Browsing by Author "Marthinus, Arlene Judith"

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Understanding how peer, romantic and family relationships influence adolescent sexual and reproductive health decisions: an exploratory study in two schools in the Western Cape, South Africa
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2024-03) Marthinus, Arlene Judith; Hoddinott, Graeme; Kafaar, Zuhayr; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Department of Psychology.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Adolescents and young people within the Sub-Saharan African region bear the highest burden of unfavourable outcomes such as high HIV prevalence rates, unplanned pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. Adolescents and young people may ultimately face a lifetime of catastrophic outcomes resulting from their decisions during their adolescent years. In 2017, the Desmond Tutu TB Centre carried out a symposium with adolescents in the Cape Winelands District based on the high teenage pregnancy rate within the district in prior years. Following the symposium, the Department of Health in the Cape Winelands District implemented the wellness clinic service, where a nurse would go to two schools and offer comprehensive services to adolescents which also included Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health (ASRH) services. This study is a follow-up study nested within the broader collaboration. The aim of this study was to understand the influence of peer, romantic and familial relationships on adolescent reproductive health decisions. This was a qualitative exploratory research study. The sample consisted of (N=16) adolescents. The total sample consisted of two groups namely adolescents who accessed ASRH services and adolescents who did not access ASRH services. The two groups were selected to gain a better understanding of the role of family, peers and romantic relationships in ASRH decision-making. Purposive, snowball and convenience sampling was used to recruit adolescents at the two high schools in the Langeberg District where the wellness clinic services were implemented. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect information on adolescent relationships and the impact they may have on ASRH decision-making. All interviews were transcribed and translated verbatim. All transcripts were imported to ATLAS. ti (v22), where I identified patterns and themes according to Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis. The findings of this study showed that adolescents lacked knowledge surrounding ASRH choices available to them. Adolescents who reported having conversation with their caregivers felt uncomfortable, despite their caregivers initiating these conversations with adolescents. With regard to romantic partners, conversations around contraceptives and ASRH were almost non-existent. While the wellness clinic offers comprehensive ASRH options, many of the adolescents were unaware that the services were available to them, directly on the school premises during school hours on specific days. Schools that offer wellness clinic services should therefore make all the adolescents/learners aware of the services offered and should encourage adolescents to see the nurse should they require any information. Additionally, interventions aimed at ASRH should also include caregivers and their adolescents and should be focused on facilitating open and more comfortable discussions surrounding ASRH and the options available to adolescents.