RESEARCH ARTICLE
Sexual Risk-taking Behaviours amongst Rural Adolescent Boys in a Province in South Africa: A Qualitative Study
Miriam Mogotsi1, Saraswathie Govender2, Kathryn Nel3, *, Indiran Govender1
Article Information
Identifiers and Pagination:
Year: 2024Volume: 17
E-location ID: e18749445278672
Publisher ID: e18749445278672
DOI: 10.2174/0118749445278672240220114723
Article History:
Received Date: 20/09/2023Revision Received Date: 12/01/2024
Acceptance Date: 17/01/2024
Electronic publication date: 25/04/2024
Collection year: 2024
open-access license: This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Public License (CC-BY 4.0), a copy of which is available at: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode. This license permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Abstract
Background
Risky sexual behaviours amongst adolescents contribute to public health problems globally and can be linked to cultural norms and lifestyles. This study aimed to explore the influences that are related to sexual risk behaviours amongst adolescent boys in a rural setting in South Africa.
Methods
The research was guided by Bandura’s social learning theory. The research used a qualitative approach with an exploratory phenomenological research design. Purposive sampling was used; 30 adolescent boys aged 13 to 18 years were recruited from 5 high schools in a province in South Africa. Focus groups were created, and data were analysed using thematic analysis (TA).
Results
Five themes emerged naturally out of the data, namely: 1) Lack of parental communication about sex; 2) Alcohol use; 3) Media influence; 4) Pregnancy and manhood; and 5) Government grants.
Conclusion
Findings revealed that the sample of male adolescents was involved in high-risk sex behaviours that were influenced by their sexual desires, consumption of alcohol, desire to prove their manhood, and receiving money from government grants. It was recommended that the Department of Education (DOE) in South Africa should implement and update sex education programmes at both primary and secondary schools.