Factors influencing the uptake of contraception services by Vatsonga adolescents in rural communities of Vhembe District in Limpopo Province, South Africa

Abstract

The aim of the study was to determine the factors that influence the uptake of contraception services by adolescents in the Vhembe district of Limpopo Province, South Africa. A qualitative research method which is explorative, descriptive and contextual in nature was used to investigate the phenomenon from the adolescents’ perspective. The target population comprised of adolescents residing in one of the six villages of Vhembe District. Data was collected through six focus group discussions until data saturation was achieved. Data was analysed using an open coding method. The findings revealed that adolescents are aware of the availability of contraceptive services. However, they lack a comprehensive knowledge about contraception and contraceptives, which led to negative attitudes towards using the services. Cultural health beliefs and attitudes were also identified as a barrier to the uptake and use of contraceptives. Recommendations were made on interventions to increase the uptake of contraception services amongst adolescents.Die doel met die studie was om te bepaal watter faktore beïnvloed adolessente in die Vembe distrik van Limpopo Provinsie, Suid Afrika se besluit om voorbehoedmiddels te gebruik. ’n Kwalitatiewe navorsingsmetode wat eksploratief, beskrywend en kontekstueel van aard is, is gebruik om die fenomeen vanuit die perspektief van die adolessent te ondersoek. Data is ingewin deur ses fokusgroepbesprekings todat ’n punt van dataversadiging bereik is. Data is met behulp van oop kodeering geanaliseer. Bevindinge het getoon dat die adolessente wel bewus is van die beskikbaarheid van voorbehoeddienste, alhoewel hulle kennis van voorbehoeding en voorbehoedmiddels gebrekkig is, en dit het tot ’n negatiewe houding jeens die gebruik van die dienste gelei. Kulturele en kulturele gesondheidsgelowe gelowe en houdings is ook geidentifiseer as ’n hindernis tot die gebruik van voorbehoedmiddels. Aanbevelings is gemaak ten opsigte van intervensies om die gebruik van voorbehoeddienste onder adolessente te bevorder.

Reproductive Health Choices Among Adolescents in Secondary Schools: A Case Study of Selected Schools in Limpopo, South Africa

“…This study, like other previous studies, has established that most parents do not actively participate in the education of their adolescents regarding their sexual and reproductive health [8,9,11]. Although many adolescents will be willing to discuss these issues with their parents, yet, many of them will rather seek information from their peers unless their parents initiate the discussion [12]; but, in cases where the parents are involved, the adolescents made better reproductive health choices [3,24,25].…”

“…This might be because of the cultural belief in many parts of Africa that open discussion about sexual issues is a taboo. Many respondents (n = 372, 80.5%) indicated that their parents have never initiated discussions with them regarding sexual issues and 348 (78.4%) do not bother to ask their parents about it because 182 felt parents were not supposed to talk about it (43.8%), 162 (38.9%) claimed that it is not culturally acceptable to discuss such matters with their parents while 72 (17.3%) ticked the option of "other reasons" [8,9]. Fig.…”

“…There is a prevalence of early and unprotected sexual activities as well as misconceptions about contraception and sexually transmitted diseases among adolescents in the developing countries, especially in the rural areas where discussions about sexual activities are generally considered as a taboo [8,9]. Yet, the lack of sex education aggravated by a perceived or real peer pressure to engage in sexual activities has been identified as a very important factor in the increase in the rate of teenage pregnancies [9,10].…”

Contraception coverage and methods used among women in South Africa: A national household survey

“…[18] Women, however, have limited knowledge of and experience with the 'newer' contraceptive methods. [26,33,34,52,53] Only half of our participants had heard of emergency contraception, the same portion as a study among female university students in 2011, [54] but higher than the 30.0% knowledge found in a Cape Town study of women in public sector clinics in 2004/2005. [53] Clearly, the introduction of LARCs and future multipurpose technologies will require intensive awareness campaigns, encompassing efforts to address health worker misperceptions of these technologies.…”

“…[30][31][32] Low levels of knowledge and frequent misconceptions about contraception among women of 15 -19 years are particularly concerning. [33,34] These findings cast doubt on how effectively the national Integrated School Health Policy [35,36] is being implemented. The policy recommends that school health services act as a delivery platform for the provision of sexual and reproductive health services, such as contraception and condom distribution.…”