence of the disease. Abandonment by family members/spouse/partners (66.6%), exclusion from social/family functions (51.1%) and spousal fighting or quarrelling (44.4%) were the dominant forms of stigmatization and discrimination experienced by PLWHA.Conclusions: These findings are useful in guiding the design of interventions programmes in Ghana against HIV/AIDS-related stigma and discrimination. Such intervention activities should incorporate traditional authority figures and the creation of employment opportunities which could serve as a long term solution to the spread of the disease