Sexual risk behaviour amongst young people in the Vhembe district of the Limpopo province, South Africa

Abstract

This study entailed a quantitative, cross-sectional survey amongst young people in four villages of the Vhembe district of the Limpopo province. The purpose of the research was to determine the sexual health risk behaviour indicators prevalent amongst young people that could contribute to the spread of HIV and AIDS in this district. The objectives of this study were (1) to identify sexual risk behaviour, (2) to establish the prevalence of substance use before sexual intercourse, (3) to determine the prevalence of coerced sexual intercourse and (4) to determine the prevalence of forced sexual intercourse amongst young people in the Vhembe district. Purposive sampling was used to select the four villages that participated in the study and simple,random sampling was used to select the respondents. A total of 400 respondents participated in the study, 227 of which were female and 173 were male. The following sexual risk behaviour indicators were identified (1) early sexual debut, (2) teenage pregnancy and (3) early marriage. It was found that young people expose themselves to sexual intercourse without condoms, and that they are likely to have sexual intercourse without a condom in return for reward, and to have sexual intercourse with a famous person. Approximately 20% of the sexually active respondents had used substances before sexual intercourse. Alcohol and marijuana (‘dagga’) were most commonly used amongst those respondents taking substances before sexual intercourse, and these were used predominantly in coerced and forced sexual intercourse. Opsomming Die studie was ’n kwantitatiewe, deursnee-opname wat onder jongmense in vier dorpies in die Vhembe-distrik van die Limpopo-provinsie uitgevoer is. Die doel van die navorsing was om vas te stel watter aanwysers van risikogedrag ten opsigte van seksuele gesondheid onder die jongmense voorkom wat moontlik tot die verspreiding van MIV en vigs in hierdie distrik bydra. Die doelstellings van hierdie studie was om (1) seksuele risikogedrag te identifiseer, (2) die voorkoms van middelgebruik voor seksuele omgang te bepaal, (3) die voorkoms van gedwonge seksuele omgang en (4) die voorkoms van geforseerde seksuele omgang onder jongmense in die Vhembedistrik te bepaal. Doelgerigte steekproefneming is gebruik om die vier dorpies wat aan die studie deelgeneem het, te selekteer en eenvoudige ewekansige steekproefneming is gebruik om die respondente te selekteer.’n Totaal van 400 respondente het aan die studie deelgeneem, waarvan 227 vroulik en 173 manlik was. Die volgende aanwysers van seksuele risikogedrag is geïdentifiseer (1) vroeë seksuele debuut,(2) tienerswangerskap en (3) vroeë huwelik. Daar is gevind dat jongmense hulself aan seksuele omgang sonder kondome blootstel, en dat hulle waarskynlik seksuele omgang sonder ’n kondoom sal hê in ruil vir vergoeding en seksuele omgang met ’n bekende persoon sal hê. Ongeveer 20% van die seksueel aktiewe respondente het middels voor seksuele omgang gebruik. Alkohol en marijuana(‘dagga’) was die algemeenste middels onder diegene wat middels voor seksuele omgang gebruikhet, en dit is meestal in gedwonge en geforseerde seksuele omgang gebruik.

Keywords

• condom
• forced sexual intercourse
• sexual intercourse
• sexual risk behaviour
• substance abuse