YOUTH WORKERS’ EXPERIENCE REGARDING SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH EDUCATION IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS
Keywords:
youth workers, sexual education, reproductive health education, unwanted pregnancy, HIV/AIDS
Abstract
The alarming prevalence of HIV/AIDS and unwanted pregnancy among learners is of considerable concern. This study aimed to explore the barriers encountered by youth workers in implementing sexual and reproductive health education (SRHE) in secondary schools South Africa in the Western Cape province of South Africa and also to explore the benefits these youth workers bring. Qualitative methods and individual interviews were used to gather data. The findings show that cultural socialisation remains a major barrier to the effective implementation of SRHE by youth workers. Positive outcomes from the presence of the youth workers in schools include an increase in learners’ self-esteem and greater acceptance of moral values such as good citizenship and respect for others regardless of differences. Accordingly, this study recommends integrating youth workers into the schools by adding SRHE to the curriculum and having it implemented by them. When such programmes are set up, the role of youth workers in schools should be clearly articulated to avoid conflict between teachers and youth workers.
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References
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Badillo-Viloria, M., Mendoza-Sánchez, X., Vásquez, M. B., & Díaz-Pérez, A. (2020). Comportamientos sexuales riesgosos y factores asociados entre estudiantes universitarios en Barranquilla, Colombia, 2019 [Risky sexual behaviors and associated factors among university students in Barranquilla, Colombia, 2019]. Enfermería Global, 19(3), 436–448. https://doi.org/10.6018/eglobal.412161
Bay-Cheng, L. Y. (2003). The trouble of teen sex: The construction of adolescent sexuality through school-based sexuality education. Sex Education: Sexuality, Society and Learning, 3(1), 61–74, https://doi.org/10.1080/1468181032000052162
Bhana, D., & Ngabaza, S. (2012). Teachers’ responses to pregnancy and young parents in schools. Cape Town, South Africa: Human Social Research Council Press.
Bilinga, M., & Mabula, N. (2014). Teaching sexuality education in primary schools in Tanzania: Challenges and implications. Journal of Education and Practice,5(27), 21–30. https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/234636294.pdf
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2),77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
Chauke, T. A. (2021). Exploration of youth behavior: A response to learner violence in South Africa. Gender and Behaviour, 19(2), 17804–17815. https://journals.co.za/doi/abs/10.10520/ejc-genbeh_v19_n2_a9.
Eisenberg, M. E., Madsen, N., Oliphant, J. A, & Sieving, R. E. (2013). Barriers to providing the sexuality education that teachers believe students need. Journal of School Health, 83(5), 335–342. https://doi.org/10.1111/josh.12036
Federal Ministry of Health. (2009). Assessment report of the national response to young people sexual and reproductive health in Nigeria. http://www.actionhealthinc.org/publications/docs/Assessment Report of National Response To Young People's Sexual and Reproductive Health in Nigeria.pdf
Fentahun, N., Assefa, T., Alemseged, F., & Ambaw, F. (2012). Parents’ perception, students’ and teachers’ attitudes towards school sex education. Ethiopian Journal of Health Science, 2(22), 91–106.
Francis, D. (2016). ‘I felt confused; I felt uncomfortable … my hair stood on ends’: Understanding how teachers negotiate comfort zones, learning edges and triggers in the teaching of sexuality education in South Africa. In V. Sundaram & H. Sauntson (Eds.), Global perspectives and key debates in sex and relationships education: Addressing issues of gender, sexuality, plurality and power (pp. 130–145). Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137500229_9
Gevers, A., Mathews, C., Cupp, P., Russell, M., & Jewkes, R. (2013). Illegal yet developmentally normative: A descriptive analysis of young, urban adolescents’ dating and sexual behaviour in Cape Town, South Africa. BMC International Health and Human Rights, 13(31), Article 31. https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-698X-13-31
Haberland, N. A. (2015). The case for addressing gender and power in sexuality and HIV education: A comprehensive review of evaluation studies. International Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 41(1), 31–42. https://doi.org/10.1363/4103115
Hossain, D. M. (2011). Qualitative research process. Postmodern Openings, 7(1),143–156. https://postmodernopenings.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Qualitative-Research-Process.pdf
Iyer, P., Clarke, D & Aggleton, P. (2014). Barriers to HIV and sexuality education in Asia. Health Education, 11(2), 118–132. https://doi.org/10.1108/HE-06-2013-0025
Joseph, N., Mahato, V., Pandey, A., Mishra, S., Prakash, G., & Gandhi, R. (2021). Experiences and perception towards reproductive health education among secondary school teachers in South India. Reproductive Health, 18, Article 175. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12978-021-01224-6
Kagola, O, & Notshulwana, R. (2022). Reflecting on sexuality education in teacher education: Using a life history methodology of a same-sex desiring male foundation phase teacher. Educational Research for Social Change, 11(2), 92-105. https://doi.org/10.17159/2221-4070/2021/v11i2a6
Kamndaya, M., Thomas, L., Vearey, J., Sartorius, B., & Kazembe, L. (2014). Material deprivation affects high sexual risk behavior among young people in urban slums, South Africa. Journal of Urban Health, 91(3), 581–591. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11524-013-9856-1
Keogh, S. C., Stillman, M., Awusabo-Asare, K., Sidze, E., Monzón, A.S., Motta, A., & Leong, E. (2018). Challenges to implementing national comprehensive sexuality education curricula in low- and middle-income countries: Case studies of Ghana,
Kenya, Peru and Guatemala. PLoS ONE, 13(7), Article e0200513. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0200513
Kimmel, A., Williams, T. T., & Veinot, T. C. (2013). ‘I make sure I am safe, and I make sure I have myself in every way possible’: African American youth perspectives on sexuality education. Sex Education: Sexuality, Society and Learning, 13, 172–185. https://doi.org/10.1080/14681811.2012.709840
Leos, C., & Wiley, D. (2019). “It falls on all our shoulders”: Overcoming barriers to delivering sex education in West Texas schools. Journal of Applied Research on Children: Informing Policy for Children at Risk, 10(2), Article 4. https://doi.org/10.58464/2155-5834.1348
MacDonald, J.-A., Gagnon, A. J., Mitchell, C., Di Meglio, G., Rennick, J. E., & Cox, J. (2011). Asking to listen: Towards a youth perspective on sexual health education and needs. Sex Education: Sexuality, Society and Learning, 11(4), 443–457. https://doi.org/10.1080/14681811.2011.595268
Measor, L., Miller, K., & Tiffin, C. (2000). Young people’s views on sex education: Education, attitudes and behaviour. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203046692
Minnesota Department of Education. (2014). Moving youth work practice forward: Reflections on autonomy and authority. NorthStar Youth Worker Fellowship. http://web.augsburg.edu/sabo/NorthStarWorkingpapers2013-2014.pdf
Mturi, A. J. (2015). Predisposing factors and consequences of childbearing among young unmarried women in Northwest, South Africa. African Population Studies, 29(2), 1954–1970. https://doi.org/10.11564/29-2-776
Mturi, A. J., & Bechuke, A. L. (2019). Challenges of including sex education in the life orientation programme offered by schools: The case of Mahikeng, North West Province, South Africa. African Journal of Reproductive Health, 23(3), 134–148.
Nmadu, A. G, Mohammed, S., & Usman, N. O. (2020). Barriers to adolescents’ access and utilisation of reproductive health services in a community in north-western Nigeria: A qualitative exploratory study in primary care. African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine, 12(1), Article 2307. https://doi.org/10.4102/phcfm.v12i1.2307
Peskin, M. F., Hernandez, B. F., Markham, C., Johnson, K., Tyrrell, S., Addy, R. C., Shegog, R., Cuccaro, P. M., DeRoulet, P. E., & Tortolero, S. R. (2011). Sexual health education from the perspective of school staff: Implications for Adoption and implementation of effective programs in middle school. Journal of Applied Research on Children: Informing Policy for Children at Risk, 2(2), Article 9. https://doi.org/10.58464/2155-5834.1046
Reynolds, L, Akers, D. D, Lucas, B. H., Kuhn, T., & Firpo-Triplett, R. (2021). Breaking down the skills: Designing and pilot-testing a video-based Microskills® training for sexual health educators. American Journal of Sexuality Education, 16(1), 57–85. https://doi.org/10.1080/15546128.2020.1856745
Sosa, L. V. (2020). The role of school social workers and sex education: From policy advocacy to direct practice. Children & Schools 42(2),75–78. https://doi.org/10.1093/cs/cdaa010
South African Department of Health. (2023). National strategic plan (NSP) for HIV, TB and STIs: 2023–2028. https://sanac.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/SANAC-NSP-2023-2028-Web-Version.pdf
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). (2023). State of world population 2023: A world beyond pandemics. https://www.unfpa.org/sites/default/files/swop23/SWOP2023-ENGLISH-230329-web.pdf
Vanwesenbeeck, I., Westeneng, J., de Boer, T., Reinders, J., & van Zorge, R. (2016). Lessons learned from a decade implementing comprehensive sexuality education in resource poor settings: The world starts with me. Sex Education: Sexuality, Society and Learning, 16(5), 471–486. https://doi.org/10.1080/14681811.2015.1111203
Wang, B., Stanton, B., Deveaux, L., Poitier, M., Lunn, S., Koci, V., Adderley, R., Kaljee, L., Marshall, S., Li, X., & Rolle, G. (2015). Factors influencing implementation dose and fidelity thereof and related student outcomes of an evidence-based national HIV prevention program. Implementation Science, 10(1), Article 44. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13012-015-0236-y
World Health Organization (WHO). (2017). The Lancet: Investing in adolescent health and wellbeing could transform global health for generations to come. http://www.who.int/pmnch/media/news/2016/lancet_adolescent/en/ (Accessed on 29 September 2017).
Zulu, J. M., Blystad, A., Haaland, M. E. S., Michelo, C., Haukanes, H., & Moland, K. M. (2019). Why teach sexuality education in school? Teacher discretion in implementing comprehensive sexuality education in rural Zambia. BMC: International Journal for Equity in Health, 18(1), Article 116. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-019-1023-1
Zulu, J. M., Kinsman, J., Hurtig, A.-K., Michelo, C., George, A., & Schneider, H. (2019). Integrating community health assistant-driven sexual and reproductive health services in the community health system in Nyimba district in Zambia: Mapping key actors, points of integration, and conditions shaping the process. Reproductive Health, 16(1), Article 122. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12978-019-0788-4
Barr, E. M., Goldfarb, E. S., Russell, S., Seabert, D., Wallen, M., & Wilson, K. L. (2014). Improving sexuality education: The development of teacher‐preparation standards. Journal of School Health, 84(6), 396–415. https://doi.org/10.1111/josh.12156
Badillo-Viloria, M., Mendoza-Sánchez, X., Vásquez, M. B., & Díaz-Pérez, A. (2020). Comportamientos sexuales riesgosos y factores asociados entre estudiantes universitarios en Barranquilla, Colombia, 2019 [Risky sexual behaviors and associated factors among university students in Barranquilla, Colombia, 2019]. Enfermería Global, 19(3), 436–448. https://doi.org/10.6018/eglobal.412161
Bay-Cheng, L. Y. (2003). The trouble of teen sex: The construction of adolescent sexuality through school-based sexuality education. Sex Education: Sexuality, Society and Learning, 3(1), 61–74, https://doi.org/10.1080/1468181032000052162
Bhana, D., & Ngabaza, S. (2012). Teachers’ responses to pregnancy and young parents in schools. Cape Town, South Africa: Human Social Research Council Press.
Bilinga, M., & Mabula, N. (2014). Teaching sexuality education in primary schools in Tanzania: Challenges and implications. Journal of Education and Practice,5(27), 21–30. https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/234636294.pdf
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2),77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
Chauke, T. A. (2021). Exploration of youth behavior: A response to learner violence in South Africa. Gender and Behaviour, 19(2), 17804–17815. https://journals.co.za/doi/abs/10.10520/ejc-genbeh_v19_n2_a9.
Eisenberg, M. E., Madsen, N., Oliphant, J. A, & Sieving, R. E. (2013). Barriers to providing the sexuality education that teachers believe students need. Journal of School Health, 83(5), 335–342. https://doi.org/10.1111/josh.12036
Federal Ministry of Health. (2009). Assessment report of the national response to young people sexual and reproductive health in Nigeria. http://www.actionhealthinc.org/publications/docs/Assessment Report of National Response To Young People's Sexual and Reproductive Health in Nigeria.pdf
Fentahun, N., Assefa, T., Alemseged, F., & Ambaw, F. (2012). Parents’ perception, students’ and teachers’ attitudes towards school sex education. Ethiopian Journal of Health Science, 2(22), 91–106.
Francis, D. (2016). ‘I felt confused; I felt uncomfortable … my hair stood on ends’: Understanding how teachers negotiate comfort zones, learning edges and triggers in the teaching of sexuality education in South Africa. In V. Sundaram & H. Sauntson (Eds.), Global perspectives and key debates in sex and relationships education: Addressing issues of gender, sexuality, plurality and power (pp. 130–145). Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137500229_9
Gevers, A., Mathews, C., Cupp, P., Russell, M., & Jewkes, R. (2013). Illegal yet developmentally normative: A descriptive analysis of young, urban adolescents’ dating and sexual behaviour in Cape Town, South Africa. BMC International Health and Human Rights, 13(31), Article 31. https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-698X-13-31
Haberland, N. A. (2015). The case for addressing gender and power in sexuality and HIV education: A comprehensive review of evaluation studies. International Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 41(1), 31–42. https://doi.org/10.1363/4103115
Hossain, D. M. (2011). Qualitative research process. Postmodern Openings, 7(1),143–156. https://postmodernopenings.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Qualitative-Research-Process.pdf
Iyer, P., Clarke, D & Aggleton, P. (2014). Barriers to HIV and sexuality education in Asia. Health Education, 11(2), 118–132. https://doi.org/10.1108/HE-06-2013-0025
Joseph, N., Mahato, V., Pandey, A., Mishra, S., Prakash, G., & Gandhi, R. (2021). Experiences and perception towards reproductive health education among secondary school teachers in South India. Reproductive Health, 18, Article 175. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12978-021-01224-6
Kagola, O, & Notshulwana, R. (2022). Reflecting on sexuality education in teacher education: Using a life history methodology of a same-sex desiring male foundation phase teacher. Educational Research for Social Change, 11(2), 92-105. https://doi.org/10.17159/2221-4070/2021/v11i2a6
Kamndaya, M., Thomas, L., Vearey, J., Sartorius, B., & Kazembe, L. (2014). Material deprivation affects high sexual risk behavior among young people in urban slums, South Africa. Journal of Urban Health, 91(3), 581–591. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11524-013-9856-1
Keogh, S. C., Stillman, M., Awusabo-Asare, K., Sidze, E., Monzón, A.S., Motta, A., & Leong, E. (2018). Challenges to implementing national comprehensive sexuality education curricula in low- and middle-income countries: Case studies of Ghana,
Kenya, Peru and Guatemala. PLoS ONE, 13(7), Article e0200513. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0200513
Kimmel, A., Williams, T. T., & Veinot, T. C. (2013). ‘I make sure I am safe, and I make sure I have myself in every way possible’: African American youth perspectives on sexuality education. Sex Education: Sexuality, Society and Learning, 13, 172–185. https://doi.org/10.1080/14681811.2012.709840
Leos, C., & Wiley, D. (2019). “It falls on all our shoulders”: Overcoming barriers to delivering sex education in West Texas schools. Journal of Applied Research on Children: Informing Policy for Children at Risk, 10(2), Article 4. https://doi.org/10.58464/2155-5834.1348
MacDonald, J.-A., Gagnon, A. J., Mitchell, C., Di Meglio, G., Rennick, J. E., & Cox, J. (2011). Asking to listen: Towards a youth perspective on sexual health education and needs. Sex Education: Sexuality, Society and Learning, 11(4), 443–457. https://doi.org/10.1080/14681811.2011.595268
Measor, L., Miller, K., & Tiffin, C. (2000). Young people’s views on sex education: Education, attitudes and behaviour. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203046692
Minnesota Department of Education. (2014). Moving youth work practice forward: Reflections on autonomy and authority. NorthStar Youth Worker Fellowship. http://web.augsburg.edu/sabo/NorthStarWorkingpapers2013-2014.pdf
Mturi, A. J. (2015). Predisposing factors and consequences of childbearing among young unmarried women in Northwest, South Africa. African Population Studies, 29(2), 1954–1970. https://doi.org/10.11564/29-2-776
Mturi, A. J., & Bechuke, A. L. (2019). Challenges of including sex education in the life orientation programme offered by schools: The case of Mahikeng, North West Province, South Africa. African Journal of Reproductive Health, 23(3), 134–148.
Nmadu, A. G, Mohammed, S., & Usman, N. O. (2020). Barriers to adolescents’ access and utilisation of reproductive health services in a community in north-western Nigeria: A qualitative exploratory study in primary care. African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine, 12(1), Article 2307. https://doi.org/10.4102/phcfm.v12i1.2307
Peskin, M. F., Hernandez, B. F., Markham, C., Johnson, K., Tyrrell, S., Addy, R. C., Shegog, R., Cuccaro, P. M., DeRoulet, P. E., & Tortolero, S. R. (2011). Sexual health education from the perspective of school staff: Implications for Adoption and implementation of effective programs in middle school. Journal of Applied Research on Children: Informing Policy for Children at Risk, 2(2), Article 9. https://doi.org/10.58464/2155-5834.1046
Reynolds, L, Akers, D. D, Lucas, B. H., Kuhn, T., & Firpo-Triplett, R. (2021). Breaking down the skills: Designing and pilot-testing a video-based Microskills® training for sexual health educators. American Journal of Sexuality Education, 16(1), 57–85. https://doi.org/10.1080/15546128.2020.1856745
Sosa, L. V. (2020). The role of school social workers and sex education: From policy advocacy to direct practice. Children & Schools 42(2),75–78. https://doi.org/10.1093/cs/cdaa010
South African Department of Health. (2023). National strategic plan (NSP) for HIV, TB and STIs: 2023–2028. https://sanac.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/SANAC-NSP-2023-2028-Web-Version.pdf
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). (2023). State of world population 2023: A world beyond pandemics. https://www.unfpa.org/sites/default/files/swop23/SWOP2023-ENGLISH-230329-web.pdf
Vanwesenbeeck, I., Westeneng, J., de Boer, T., Reinders, J., & van Zorge, R. (2016). Lessons learned from a decade implementing comprehensive sexuality education in resource poor settings: The world starts with me. Sex Education: Sexuality, Society and Learning, 16(5), 471–486. https://doi.org/10.1080/14681811.2015.1111203
Wang, B., Stanton, B., Deveaux, L., Poitier, M., Lunn, S., Koci, V., Adderley, R., Kaljee, L., Marshall, S., Li, X., & Rolle, G. (2015). Factors influencing implementation dose and fidelity thereof and related student outcomes of an evidence-based national HIV prevention program. Implementation Science, 10(1), Article 44. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13012-015-0236-y
World Health Organization (WHO). (2017). The Lancet: Investing in adolescent health and wellbeing could transform global health for generations to come. http://www.who.int/pmnch/media/news/2016/lancet_adolescent/en/ (Accessed on 29 September 2017).
Zulu, J. M., Blystad, A., Haaland, M. E. S., Michelo, C., Haukanes, H., & Moland, K. M. (2019). Why teach sexuality education in school? Teacher discretion in implementing comprehensive sexuality education in rural Zambia. BMC: International Journal for Equity in Health, 18(1), Article 116. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-019-1023-1
Zulu, J. M., Kinsman, J., Hurtig, A.-K., Michelo, C., George, A., & Schneider, H. (2019). Integrating community health assistant-driven sexual and reproductive health services in the community health system in Nyimba district in Zambia: Mapping key actors, points of integration, and conditions shaping the process. Reproductive Health, 16(1), Article 122. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12978-019-0788-4
Published
2024-10-30
How to Cite
Chauke, T. A. (2024). YOUTH WORKERS’ EXPERIENCE REGARDING SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH EDUCATION IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS. International Journal of Child, Youth and Family Studies, 15(3), 101-117. https://doi.org/10.18357/ijcyfs153202422165
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