Introduction: The possibility of an AIDS free generation cannot be realized unless we are able to prevent HIV infection in young women. Therefore, information on sexual behaviour could help to mitigate the spread of HIV/AIDS by developing effective prevention strategies. Global estimates show decline HIV prevalence among young people, little is known about the burden of HIV and AIDS and how their needs for HIV prevention, care and treatments have been addressed. In Zambia, HIV and AIDS prevalence among the girls is still high (8.8%) compared to boys of the same age (4.3%) and many young people women engage in sexually activities very early with partners who are five years their senior and who may already have had a number of sexual partners.
Aim:
The aim of the study wasto explore sexual behaviour among women aged 15 -25
years.
Study
Design: Qualitative study.
Place
and Duration of the Study: Nangoma mission hospital catchment
area in Central province, and Chikankata Hospital catchment area in Chikankata
district of Southern Province.
Methodology:
We conducted 8 focus group discussions with 72 participants. The discussions
were conducted using the
same topic guide
for all the
groups, transcribed and
subjected to framework analysis.
Results:
The study findings
indicate that many
young women were
sexually active and
initiated sexual activity at an early age. Factors that contributed to
early initiation of sexual activities include fear of rejection by stable
partners, betrothals, coercion into marriages by guardians, incest, lack of
negotiation skills with
sexual partners and
poverty. Many participants’
sexual partners at
first intercourse were more
than five years older than themselves.
Some of the
study participants had multiple
sexual partners due
to various factors
such as curiosity,
fear of partner
violence, lack of assertiveness, sign of beauty and poverty.
Many participants in
both groups engaged
in unprotected sex
due to various
reasons. Some had never seen a condom before, some trusted
their sexual partners and thought there was no need to use a condom, others stated their partners didn’t’ allow them to use a condom. Other
participants didn’t use a condom because it wasn’t available, others couldn’t
use it due to misconceptions such as lack
of sexual enjoyment.
In some situations, participants
couldn’t use a
condom because of the
environment in which they found themselves, those with casual sexual partners stated that sexual intercourse is usually performed in
the bush and in hurry for fear of being discovered by passersby. Some participants
couldn’t use the condom on account of their doctrine. A few participants used
the condom for pregnancy protection. The study revealed that most participants
would not initiate condom use with their sexual partners for fear of rejection,
abandonment, infidelity and being suspected of having HIV and AIDS however,
some participants were willing to initiate condom use with their sexual
partners for pregnancy protection. Many
participants in didn’t
discuss sexual matters
nor HIV and
AIDS, and sexually transmitted infections with their sexual
partners. A few participants discussed issues on pregnancy protection with
their husbands.
Conclusion:
The study shows that women engage in risk sexual behaviour. Continued
sensitization is required in order to prevent women from engaging in risky
sexual behaviour. It is concluded that several knowledge gaps existed
among young women in relation to HIV and
AIDS and that some
Author(s) Details
Dr. Catherine Mubita-Ngoma
Department of Nursing
Sciences, University of Zambia, School of Medicine, P.O.Box 50110, Lusaka,
Zambia.
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