Africa Centre for HIV/AIDS Management

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Browsing Africa Centre for HIV/AIDS Management by Subject "Abstinence training program -- South Africa -- Newcastle"

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    Abstinence related training needs for youth in the context of HIV/AIDS in Newcastle Uniting Presbyterian Church
    (Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2011-03) Mpofu, Buhle; Eva, Gary; University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Dept. of Industrial Psychology. Africa Centre for HIV/AIDS Management.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The aim of this research study was to investigate the needs of youth within the Uniting Presbyterian church in Newcastle to abstain from sex before marriage with a view to developing guidelines for an abstinence training program. Youth within the church are encouraged to abstain from sex until marriage as a strategy to prevent infection from HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. It is therefore important to identify youth abstinence training needs. The project further evaluated current HIV and AIDS programs at Newcastle UPCSA and identified gaps between these programmes and the need for abstinence training for youth. Findings from this investigation provided recommendations for the development of guidelines for an HIV/AIDS youth friendly program that provides skills to abstain from pre-marital sex. This study elicited data from 25 young people (aged between 15-24 years, five of them male) and 3 leaders (2 coordinators and a local minister). Three types of data were collected namely: self administered questionnaires with 25 young people (aged 15-24 years), three in-depth interviews with two HIV and AIDS Coordinators and a local minister in charge of the congregation, and a focus group discussion with the same group of 25 youth. What came out clearly is that youth who already have children or those in romantic relationships are more likely to be sexually active than abstaining. Further to this, youths who experience pressure to abstain are doing so because of lack of opportunity and the pressure on them. The research concluded that the abstinence-only approach is not enough to address the needs of youth in preventing them from HIV infection. The author suggests that there is a need for a comprehensive approach to sexuality education for young people and recommended intervention strategies that will promote condom use in a targeted way to those who are sexually active, and provide them with relevant prevention information.