‘A difficult conversation’: community stakeholders’ and key informants’ perceptions of the barriers to talking about sex and HIV with adolescents and young people in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Abstract

Adolescence and young adulthood are important periods of transition and therefore for action and intervention to ensure future sexual and reproductive health (SRH). Caregiver-adolescent communication about sex and sexuality is a protective factor for SRH, but there are often barriers to this. Adults' perspectives are limited within the literature but important as they should lead this process. This paper uses exploratory qualitative data from indepth interviews with 40 purposively sampled community stakeholders and key informants to explore their insights into the perceived, experienced or expected challenges adults' experience when having these conversations within a high HIV prevalence, South African context. Findings suggest that respondents recognised the value of communication and were generally willing to try it. However, they identified barriers such as fear, discomfort and limited knowledge and perceived capacity to do so. They show that in high prevalence contexts adults grapple with their own personal risks, behaviours and fears that may affect their ability to have these conversations. This demonstrates the need to equip caregivers with the confidence and ability to communicate about sex and HIV, alongside managing their own complex risks and situations to overcome barriers. It is also necessary to shift the negative framing of adolescents and sex.

The Obstacles of Women Entrepreneurship on Empowerment in Rural Communities KwaZulu Natal, South Africa

“…In contrast, Zondi and Magwaza (2023) emphasized the significance of infrastructure for a successful business, which is consistent with the findings of Tryphone and Mkenda (2023) in South Africa, who discovered that substandard roadways not only made traveling harder but also increased the cost of maintaining a vehicle. These findings are consistent with Knight et al (2023), who discovered that a shortage of commercial buildings such as workplaces, storage spaces, and manufacturers is an important obstacle for many rural businesses in the Western Cape.…”