‘A difficult conversation’: Community stakeholders’ and key informants’ perceptions of the barriers to talking about sex and HIV with adolescents and young people in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

dc.contributor.authorKnight, Lucia
dc.contributor.authorHumphries, Hilton
dc.contributor.authorVan der Pol, Natasha
dc.contributor.authorNcgobo, Nkosinathi
dc.date.accessioned2023-04-12T08:11:54Z
dc.date.available2023-04-12T08:11:54Z
dc.date.issued2023
dc.description.abstractAdolescence and young adulthood are important periods of transition and therefore for action and intervention to ensure future sexual and reproductive health (SRH). Caregiver-adolescent communication about sex and sexuality is a protective factor for SRH, but there are often barriers to this. Adults’ perspectives are limited within the literature but important as they should lead this process. This paper uses exploratory qualitative data from in-depth interviews with 40 purposively sampled community stake-holders and key informants to explore their insights into the perceived, experienced or expected challenges adults’ experience when having these conversations within a high HIV prevalence, South African context. Findings suggest that respondents recognized the value of communication and were generally willing to try it. However, they identified barriers such as fear, discomfort and limited knowledge and perceived capacity to do so. They show that in high prevalence contexts adults grapple with their own personal risks, behaviors and fears that may affect their ability to have these conversations. This demonstrates the need to equip caregivers with the confidence and ability to communicate about sex and HIV, alongside managing their own complex risks and situations to overcome barriers. It is also necessary to shift the negative framing of adolescents and sex.en_US
dc.identifier.citationKnight, L., Humphries, H., Van der Pol, N., Ncgobo, N., Essack, Z., Rochat, T. and van Rooyen, H., 2023. ‘A difficult conversation’: community stakeholders’ and key informants’ perceptions of the barriers to talking about sex and HIV with adolescents and young people in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Culture, Health & Sexuality, pp.1-16.en_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.1080/13691058.2023.2178674
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10566/8743
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisherCulture, Health & Sexualityen_US
dc.subjectinter-generational communicationen_US
dc.subjectsexen_US
dc.subjectadolescentsen_US
dc.subjectyoung peopleen_US
dc.subjectSouth Africaen_US
dc.title‘A difficult conversation’: Community stakeholders’ and key informants’ perceptions of the barriers to talking about sex and HIV with adolescents and young people in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africaen_US
dc.typeArticleen_US

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